Pesach 2014 / 5774 - New West End Synagogue

New West End Synagogue
St Petersburgh Place
London W2 4JT
Telephone 020 7229 2631
Fax 020 7229 2355
Email [email protected]
Website www.newwestend. org.uk
MOSAIC
Magazine of the New West End Synagogue
Pesach
5774 / 2014
Welcome to Mosaic
Pesach 5774 / 2014
Staff & Contacts
Contents
Minister
Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler
Chairman
Henry Magrill
Message from the Editor
3
Message from Rabbi Shisler
4
Chief Rabbi’s Pesach Message
5
Vice Chairman
Felicity Miller
United Synagogue’s
President’s Message
6
Wardens
Laurence Lando
Martin Lewin
Chairman’s Message
7
Social & Personal
8
Financial Representative
Stephen Levinson
Early memories of Bayswater
and the New West End Synagogue
10
Mosaic Voices
18
Purim 2014
20
Pesach Guide 5774/2014
22
Zecher Yetziat Mitzraim
24
A Visit to Siberia
25
Shacharit with the Chief Rabbi
28
Board of Management
Leon Apfel
Stephanie Featherman
Andrew Jacobs
Harvey Katz
Rachel Magrill
Valerie Richman
Angela Skry
Michael Talalay
Natalie Cutler
Jeff Hammerschlag
Dorothea Josem
Susan Katz
Toni Nagel
Michael Sharron
Jonathan Skry
Trevor Toube
Representative at the Board of Deputies
Dori Schmetterling
Under 35 Representative at the Board of Deputies
Josh Morris
Administrator
Michael Wahnon
Beadle
Eli Ballon
Office hours
Monday to Thursday 8am-4pm
Friday 8am-12 noon
Sunday 10am-12 noon
Telephone: 020 7229 2631
Fax: 020 7229 2355
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.newwestend.org.uk
Designed and Produced by
Creative Interpartners, London
www.creativeinterpartners.co.uk
MOSAIC
Eli Ballon
Editor
Message from
the Editor
Pesach 2014
A
ccording to many Rabbis, a person is forbidden
from eating the Paschal Lamb unless he reserves
his share in advance. This would be done by
joining together with a group who are already buying
and offering the sacrifice. The group is required to
consume the entire animal that night. At a minimum,
and theoretically, one person can constitute a group if
he thinks that he can eat the entire animal by himself(!)
although this was discouraged and so others are invited
to join in the
eating. The
source for this
is a verse in
Shemot (12:4):
‘If the household
does not contain
sufficient people
to ‘cover’ the
eating of a
sheep, then he
should include
his neighbour
‘be-michsat
nefashot’ (in
the number
of souls).’
Together with my
wife Shana, we wish
you a Chag Kasher
V’Sameach – a happy
and Kosher Pesach.
In other words, you need to ensure that you have your
Seder organised before Pesach, and other people are
needed to help one complete the mitzvah properly.
At the beginning of the Seder, we offer the following
invitation ‘All who are hungry – come and eat. All who
are needy – come and join the Passover celebration.’
It’s hard to believe that whilst you’re reciting this on
Passover night a crowd of homeless people will be
hanging around outside your door. Or that if you say the
words loud enough there’s going to be a rush into your
house. According to what we have seen above it seems
that we should not include in our Seder people who have
not ‘pre-booked’. So what does the Haggadah mean?
The message is that we cannot have true personal
freedom unless we care about other people – both their
physical and spiritual needs. That’s why the Haggadah
says: ‘All who are hungry... All who are needy...’ Don’t these
two things sound similar? The first one refers to physical
hunger – if you’re hungry come have a bite with us.
The second is spiritual – if you have any kind
of need, join us.
Why is caring about other people so crucial to our own
sense of freedom? Because we cannot put aside our ego
unless we care about other people. A person has to get
outside himself and realise that the welfare of others
is part of his own happiness and freedom.
This Pesach, for the first time in many years, for various
reasons, the New West End will unfortunately not be
having a Communal Seder. While most people will, by
now, have organised a Seder, there may still be people
in the community who, unless invited, will not have a
Seder to go to. If there is anyone who you think may be
by themselves, either having a Seder alone or possibly
not having one at all, please try and help them –
and yourselves – by proffering an invitation.
3
Rabbi
Geoffrey Shisler
Pesach 5774
T
he story is told how, just after the war, a Jewish
intellectual came to the famous Mashgiach
(spiritual advisor) of the Gateshead Yeshiva,
Rabbi Elya Lopian zt”l, and said to him:
‘Rabbi, when I was going through the Haggadah it
occurred to me that the song Echad Mi Yodeia, ‘Who Knows
One’, is pretty infantile. Why would the rabbis put such a
childish nursery rhyme in the Seder service? ‘One is the Lord,
two are the tablets of stone, three are the fathers,’ and so
on. It hardly fits in with all the serious stuff we have to read
and discuss that night’
Rabbi Lopian’s face brightened, his eyes widened,
and a broad smile spread across his face. ‘Let’s start with
one. One is God in the heaven and the earth!’ And he went
on to delve into the mystery of the uniqueness
of God.
Rabbi Shisler’s
Pesach Message
We dip our food and
lean like royalty to
represent freedom
and eat bitter herbs
to remind us about
the bitter slavery
‘What about the number five?’
‘Five?’ repeated the Rabbi. ‘Why five has tremendous
symbolism! It represents the foundation of Judaism the Five Books of Moses!’ And he then explained some
of the mystical connotations that are represented
by the number five.
to remind us about the bitter slavery. We also eat other
symbolic foods that portray our Egyptian bondage: salt
water to remember tears, and charoset, a mixture of
apples, nuts and wine that looks like mortar, to remind
us of the backbreaking years in Egypt.
He then went on to explain the deep symbolism of
some of the other numbers and by the time the man left
he had a very different attitude toward the most modest
of our rituals.
And that’s why we conclude the Seder with a simple,
even childish song. It’s to remind us that even in the
most unexpected of places, there are potentially depths
of understanding just waiting to be uncovered. What we
must do is keep our eyes, our ears, and most important
of all, our minds, open and alive to make sure that
we don’t miss seeing them.
At the Seder, we try to find new meaning in the simplest
things. We try to view the seemingly mundane with
historical and even spiritual significance.
At our Seder, we view horseradish not just as something
that’s nice to put on gefilte fish, but as something that
represents our suffering. Matzah isn’t just a cracker that’s
good for members of weight-watchers, but it symbolises
the hardships of slavery and the speed with which
we were redeemed.
The entire Seder ceremony is replete with symbolism.
We drink four cups of wine to represent four Biblical
expressions of redemption. We dip our food and lean
like royalty to represent freedom and eat bitter herbs
4
I hope that this year you will take the opportunity to look
more carefully at some of the fascinating prayers and
songs in the Hagaddah. If you can obtain a Hagaddah with
a good commentary – and there are many available – you
will be able to uncover some of the hidden nuggets of
wisdom just waiting for you. Not only will it enhance your
enjoyment of the Seder, but it will also give you a deeper
understanding of some of the foundations of our faith.
Anne and I wish you all a happy and Kasher Pesach
and hope you will have a truly happy, meaningful,
and enjoyable Seder.
MOSAIC
Chief Rabbi
Ephraim Mirvis
Pesach 5774
P
esach is celebrated during the month of Nissan.
A notable feature of our liturgy during this month
is the omission of tachanun, the prayers of
confession and supplication in our weekday services.
In these prayers, we focus on our shortcomings and ask
God to forgive us. Tachanun is omitted during Nissan
on account of the joyous nature of the month.
Should this not be the case (the halacha) for the
preceding month of Adar? After all, is it not concerning
Adar alone that our Sages teach ‘With the commencement
of Adar, our joy increases’?
Our Sages explain that when
the Mishkan (Sanctuary) was
erected in the wilderness, it was
dedicated on Rosh Chodesh, the
first day of Nissan. During the
first twelve days of the month,
the princes of the tribes brought
sacrifices and each of these days
was celebrated as a Yom Tov by
the tribes. As a result, to this day,
these twelve days have a festive
flavour to them. Just a few days
later Pesach commences. For the
majority of the month we enjoy
a festive spirit and so we do
not recite tachanun throughout
the month of Nissan.
Chief Rabbi’s
Pesach Message
inspiring events are always concerned with follow-up
and impact. A spectacular occasion may be great on the
day, but if it is only a ‘one day wonder’, with no added
commitment by the participants, it is likely to be a
wasted opportunity. In our tradition, nothing is reserved
exclusively for one day alone. Even a festival that lasts
a day is a catalyst for further engagement. Shavuot, for
example, inspires us to have a Season of the Giving of the
Torah on every day of the year. Similarly, following Yom
Kippur, our Day of Atonement, we have an opportunity
to repent throughout the year.
As we celebrate
Pesach this year,
may we be blessed
with increased
happiness, fulfilment
and success.
In his commentary on the
Talmud (Ta’anit 28a) which deals
with the joyous nature of the month of Adar, Rashi states
that with the commencement of Adar our happiness
increases through our celebration of Purim and Pesach.
Rashi understands that Adar begins a process which
continues beyond the month itself. Our happiness
gathers momentum and therefore the joy of Nissan
supercedes that of Adar. Organisers of moving and
So too with regard to happiness
(simcha). The simcha of Adar is
only of true value if it enables
us to find the key to ongoing
joy and fulfilment. How apt,
therefore, that the month of
Nissan which follows Adar
is one of continuous simcha.
During my first six months
as Chief Rabbi I have had the
privilege to witness, at close
hand, the impressive vitality of
our communities throughout the
UK; in Synagogues, in schools,
in our communal organisations
and on campuses. Let us ensure
that we continually seek
maximum impact and lasting
effect in all that we do across
our communities. We must set
our expectations high and settle for nothing less. It is
only through our collective efforts as individuals and as
communities that we can be inspired and inspire others,
that we can be engaged and engage others.
Valerie and our family join me in wishing
you all a Chag kasher vesameach.
5
President of the
United Synagogue
Stephen Pack
Pesach 5774
President’s
Pesach Message
Pesach Message from the President:
Be Involved in Shaping Our Future
P
esach is a time to remember our heritage. We know
that we should regard the Exodus from Egypt as
if we ourselves had experienced this miracle, not
just our ancestors. It is also a time for family and friends
- the vast majority of us attend a Seder meal. It is one of
the most significant festivals in our calendar. Learning
about our past is important in shaping our future and
this is an ideal time to reflect on what each of us can
do to help our communities to prosper and to pass
on our heritage to future generations.
The coming weeks are a busy time for our Shuls. Just after
Pesach we will have elections for Honorary Officers and
Boards of Management and make new appointments for
the US Council. Two months
later we will have the US
Trustee elections when for
the first time we will be
electing Women Trustees.
This is an exciting time for
the US. We have a new Chief
Rabbi who is focussing on
building communities, we
are recruiting a new Chief
Executive to lead the US
and we are working on a
Strategic Plan which will set
out a clear vision of where
the organisation should
be in 15 years time when the US will be 150 years
old. We are fortunate to be able to make choices about
new initiatives and investments that will strengthen
the US for years to come.
There is a huge
amount going
on in our family
of communities
Perhaps this is the year when you will decide to get
involved - to stand as an Honorary Officer or a Member
of the Shul Board or as a Trustee. The US succeeds
because of the huge number of volunteers who
6
care passionately about their religion and their
community, and who work so hard for an organisation
that they want to strengthen for the next generation. If
you choose to get involved I believe it will enrich your
life as well as your community and you will be conscious
of the enormous difference you can make
to so many people.
A key component of our strategy is to involve the younger
generation with activities in the US. You may be surprised
to learn that the average age of our members is reducing
each year. This is partly because of the work of Tribe and
Young US which engages with thousands of our younger
members to help them strengthen and develop their
Jewish identity. The events and heritage trips that they
organise are excellent - just speak to someone who has
been involved with an event or a tour and they will tell
you themselves.
We have recently undertaken a survey of US members
who are on their own (single, divorced or widowed) and
I would like to thank all those who agreed to respond to
it. We asked people which aspects of their community
were important to them and how well we met their
expectations. The results were fascinating. For example,
we learned that we should be encouraging communities
to put on more events that are aimed specifically at this
group. As part of the Strategic Review we are surveying
the views of the whole membership. Your input into this
is of real importance as the results will help shape
the future of the US.
There is a huge amount going on in our family of
communities and as we celebrate Pesach I hope that you
will join me in getting involved with shaping our future.
Cheryl joins me in wishing you and your families Chag
Sameach and a Kosher Pesach.
MOSAIC
Chairman
New West End
Synagogue
Henry Magrill
Pesach 5774
I
t has been a very busy six months at the New
West End since the Rosh Hashanah 2013 edition
of Mosaic landed on your doorsteps last summer.
Our High Holiday services, led by Rabbi Shisler and
supported by Howard Richenberg and our choir under
the direction of Michael Etherton, maintained the
inspiring traditions which we have come to expect
and which are the envy of many communities within
the United Synagogue and beyond. We were delighted
to honour Tony Dinkin and Peter Featherman as our
Chatanim for Simchat Torah and thank them and
their wives Derry and Stephanie for their hospitality
at the annual celebrations.
In November we held a very successful Magic Evening
in a crowded Herbert Samuel Hall with four outstanding
performers, including of course Rabbi Shisler
demonstrating the breadth of his talents. Just a few
weeks later we were honoured to welcome the new Chief
Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, for a Sunday morning Shacharit
service followed by a breakfast talk and discussion. In
the 135 years of the NWES’s existence we have probably
never had so many people for a Sunday morning service
(other than Yom Tov, of course!) and Rabbi Mirvis’
discourse on the importance of maintaining daily services
inspired a number of our members to attend regularly
thereafter. It is still a struggle to get a minyan every day
but the extra few who took Rabbi Mirvis’ words to heart
make a big difference.
The children’s Chanukah party, held jointly with Holland
Park Synagogue in the Herbert Samuel Hall, was the
In the 135 years of the
NWES’s existence we
have probably never had
so many people for a
Sunday morning service
Chairman’s
Message
biggest we have had in years, with well over one hundred
participants. It was fortunate that due to another function
being held simultaneously we had moved our event from
the Golda Cohen Room which as it turned out could not
have accommodated everyone!
In January we held our biannual Burns Night Supper, with
Tony Dinkin (or to give him his official title, Mr Recorder
Anthony Dinkin Q.C.) as the guest speaker. In a hilarious
speech, wearing his courtroom wig, he addressed us as
“Members of the Jury” and summed up the case against
Robert Burns for being a drunkard, a wastrel, a womaniser
and an appalling poet (in his view!). Once again we
welcomed Piper Angus Ingram who did sterling musical
service and also gave us a brief talk on the history
and operation of the pipes.
In February we held a gala chazanut concert in the shul
attended by over three hundred people. The performers
included no less than seven outstanding chazanim and
our own choir, the newly named Mosaic Voices. Everyone
who was fortunate enough to attend will carry a lasting
memory of a magnificent evening and our gratitude is
due to all those involved in the organisation of the event,
but especially to Rabbi Shisler and Michael Etherton for
putting together such a great line-up and programme.
Our co-operation with Western Marble Arch shul
continues, with a Purim party for children being held
jointly with the Central Synagogue. At the time of writing
this has not yet taken place but I have no doubt that it
will be a great success and will lead to many more joint
ventures between the three central London United
Synagogues, as well as Holland Park Synagogue with
whom as you know we run a joint cheder.
Extended reports of all these events appear elsewhere
in this edition of Mosaic and we are very grateful to Eli
Ballon for continuing to edit the magazine, in addition
to his many other duties as Beadle. We also once again
acknowledge the exceptional contribution which our
Administrator Mesod Wahnon makes to the smooth
running of the shul.
Rachel and I wish you all a very happy
and kosher Pesach.
7
Social & Personal
8
MOSAIC
We offer a very warm
welcome to the following
new Members of
the Synagogue:
We regret to announce
the following deaths:
Dr & Mrs Michael & Marian
Fertleman
Mr Geoffrey Green
Mrs Julia Sloan
Mazel Tov to:
Mazeltov to all who
were married at the
New West End over
the last few months:
Keely Price on her Bat
Mitzvah, to her parents
Collette and David and to
her grandparents Denise
and Melvyn Lux
Mrs Bessie Harris
Miss Alexandra Saul
and Mr Jordan Swabe
Miss Rachel Sassoon
and Mr Mark Serkes
Miss Anna Freiberger
and Mr Lee Rhodes
Miss Emily Burk
and Mr Scott Finn
Miss Alison Leon
and Mr Gary Cane
Miss Chloé Selbo
and Mr Charles Curtis
Miss Nikki Rappaport
and Mr Jason Sher
Miss Elizabeth Lynne
and Mr Alex Mandell
Mrs Minnie Harvey
We extend our
condolences to:
Zara Brickman on
her 90th birthday
Mr Jeff Calton on the
passing of his mother
Natalie and Michael Cutler
on their 40th wedding
anniversary
Mr Jack Ferro on the
passing of his mother
Denise and Melvyn Lux
on their Golden Wedding
Edwina Brown on the birth
of a granddaughter
Bobby Talalay on his
engagement to Jessica
Jayson and to Bobby’s
parents, Debbie
and Michael
Stephen Jacobs on
his 70th birthday
Miss Joanna Woolfe
and Mr Richard Latner
Dora and Arnold Boom
on the birth of their
first grandson
Mrs Tessa Witzenfeld
and Mr Jamie Grossman
Caryl and John Harris on
their Golden Wedding
Mr Michael Sharon on
the passing of his father
‫המקום ינחם אתכם בתוך שאר‬
‫אבלי ציון וירושלים‬
May the Almighty comfort
you among the other
mourners of Zion
and Jerusalem
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!
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
We 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.
9
Early memories of Bayswater
and the New West End Synagogue
Excerpt of an article originally printed Rosh Hashanah 2001
By Geoffrey L Green
6 May 1929 - 30 October 2013
O
n entering the New West End Synagogue again
for The Wedding Reunion last May, and to be
present at a service after many years, I went
to my old seat number 216 which had also been my
father’s. I glanced up to my mother’s vacant corner
seat on the back row of the section furthest from
the Ark. My mother had kept her membership from
1930 to 1996, when she died three months off
her hundredth birthday.
It is said the early years of your life are very important.
I think the first twenty mould one’s character and
outlook for what is to come. I was a baby in arms when
my parents moved into 152 Westbourne Grove in
1930. My father, Dr Zellick (otherwise known as Jack or
‘The General’) Green had purchased a Long Lease and
Goodwill of the Medical Practice from Dr A .J. Cronin,
who was destined to become a well-known author. He
based his fifth book The Citadel on 152 Westbourne
Grove – ‘A tall leaden hued house with surgery at the
side and a brick garage behind’ – He writes about
‘The famous fashion house of Lauriers with a long line
of elegant motor cars outside’ which was of course
Bradleys on the corner of Westbourne Grove and
Chepstow Place. I was to walk past Bradleys on many
occasions, with Mr Miller’s famous haberdashery shop
opposite, on past St Lukes Hospital into Moscow Road.
The United Dairies, with stabling for the horses in the
mews, Greek Orthodox Church on the corner and right
into St. Petersburgh Place. A glance up at the clock
on St Matthew’s Church, it was ten minutes past ten.
10
Just in time for the Reading of the Law at the New West
Synagogue. It had taken about fifteen minutes walk
from home. As a boy I tended to hold Mother’s arm,
I do not think we ever held hands. Not long before she
died Peggy Gluckstein, Reverend Ephraim and Annie
Levine’s daughter, told me how she remembered on
occasions taking me to synagogue. This would have
been about 1935.
I was taken to sit in the front near the Minister’s seat,
alongside Albert, Frank, Kenneth and Edward Levine,
all of us under the eye of their father. I was in awe. I
was approached by our beadle Mr Raphael Roth, who
all the children cherished ‘Geoffrey the Wardens would
like you to dress the Sefer Torah’ I held back, those who
know me now would not believe I was so shy, nervous
and suffered from a slight stutter, ‘Come on Geoffrey Mr
Roth will help you’. So up I went on the bimah, with my
short trousers, picked my socks up, and straightened my
school cap (nobody wore a yarmulke). From the outset
you were taught manners – decorum reigned supreme.
I suspect, not being alone, in thinking that our most
enduring childhood recollection is on Simchat Torah
with all the children on the bimah to receive the priestly
blessing. I assure you no sweets were thrown in those
days. Sabbath service always finished by noon, and there
was not a kiddush every week. A drink of lemonade and
home. The synagogue has hardly changed, and obviously
appeared smaller than in my young day. Most striking is
the Ark’s Curtain. It was of a plain pattern, deep crimson
in colour. The foot stool is still on the bimah, which
The classrooms for the cheder were in the property
adjoining the synagogue at 10, St Petersburgh Place.
Here lived the Chazan, Reverend Isaac Goldston, and Mr
Roth. We sat at individual desks in front of a blackboard.
I think we had a lady teacher, but I do not remember
very much, regretfully
I did not take to Hebrew
easily. John Bluestone,
the grandson of
Reverend Goldston,
was a contemporary of
mine. As you can imagine
he was the star pupil, and
I certainly could not keep
up with him. Mr Roth’s
children also attended, his
daughter was a lovely girl
and I well remember his
two sons in my time.
I think they all eventually
went to Israel. Do not let
me forget their mother,
who acted as shamash
for the ladies, sitting just
inside the door to the
ladies’ gallery, always
very attentive and quiet.
I enjoyed playing football
and cricket in the cobbled
mews during break.
My main friends were
Geoffrey Gross, whose
father had a tobacconist
shop in Westbourne Grove,
and Peter Bird who lived
in Bark Place. It must have been in 1937, just before
my brother Melvin’s barmitzvah, that he thought of the
‘Today I am a
fountain-pen’
was the retort
of many a
Barmitzvah boy.
I quaked to
think in 1942
it would be
my turn.
Kensington Gardens
was used for barmitzvah boys to stand on to reach the
reading desk, and the buzzer connecting the wardens’
box to where the beadle sat behind the bimah. We even
had an assistant beadle, Mr Phillips, a kindly man, who
always seemed so old to me.
Window Detail,
New West End Synagogue
idea of playing truant from Cheder, and persuaded me
to go into Kensington Gardens and watch the soldiers
changing guard at the building which housed the
access to what I think was a munitions dump under the
Serpentine. Our parents were waiting for us when we
arrived home ‘You have brought shame upon us – we
are so well known in the community’. From that day
on I never knowingly upset my mother and father. The
celebration for Melvin’s barmitzvah took place in the
Porchester Hall. What stood out for me was a smoke
filled room, with numerous relations all playing cards.
‘Today I am a fountain-pen’ was the retort of many
a Barmitzvah boy. I quaked to think in 1942 it would
be my turn.
Looking back everything seemed to be at a much slower
pace, not many cars, far less crowded with people, and
not so much variety in the food we ate. No television.
But we had the wireless, my job was to get the battery
renewed. Larry the Lamb on Children’s Hour, and of
course the films, Mickey Mouse had just been born.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were to follow.
Fathers smoked too much, but it enabled me to collect
cigarette cards, and the ‘Walls Stop Me and Buy One’
ice-cream seller was on a tricycle, you could get a large
water ice wrapped in a black and white card for a penny.
11
Womans Gallery,
New West End Synagogue
12
MOSAIC
I also had a tricycle and tore round the block passing
the taxi-rank which stood in the centre of Westbourne
Grove virtually outside our house. The cab drivers
always had a word for me. Most people were very kind
to children, provided you were polite and showed
respect. Discipline was all round us in the home, at
school, and yes in the synagogue. We were taught to
take pride in ourselves, and the history of the country
in which we lived. It held us all in a good stead for what
lay ahead.
There were some landmark shops in Westbourne Grove.
On the corner of Westbourne Grove and Chepstow Road
was ‘Arthurs Stores’ – you could get virtually anything
there. What intrigued many a boy was the cash railway,
very noisy, speeding along wires above your head to
disappear into a mysterious desk, only to fly back to
the counter seconds later. Going toward Queensway
was Elliott’s shoe shop on the
other corner; the photographic
studio where I had to sit still and
smile; Sainsbury’s which had in
front of the counters a packet of
broken biscuits for a penny; the
Roxy Cinema where mother would
often go in the afternoon and
have teas served to her during the
interval; at number 70 The Central
Bazaar, owned by a member of
the New West End Synagogue
for many years, who sold an
abundance of china to the guest
houses and small hotels in the
area; another member Mr Harris
ran the Bayswater Fruit Stores;
a Ralph Bernstein had a general
stores at 46; on the corner of
Newton Road a ladies gown shop
run by Sidney Bennett, with two
fascinating mirrors set into the entrance; a school
of dancing; a billiard hall; and I seem to remember
a Jewish lady working in the window of the invisible
menders; a little further down the Westbourne Park
Building Society. At the corner, Samuel and Gluckstein,
tobacconists. On the opposite side Joe Lyons, with
another restaurant Pritchards a few doors away; William
Whiteley’s bargain arcade; Joseph Rubin a furrier at
87 and 89. Also, the not to be forgotten character at
121, John Dennis furniture dealer, with over his fascia
‘And by the Grace of God his 10 children’. Last but not
least, opposite my home Aaron Cohen, shoe repairer
who always had a word for me to explain his machinery
and tools. In later years the Alma Tavern had a Jewish
licensee. On occasions mother and I would meet Mrs
Annie Levine shopping as the family lived nearby on
the corner of Pembridge Place and Pembridge Villas.
‘Geoffrey stand still, and take your cap off!’ Our Kosher
Butcher was Mr Beach of Kensington Park Road, with
an abundance of sawdust on the floor, situated close
to Notting Hill Synagogue.
I seem to remember going to kindergartens in Dawson
Place and Hereford Road, and then to Colet Court in
Hammersmith, Preparatory School for St. Paul’s, which
a number of boys attended from the New West End
Synagogue. Catching the 27 bus outside Mr Lewis’
pianoforte shop in Pembridge Villas to get to school.
I was ragged when changing for gym and football over
my Tzitzit. Also punched when walking down the lines
of boys at assembly when the Jewish boys went out for
their own prayers. I like to think this was really a boyish
prank, but I was otherwise to learn at an early age of
anti-Semitism. I fancied myself as able to run over longer
distances, so practised at every opportunity, as a way of
getting back at my tormentors. On Sports Day I caught
the cramp, so that was that! One
of the boys in my class was the
son of Len Harvey, the heavyweight
boxing champion.
We were taught
to take pride in
ourselves, and
the history of the
country in which
we lived.
Mother would type the practice
accounts, more often than not,
‘Account Rendered’. The private
patients were seen on the ground
floor, with our front lounge the
waiting room, which I had to vacate
and be quiet. The panel patients
(otherwise known, by father, as
the ’flannel patients’) came to the
side surgery, the forerunner of the
National Health Service. How my
father managed to pay the school
fees I will never know, I can only
think the teachers must have been
poorly paid. Also prices before
1939 were stable, which helped.
I delighted riding in Father’s small Austin car,
BXB 81 when he went on his rounds, always
contriving to end up at Myer Magrill’s
tobacconist shop at 14 Moscow Road.
In my holidays I spent a lot of time at Paddington Station
watching and keeping engine numbers of the famous
Great Western Railway. I walked from home clutching
a penny in order to buy the Great Western Railway
Magazine, or if I managed to save up to purchase an
engine book for sixpence. I would ask the drivers on the
footplate what depot they were from and make a note
of it – Old Oak Common, Plymouth, Taunton and so on.
The drivers then knew I was interested ‘Would you like
to come up on the footplate?’ I most certainly would!
I also played and watched cricket. In August 1938 father
had just given Melvin and me enough money to get
to the Oval, pay to sit on the grass and a lemonade
13
Geoffrey with three other generations
until mother opened the window and out it all went.
About this time I had terrible earache. Remember there
was no penicillin nor antibiotics. All Dad could do was
to ply me with May and Baker 693, and put hot water
bottles against my ears. I was taken to see a specialist
in Harley Street, I do not remember his name except
he may have been a Jewish refugee. Father in his
professional suit of black jacket and striped trousers.
Doctors in those days accompanied their patients to the
consultants, and would sometimes assist at operations.
Eventually out came my tonsils at the London Clinic,
and things improved.
to see the Australians. Including Don (later Sir) Bradman
and Len (later Sir) Hutton making a record Test score.
It was very hot, we decided to walk home, and with
the money saved buy drinks. Now it is a long way
from Kennington Oval to Bayswater, and we were lost.
Going into a Police Station, goodness knows where,
the sergeant telephoned Dad and in his Irish brogue
answered ‘Keep them in the cells till I get there’. On that
August Bank Holiday father took us to Portsmouth Navy
Week ‘Britain’s Best Bob’s Worth’ (a bob was one shilling)
– ‘Meet the Men - See the Ships’ I was enthralled, and
became enamoured with the Royal Navy, it was to
have a profound effect on my later life. In the summer
holidays all the family went to Birchington, near Margate.
The sands were magnificent, and great games of cricket
went on. Overhead the ‘Spitfires’ would fly low from
Manston, and on the way home I saw what appeared
to be huge wireless masts. In effect radar. Father was
Medical Officer for the Jewish Lad’s Brigade with his own
sick bay and orderlies, all under canvas at Deal. I was
privileged in having a bed. The most stirring sight was
to see the Glasgow contingent march into Camp headed
by their own Pipe Band. Dad was a great character, short
and round, so they had him in a bathing costume in the
boxing ring with the smallest boy in camp. Dad went
along with it, ending up flat on the canvas with the boy
sitting on his stomach!
I got to know the Christian boys who lived in Needham
Road, in fact neighbours, and Father’s patients, who
were to become lifelong friends. Their parents were
very hard working, and relatively poor. It was no harm
for me to see their homes, spotlessly clean, and to be
given just a few pieces of apple with tinned Nestles milk
for our tea. None of us had gardens, so we played cricket
and football in the street, outside Father’s surgery. My
mother went mad. We nearly set the garage alight on
Guy Fawkes Night. On one occasion we must have been
so noisy, Dad arranged for the local beat policeman to
stand at the top of the road. We even rigged up wires
between the houses to talk to each other late at night,
14
There was now quite a lot going on to excite a boy of
ten years of age. A battery of anti-aircraft guns in Hyde
Park and Wormwood Scrubs; trenches and shelters
being dug in Kensington Gardens; a barrage balloon in
Pembridge Square; trying on gas masks; watching night
exercises with searchlights suddenly catching aircraft in
their beams; our rear basement room being turned into
a shelter with iron supports and windows boarded up;
black-out curtains; and acting as wounded at Father’s
casualty clearing station in Bradley’s basement.
It was now time to say a good-bye. On Friday morning
1 September 1939 father took me by car to Danesfield,
Medmenham, between Henley-on-Thames and
Marlow where Colet Court was evacuated. For me,
intermittently for the next ten years these partings went
on with friends, relations and acquaintances. With my
contemporaries, I belonged to the ‘Farewell Generation’.
To this day I find good-byes to my close family so
difficult. In effect it was like being at boarding school.
The Jewish boys took it in turns to pump the organ
during assembly prayers. We were taken on long walks,
even now, staying in the countryside for a long period
MOSAIC
Geoffrey Green
depresses me. I was homesick. My Aunt and Uncle were
in Bourne End and it was decided I would live with
them attending Borlase Grammar School in Marlow
together with my brother and two cousins. We were
the only Jewish Boys, and simply known as the ‘London
Evacuees’. I remember the small boats proceeding down
the Thames for the Dunkirk evacuation, and my Uncle
joining ‘Dad’s Army’.
I am not certain why, but we all returned to London, to
continue my schooling
at Colet Cout in the air
raid shelter adjoining.
Attending Sabbath
service at the New West
End Synagogue was now
a shade of pre-war days.
All Reverend Ephraim
Levine’s sons, and his
son-in-law, were in
the Army. There were
of course so many
changes. Food was short,
virtually no sweets, and
everything rather drab,
no cricket or football
to follow. In the late
afternoon of the 7 September 1940 my grandfather
saw mother and me on to the number 28 bus in the
Golders Green Bus Station. There was a huge red
glow in the sky. The London Docks and East End were
alight. It was catastrophic. The night Blitz was about
to begin. German aircraft droned overhead; our antiaircraft guns made a reassuring devil of a din, without
much success; incendiary bombs dropped next door;
Supermarine Spitfire
a stick of bombs fell very
close to us in Pembridge
Crescent smashing most of
our windows, Mum was so
frightened she tried to get
under the bed, Dad placed
his tin hat over her posterior,
we all laughed ‘Make a cup
of tea, Lily’. The ‘all clear’
sounded. Next day I was out
with my friends picking up
shrapnel, nose caps from
anti-aircraft shells, and
bits of bomb. I particularly
remember the remains of a German aircraft in one of the
trees in Observatory Gardens, opposite Queen Elizabeth
College, Camden Hill Road. Mother was now in a nervous
state, and it was decided I would spend the night with
her down Notting Hill Gate Underground Station. The
platform was crowded. ‘Here is a spot Mum’ only to soon
realise the reason. We were outside the latrine! As we
approached Westbourne Grove early next morning
‘Geoffrey, look round the corner – is the house still there?’ –
‘Yes Mum, Dad’s O.K.’ one of my most enduring memories
of the Second World War.
Hebrew classes
We were the only
Jewish Boys, and
simply known
as the ‘London
Evacuees’.
Now started the second evacuation. At least I can say
I was educated at Oxford. I went to live with my aunt
and uncle again, attending the High School for Boys.
My barmitzvah was now looming, a Hebrew teacher
appeared from nowhere, and I did not make good
progress. The blitz over, we returned to London. I
attended St Clementine Dane Grammar School in
Ducane Road, on the number seven bus route from
home. Reverend Isaac Goldstein saw me in the small
secretary’s office, where it was soon discovered I could
not manage the chosen portion.
15
Stained glass window,
New West End Synagogue
Next came the doodlebugs, and rockets in 1944.
The year I played at Wembley, with Stanley (later Sir)
Matthews helping England beat Scotland six goals to
three. I was playing the bugle in the massed Sea Cadet
Bands before and during half-time. The bandmaster
was a Max Abrahams. I had joined the Kensington Sea
Cadets, with my friends, where instruction was held in
a Chepstow Villas property, later moving to Kensington
Park Road. Will Hay star of ‘Oh! Mr Porter’ taught
navigation. I can assure you it was no laughing matter.
Everyone seemed to be in one uniform or another, and
of course we now had the American Servicemen. Their
service clubs were in the Bayswater Road, and many
would attend the New West End Synagogue,
particularly on the High Holidays.
As it happened I now had very good hearing and could
hear the doodlebugs (Hitler’s V-1 Pilotless aircraft
16
packed with highexplosives) approaching.
I shouted out! We all
tore downstairs to the
shelter. The noise
of their engine was
shattering as they came
closer and closer, then
nothing, we prayed. A
tremendous explosion,
the house shook. Hang
on here comes another,
for the first time I was
really frightened. No
warning with the Rockets.
All we could do was to
listen for news of our forces capturing the launching
sites in France and Holland. Luckily no one was at school
when a doodlebug fell on the playing fields, which in
effect had been dug up to grow vegetables, where I had
an allotment. The war was over we all rejoiced. The New
West End Synagogue came through after a bomb where
the Herbert Samuel Hall now stands. Let us remember
the members who did not return. Behind me sat Henry
Spiro, son of Simon and Sara Spiro, of Notting Hill Gate,
killed when HMS Firedrake was sunk by a U-boat,
17 December 1942.
The synagogue returned to normal with large overflow
services held during the High Holidays in the Board
Room, and additional chairs in front of the Wardens’ box.
Reverend Isaac Goldston had died, to be followed by
Reverend Raphael Levy, and an era ended when Reverend
Ephraim Levine retired. By the mid nineteen-fifties the
synagogue had a thriving club for the young, and not so
young. Many a marriage was the result, including my own.
A young Geoffrey Green
Second Day Shavuot on Saturday 23 May 1942 was picked
out for the smallest portion of just eight lines to give us
enough time to prepare. Came the day. I was trembling.
There were my grandparents, some other relations, and not
a very full synagogue. Above all, Reverend Ephraim Levine
to bless me from the pulpit, and to receive the Singer’s
Daily Prayer Book, all edges gilt, with the best wishes of
the congregation. One’s most treasured possession. It was
all over. Back home for lunch, a few presents, and I had my
mainly non-Jewish friends in for tea. However, I did receive
one early expensive present. Just before Doctor Meyer
Young, of Shepherds Bush, a very old friend of the family,
left for service in North Africa, he asked me what present
I would like. Jane’s Fighting Ships please. The cost three
guineas, which must have blown a huge hole in his Army
salary. It taught me never to ask a barmitzvah boy what
he would like as a present.
MOSAIC
Geoffrey Green
We had lectures, and dances in the Board Room, with
tables, candle-lit. My parents had known Vera Sharpe
for many years, whose father Reverend John Geffen was
Chazan before Reverend Isaac Goldston. Vera Sharpe
encouraged the young people to meet in her flat at
the back of Olympia, arranged by her daughter Valerie.
It was there I was to meet a different Valerie.
I was still very quiet, until plucking up courage to
eventually asking Valerie if she would come with me to
Geoffrey Green’s wedding day
the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. I could not
believe my luck, here was a Jewish girl who accepted.
It was 6 February 1955. Valerie lived in Lancaster Close,
the block of flats facing the New West End Synagogue.
So the synagogue was still looking after me. Sometimes
Mr Roth, to make up the minyan, would beckon when
I called for Valerie. Particularly in the mornings when
both of us were going to work in Ealing.
Geoffrey Green and wife Valerie
Valerie walked to our marriage on the 7 July 1957. At
least I was saved the cost of a car. It took the Minister
Rabbi Louis Jacobs, Reverend Ephraim Levine, and
Reverend Raphael Levy to perform the task. The latter
had a very strong voice and nearly blew us out from
under the chupah. We were both nervous, and at the
very end I was still being told what to do ‘You can kiss
the bride Geoffrey’ Valerie only offered me her cheek.
I asked her afterwards why,
‘I was not having you kiss
me on the lips in front of all
those people!’ The glass broke
with a resounding crash, so
at last I had performed one
ritual in The New West End
Synagogue properly.
Geoffrey Green’s research into Jews in the Royal Navy
started around 1978 and eventually led to the publication
of his book The Royal Navy and Anglo Jewry 17401820 – Traders and those who served. It included a
detailed chapter and appendices on Jewish Navy Agents,
Prize Money Muster Roll of Jews, Jews who served at
Trafalgar, the Naval Outfitters and Jewish Communities
of Portsmouth, Plymouth, Chatham and Sheerness (the
home ports). Much research was done on Jews who served
in both World Wars but unfortunately, the book was never
continued due to his ill health. From his extensive research,
mainly due to the support and guidance of the late
Dr Vivian Lipman, talks were given to many clubs
and societies including Jewish Genealogy Society;
papers were given to the Jewish Historical Society
in 1984 and 2007. Articles were also written for AJEX
magazine and the JC. All the research papers, taped
interviews and the unfinished manuscript, many original
letters and photographs are deposited in the Parkes
Library, University of Southampton.
From 1986 he became a Sunday minyan man first at
Ealing and then at New West End Synagogue. He became
an avid football follower of Brentford. He was also
member of Lord’s Cricket Club for over 40 years. His
love of sport has been handed down to his grandson.
Unfortunately, his last few years were plagued by ill health
and in the last three months of his life he suffered terribly.
Deeply mourned by his wife Valerie (married 56 years),
daughter Laura, son Keith, four grandchildren, son-in-law
Daniel and daughter-in-law Susan.
17
Mosaic Voices
Trevor Toube
Seven Cantors in Concert:
Mosaic Voices, 23 February 2014
I
f you were not one
of the approximately
three hundred members
of the audience at the
concert at NWES on
23 February, 2014, you
missed an outstanding
musical event. We were
treated to a varied and
excellent selection of
Jewish music performed
to a very high standard.
The concert featured our
shul choir, newly re-named
the Mosaic Voices, under
their chief conductor,
Michael Etherton,
operating at full strength
and singing at the very
peak of their abilities.
The concert opened with
the choir performing their
rather jazzy arrangement
of the traditional
Chassidic melody for
Ein Keloheinu by chorister
James Mawton. The second
half began with another of
James’s settings, this time
a deconstruction or recomposition of the wellknown Mombach Baruch
HaBah, which retained
the main features of the
melody but presented it in
less familiar surroundings.
18
The concert opened
with the choir performing
their rather jazzy
arrangement of the
traditional Chassidic
melody for Ein Keloheinu by
chorister James Mawton
That was not the only
choral piece by one of our
choristers: composer Toby
Young’s setting of Ki Lekach
Tov formed the penultimate
item of the concert. In this
work he did not use one of
the traditional tunes, but
one kept getting glimpses
of fragments reminiscent
of other settings of the
words with which we are
familiar from our varied
choral services.
More traditional chazanut
formed the bulk of the
programme. Elliot Alderman
(Spanish and Portuguese
Sephardi community
chazan) returned to his
Ashkenazi roots and sang
the Rosenblatt-Muller
Adonai Z’charanu and
the Fischer-Rosenblum Rachem Na. Adrian Alexander
performed Lov’s Modim Anachnu Lach, an ingenious
setting which has the soloist singing the Leader’s text (the
one we say in the silent Amidah) while the choir uses the
words that the congregation say quietly as individuals
during the repetition, intercut so that each of the phrases
in one serves to interpret a clause in the other. With his
brother, Gedalya, Adrian gave us the duet version of
the prayer for dew, Tal, by Rosenblatt. Gedalya himself
sang Glantz’s Ki Hinei Kachomer. Avromi Freilich from
Hampstead Gardens Suburb performed Roitman’s Be’avur
David and a rousing setting of the traditional melody
for Uv’yom HaShabbat. Moshe Fishel, an Israeli currently
MOSAIC
employed as a cantor in Munich, gave us a beautiful
performance of the Av HaRachamim by Josef Brody. And
our Rabbi Shisler sang his own work (from Book 1 of his
compilation of his compositions, Shiru lo Shir Chadash),
the Sh’ma Yisrael from the mussaf Kedusha.
The final item of the concert was a medley by Stephen
Glass of ‘all the tunes everyone knows’ for Adon Olam,
with all seven cantors, choir, and piano. (The pianist,
Leo Nicholson, provided excellent support throughout
the evening.)
It was, though, not all ‘heavy liturgical music’! Robert
Brody provided a rousing setting of a Sephardi melody
for Yom Zeh L’Yisrael, with choir and Arab drum (played
by his wife, Linda) and a
riotous version of Chad
Gadya. (Felicity and I
wish we could manage
that one for our own
seder!). And by way of
further contrast, Rabbi
Shisler displayed his
range of voices in the
Yiddish Chazonim oif
Probe, the story of the
search by the officers of a
congregation for a cantor
who would ‘give the
public what they wanted’.
With all this talent around, it would seem invidious to
pick out one item for special mention, but, in terms of
giving the public what they wanted, I cannot refrain
from mentioning Moshe
Fishel’s performance
of Sol Zim’s Avinu
Shebashamayim,the
Israeli version of the
prayer for the State. The
response of the audience
to this emotionally
charged and obviously
heartfelt rendering of
the work moved us all.
19
Purim 2014
20
MOSAIC
21
Pesach Guide
5774/2014
Floors
Sweep and rinse
well with detergent
or floor cleaner.
Food
cabinets
If the cabinet is
going to be used on Pesach
take out all the food; wash
around it with a rag soaked
in detergent. Be sure the
detergent goes into all
the cracks and soaks into
any crumbs of chametz
which may be there.
Although this is technically
sufficient, many prefer
to line the cabinets with
paper as well.
22
Refrigerator
After taking the
food out wipe the
interior with a rag soaked
in detergent. Some are
accustomed to covering
the racks, however this
should be done with care
so as not to impair the
circulation of the cold
air within.
Kitchen
counters
Since they may have been
used for hot chametz, they
should be cleaned well and
kashered through pouring
boiling water on them.
Ideally they should be
covered as well.
Taps
Cleaning, without
any other kashering
procedures, is sufficient.
Sinks
Sinks must be
kashered as
follows: Clean the sinks
and pour a kettle of boiling
water into them and on
their sides ensuring that
the water, while still
boiling hot, touches all the
surfaces. It is preferable
to line the sink (e.g. with
tin foil or contact paper) or
to use an insert. However
with metal sinks this is not
actually necessary.
Tabletops
Wash them
with a
detergent; however they
are usually covered (with
a non-porous material)
as well.
Pots, pans, dishes
and cutlery
Whatever is not going to
be used for Pesach should
be put away and locked up.
If there is actual chametz it
should also be sold.
Food processor
A Rabbi should
be consulted.
MOSAIC
Cooker /
Oven /
Stove Top
Wipe it with a rag soaked
in detergent and cover
it with tin foil (optional).
Grates and the surface
itself can be kashered by
covering the entire area
with two layers of heavy
duty aluminium foil,
lighting all the burners,
and raising them to their
maximum heat. Let it
burn for 5-10 minutes.
(Of course, the exhaust
fan, if you have one,
should be turned on
to draw off the heat.)
Oven
Wipe it with a rag
soaked in detergent. If
you suspect that there are
crumbs left then clean
the oven with any of the
regular oven-cleaners,
and afterwards turn on
the oven to its maximum
temperature for
30-40 minutes.
NB When Kashering items
they must first be cleaned
and then left for 24 hours
without use before
actual Kashering.
Clothing
cupboards
If there is a real
possibility that chametz
went into them, they
should be checked for fully
edible crumbs of chametz.
If the probability that
chametz entered these
places is remote, a rabbinic
authority can be consulted
to establish the conditions
under which they do not
have to be checked. This
includes chests, dressers,
basements, attics and
all other similar cases.
Clothes,
blankets etc
If they have been
washed in a detergent,
there is no need to worry,
even if you find crumbs in
them on Pesach. Pockets of
clothes not being washed
or dry-cleaned need only
to be checked for chametz,
and then wiped out with a
rag soaked in detergent. Of
course clothes, which will
not be worn on Pesach,
can be put away without
being checked since all the
actual chametz in
them has been sold.
23
Zecher Yetziat Mitzrayim
Remember Coming Out of Egypt
By Jonathan Cohen
P
esach this year will be different for us than in
previous years. My 65 year-old mother is living
with fronto-temporal dementia and, as her
primary carer, I will be hosting Sedarim, with
my own children and their Safta present.
While childhood memories of reciting Mah Nishtanah
so nicely spring to my mind, I am concerned as to
my mother’s memory and behaviour on this joyous
celebration of our freedom from slavery. Many carers like
myself experience the added burdens of safeguarding
a relative throughout the
cleaning and culinary
preparations as well
as striving to provide a
meaningful experience
for all Seder attendees.
The challenges of carers for
those living with dementia
may seem unique. In my
case a role reversal of
child caring for parent. At
times we feel very alone.
You are alone. That is until
you recognise yourself as
a carer and seek advice,
encouragement and
support in your great and
challenging endeavours.
Baruch Hashem, through Jewish Care, I am developing
Care4Cafe, a relaxed setting for carers (together with
those we care for) to meet others in similar situations,
in a mutually supportive and encouraging environment.
Envisaged for carers of people aged under 70, with our
own lives to lead and who are often too busy to find time
to care, we meet the first Sunday of each month.
Remembering the Exodus
is more challenging for
those who struggle to
remember due to dementia,
an ever more prevalent
disease of the brain.
We are commanded to
remember the Exodus on Seder Night. How much greater
is this challenge for those unable to remember the recent
past? For those living with dementia, it can be difficult
to comprehend the festival or the extensive preparations.
Expecting someone not to take Chametz around the
house, or not to go to bed at the usual time on Seder
night, can be difficult for family carers.
Dementia does not only affect memory but can affect
motor skills, coordination and social behaviour. Safta
won’t be able to clean or cook as she used to, and
she might have a completely different character
24
to the mother who used to make cinnamon balls
and coconut pyramids each year.
This year’s Sedarim will
require greater care and
patience and we expect
mum to be teaching her
children and grandchildren
less than in previous years,
while the children will be
teaching Safta. Please G-d,
Mum will participate in
the preparation process,
under supervision. We will
remember around the Seder
table our history and similar
childhood memories (which
are better retained) as we
retell how we all came out
from Egypt, irrespective of
whether we had diseases
like dementia, or whether
at times we feel somewhat
isolated by, or enslaved
to, those for whom
we care so dearly.
MOSAIC
Gaby Morris
W
oken at 2am by a Mongolian border guard
whose soviet era uniform looked like it was
hired from a Bond movie, bleary eyed, my
cabin companion and I showed our papers for what was
to be the first of many occasions over a two hour period
as we crossed into Siberian Russia from Mongolia on the
Trans-Siberian express. The Sochi Winter Olympics were
looming and security was intense. My small group of
companions and I were traveling on behalf of ‘The Joint’
now known as Jewish Distribution Committee (JDC).
Our journey would take us to Ulaan Ude and then by road
to Irkutsk and finally to Lake Baykal, the largest fresh
water lake in the world.
Irkutz pre-revolutionary Merchants House
A Visit to Siberia
Why go, and why go in January when, minus 26 is a chilly
and typical morning? Today JDC continues to care for the
most vulnerable Jews in the Former Soviet Union as well
as supporting young Jews wishing to connect with their
Judaism. In Russia alone of the 260,000 Jews remaining,
JDC gives additional support and in many cases critical
aid to 180,000 through visiting support workers, food
and medical top ups. Alongside this, its Hesed community
centres provide spiritual and social nourishment. I learned
the only way to understand their profound needs and to
help these people, so long cut off, experience the reality
that they are part of a worldwide Jewish family, was to visit
and not to visit on a summer’s day but visit during the long
harsh winter.
25
a Russian Yiddish song that they didn’t know song of the exiled maybe! This group did not understand
Yiddish. One elderly lady shared that her great great
grandfather had been a Rabbi and that her mother told
her that when it was Pesach her grandmother would sit
in a separate room eating her special food alone whilst
the rest of the family stayed in the kitchen eating theirs.
I found this such a tragic image as we enjoy Pesach with
our families. However this lady shared her genuine
happiness at being able to learn about her heritage and
live a Jewish life in freedom today. Jews in Ulaan Ude
are not victims of anti-Semitism, they are simply too
insignificant a group numbering a few hundred.
The Joint conjured up for me an organisation long
consigned to history, the folks who after the First World
War set up Agro-Joint to help impoverished Jews across
Eastern Europe, who again returned often at great
personal risk to Europe
after WW2, finding and
helping the tattered
remnant of European
Jewry, alongside providing
significant humanitarian
relief and services in
Displaced Persons camps.
We split into tiny groups and visited some clients. The
residential buildings are straight out of a John Le Carré
story, brutalist in style with terrifying multi bolted front
doors. On the 5th floor
lived elderly entirely
house-bound ‘Tatiana’,
whose late mother had
escaped Nazi persecution
to join her ‘communistic’
sister who had chosen
to move to Siberia in
the 1930s. Her life is
complicated. She has an
adult child with difficulties
who has newly returned
from living in Israel. Tatiana
had proudly worked for the
railway service all her life.
Alongside memorabilia
from the railways were
Judaica and photos
from Israel.
The natural question is
why stay and why stay
in Siberia, when there is
an apparently easy option
to leave?
JDC has in fact continued
to work tirelessly behind
communities and behind
the scenes in more than
40 countries. As the
Soviet Union collapsed
once again JDC stepped
in. Today many Jews who
remained behind for all
sorts of reasons, not going
with the majority to Israel
or the USA, are clients of JDC today.
A few Siberian facts: Larger than the landmass of America
and Europe put together, with a population density of
8 people per square mile, if it were to be an independent
country it would be the largest in the world.
95 years of communism takes its toll. At the Hesed in
Ulaan Ude, a town that proudly has the largest cast of
Lenin’s head in the world and hammers and sickles
decorating many municipal buildings (so far away from
Moscow that they didn’t bother to remove anything),
we visited a group of elderly ladies and one chap at
the Hesed, a concept not that far removed from JW3.
We shared stories and songs, we sang Tumbalalaika,
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Lake Baykal
The natural question is why stay and why stay in Siberia,
when there is an apparently easy option to leave? Current
events make us wonder what Ukrainian Jews will do but
the impressive JDC is mobilized and in country to help.
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Israel was an easy option that
they choose not to take up.
It comes as no surprise
that clients cared for by
JDC have an increased
life expectancy of ten
years more than their
contemporaries.
In Irkutsk, a brutally cold city, came a revelation.
A beautiful renovated fully operating orthodox shul with
a kindergarten, a cheder and a rebbetzin from Melbourne,
coming from a completely secular background. The
city has some excellent examples of pre-revolutionary
buildings that belonged to Jewish merchants who traded
with the Chinese.
The rabbi has a pragmatic approach. If someone identifies
as a Jew they are welcome to join in activities (outside of
being counted in the minyan), there is “no point in making
anti-Semites by turning someone away” he wisely says.
Shabbat dinner threw light on how others see us; lovely
non-Jewish Larisa, our guide, sat next to me, she said
she had no idea that here in her home town there was
such vibrant Jewish life, she made me laugh when she
commented as we benched, “you know it’s hard to figure
out when eating stops and starts and praying begins it all merges into one continuous stream”.
After Shabbat we had dinner with young Jewish activists,
cheder teachers, Jewish Agency workers, all trying to
kindle the light of communal
life – joining their friends
in Israel was an easy
option that they choose
not to take up. One of the
professionals in our team
a young articulate Russian
shared his story. His father
was a communist official, his
mother a declared atheist.
Questioning the family for a
school project he discovered
his great-grandmother had
rejected Judaism. That was
enough for this young man,
he approached a Rabbi and
sought out his heritage and
a Jewish life. He’s now
married to a Jewish girl
he met at summer camp in
Hungary and with their child
lead a meaningful religious life in Siberia today.
Ulaan Ude - Lenin
We spent time with a Professor living entirely alone
in a tiny space filled with books, a brilliant member of
the Academy of Science,
suffering from cancer and
separated from his adult
son with special needs
living in a supported
village in Israel. He chose
to remain in Siberia
because he trusted his
Russian doctors and felt
to leave their care was too
risky. His only interaction
with the outside world
aside from his computer is
his JDC support worker.
Our last stop was Lake Baykal, the world’s largest
freshwater lake, containing 20% of the Earth’s nonfrozen fresh water supplies, 400 miles long, 50 miles
wide and a mile deep. Frozen more than eight months
of the year it is every bit as spectacular as the Dead Sea.
Mountain socks, two pairs of inner socks, foot warmers
and special insulated boots meant it was fine taking a
stroll across the ice. Jewish adventurers had used this
as a trading route back in the 1800’s settling in the area
and prospering.
Was it worth going? Yes. Should you go? Absolutely but
do remember to pack mittens with inner gloves, a hat,
a balaclava, sun glasses, three layers of tops, leggings
and a pair of ski trousers - and long gatkas!
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Shacharit with the Chief Rabbi
Peter Featherman
C
hief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis joined the congregation
at the NWES on Sunday 8 December 2013 to daven
Shacharit and afterwards stayed on for breakfast.
The NWES was amongst the first to be
honoured with an early morning visit
by the newly-appointed Chief Rabbi as
part of a nationwide initiative to visit
United Synagogue communities.
Certainly, there were some in the
Community who were a little surprised
that the Chief Rabbi had chosen to
visit us early on a Sunday morning, but
what a way to start the week. The Beth
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Hamedrash was full to capacity with both regulars and
those who experience the intimate and transformative
effect of early morning prayers less frequently. We
were invigorated by the Chief Rabbi’s
presence and inspired by his ability to
communicate Torah in a straightforward
and meaningful manner.
“Prayer is to
the soul what
food is to
the body”
“Prayer is to the soul what food is to
the body” observed Judah Halevi, the
great eleventh century poet, so having
refreshed the soul the Chief Rabbi
joined us for a breakfast in the Golda
Cohen Room following the Shacharit
MOSAIC
service and afterwards visited the children in the Cheder.
The Chief, who has placed education and communitybuilding at the top of his agenda, was warmly welcomed
by Rabbi Shisler commending his initiative to engage
directly in this way with the community and hoping it
would encourage regular attendance by more of our
members, especially as the exchange of views over
breakfast has become an integral social element
of the daily minyan.
The Chief explained to the gathering that the Sunday
morning programme was aimed at celebrating and
encouraging the daily morning minyan in our shuls. He
emphasised the importance of houses of prayer and
places of learning to ensure a strong and vital community.
By attending and supporting these services, therefore,
the whole community will benefit.
When it comes to the preservation of our faith, nothing is
more important than the Jewish home. The Chief Rabbi
underlined this by reference to Chanukah where our
prime focus is to enjoy the kindling of lights in our homes
to commemorate a time our faith was able to prevail
against all the odds. The spiritual joy which emanates
from a successful community is reflective of underlying
Jewish family values and Yiddishkeit nurtured in the
home. The Chief’s clear message was that strong family
values will pave the way for a strong Jewish people.
Board of Management vice-chair Felicity Miller,
giving a vote of thanks, reiterated how delighted the
NWES community was to welcome the Chief Rabbi
and expressed also the community’s thanks to the
redoubtable Rebbetzin Anne Shisler and the wonderful
Ladies Committee who had organised the delicious
breakfast for this special occasion.
Certainly, it was apparent to all that the Chief Rabbi is a
man with tremendous energy, great conviction and not a
little charisma. In the short time since installation, Rabbi
Mirvis has shown profound qualities of leadership and
it was truly inspiring to learn first-hand of his vision
for the community.
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Fifty Shades of Grey?
The closest we get to
that is the queue for
the hairdressers.
Residents like Betty Weinberg have
access to everything they need, from
a well-stocked library to a hair salon.
To find out more see
www.nightingalehammerson.org
Or call 020 8673 3495 / 020 8458 4523
MOSAIC
Shaare Zedek UK is a registered charity with the registration number 1143272.
WE DON’T
CARE...
...about your race, religion or financial situation.
We only care about providing
the very best medical treatment
for all the people of Jerusalem.
But to achieve this we are
dependent on your generosity
to help us purchase vital
technology and equipment.
This year our special UK project is to
purchase essential equipment that will
save the lives of the smallest and most
vulnerable of Shaare Zedek’s many patients
– the 1,000 tiny premature and high risk
babies who are cared for each year in
the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit. Only with your help will these
precious new lives have the chance
of a happy and healthy future.
Please help by donating towards this
life-giving project and be part of creating
a healthier future for Jerusalem.
To make a life-saving donation, discuss
leaving a legacy or for more information:
phone 020 8201 8933
visit shaarezedek.org.uk
email [email protected]
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