Contentsimages.shulcloud.com/.../34947_hamaor_sept14_web.pdf · Page 1 Contents Published by The Federation of Synagogues 65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQ Tel: 020 8202 2263 Fax: 020

Page 1

Contents

Published by The Federation of Synagogues65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQTel: 020 8202 2263 Fax: 020 8203 0610Email: info@federationofsynagogues.comwww.federationofsynagogues.comEditor/Advertising: Eva Chapper

Editorial

The past few months have been very dark for the Jewish people, both with the war in Israel and the steady rise in anti-Semitic incidents around the world. The support and unity that has been shown, across all sections of the Jewish community, is inspiring and highlights what we can achieve when we have achdus. As the New Year approaches we daven that there should be shalom al kol Yisroel.

These are exciting times in the Federation with a real sense of new impetus; we have a new President and Trustees as well as a new Chief Executive Officer with forward thinking plans for the future.

We have also seen the opening of two new Shuls within the Federation and it’s their photos that adorn the cover of this edition of Hamaor. You can read all about this and more inside.

With our usual mix of news, interesting articles and divrei Torah, there’s something for everyone as we prepare to welcome 5775.

Wishing you all kesiva v’chasima tova

Eva

Diary 2

Meet the new Honorary Officers 6

Vision for the Federation – Mr Andrew Cohen 8

Why Mehadrin? – Dayan Lichtenstein 10

A Message From Our New CEO, Rabbi Avi Lazarus 12

Thoughts for Yom Kippur – Rabbi Moshe Mayerfeld 13

Obituary of Michael Goldman 15

Yeshurun Mission to Morocco – Jeff Levison 16

Reflections from the Reflection of the Danube – Rabbi Raphy Garson 20

Budapest with the Kaliver Rebbe – Rabbi Zvi Portnoy 25

The European Cantors’ Convention in Budapest and the Longest Friday Night Service Imaginable! – Hirsh Cashdan and Russell Grossman 28

A Shiva Visit in Auschwitz Birkenau – Rabbi Raphy Garson 30

Personal 33

Kashrus Directory 37

Federation of Synagogues Contact Details 38

Burial Society 39

List of Synagogues 40

Page 2 Hamaor / September 2014

DIARYDIARY DIARYDIARY DIARYDIARY

NEWS & EVENTS

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

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

As the newest member of the Federation, it formally opened its new Beis Hamedrash on Shabbos Parshas Bechukosai under the guidance and leadership of their beloved Rov, R’ Dovid Tugendhaft Shlit”a. The service was the culmination of many months of planning and round-the-clock feverish preparations in order to have the new building ready to celebrate this milestone. Celebrations commenced at Kabolas Shabbos with an opening address by Dayan Yisroel Yaakov Lichtenstein Shlit”a, Av Beis Din of the Federation. Shabbos morning davening was attended by over 250 mispallelim followed by a bris and a large Kiddush graced by local Rabbonim and with members of neighbouring shuls all fl ocking to give their Mazel Tov wishes.

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

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

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

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

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

and such partners as the Federation. The excitement of our first Shabbos

davening in a modern building, which used to house a church for many years,

was infectious. The support and encouragement from the wider community

has been overwhelming, seeing our new home now bursting with young

families, Torah and Tefiloh.Ó

The Jewish Tribune, reporting on the occasion, commented: Ò With the

experience of the most uplifting Seudah in the heart of Hendon was the

injection into all present of the spiritual energy needed to face the outside

world.Ó

The new Shul for Nishmas Yisroel is only the first stage in the exciting period

of growth planned by the new President and Trustees of the Federation, who

are working on developing new communities, increasing the scope of the

Federation Kashrus division and expanding the Beis Din. Andrew Cohen,

President of the Federation, added: Ò The Dayonim, Trustees and members of

the Federation wish our newest Kehillo, Nishmas Yisroel, טוב מזל on the

opening of their new Beis Hamedrash at 4 Brent Street, London NW4. We

pledge our support to help such Kehillos develop, with an ability to assist with

new buildings, provide inspirational leaders such as Reb Dovid Tugendhaft

ShlitÓ a and offer the broader communal services that come with being a

member of an established and growing organisation.Ó

Hamaor / September 2014 Page 3


NEWS & EVENTS


CroydonCroydon Synagogue continues to enjoy life.

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

Looking back over the year, Rabbi Asmoucha read the Megilla on Purim to a full shul which included many visitors, all of whom enjoyed Hamentaschen and tea afterwards.

At Pesach we held a Communal Seder on the second night and our services were very well supported, as they were on Shavuot.

“Our Club” continues to be successful. We recently held a lunch and welcomed Jeanette Rosenburg, whose family were members of the shul. Jeanette gave us a talk on Genealogy which she illustrated very interestingly by looking into the history of some of our members who were there at the lunch.

At our recent AGM, two younger members were appointed to the Board of Management and Danny Harris had the honour of being made Life Warden which was celebrated subsequently at a special Kiddush lunch.

This year will be Rabbi Asmoucha’s fourth year with us. As an integral and vital part of the community, he participates in every aspect of communal life; the community responds wonderfully to him!

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

The Finchley Central community, which has seen a surge in growth from young families, has been davening on Shabbos in the Pardes House Primary School hall on Hendon Lane for the last few years to enable members

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

Says Miles Boydon of the FCS Management Committee: “The sale of the shul is of paramount signifi cance to the future of the kehillo that has fundamentally changed under the inspirational leadership of Rabbi Hamer and with the support of the Federation. The community is growing and with the increase in young families, there is a need for a new shul to be within the eruv to support the vibrant children’s services and enable the whole family to be part of the kehillo. The Federation have been behind us throughout the sales procedure and are currently working hard to help us fi nd a suitable building to cement our special community and help us to grow as a family.”

In the short term, whilst a new shul building is being found, the new owner has agreed that the facility will be available for the community to continue to hold their regular weekday minyonim ensuring no disruption in services.

Following on from the successful opening of the new shul for Nishmas Yisroel in Hendon, the sale of Finchley Central and the support to establish the new shul refl ects the exciting period of growth planned by the new President and Trustees of the Federation who are also working on increasing the scope of the Federation Kashrus Division and expanding the Beis Din.

Andrew Cohen, President of the Federation commented: “The Finchley Central community had changed signifi cantly in its demographic structure, having been reinvigorated under the leadership of Rabbi Yaakov Hamer. It is now our primary focus to ensure the kehillo fi nds a new building where it can continue to grow, safe in the knowledge that the Federation is always there to offer guidance and support. I would particularly like to thank my co-Trustee, Menachem Gertner, who has skillfully led the process and is negotiating the purchase of the new premises.”



NEWS & EVENTS

llfordThe Mayor’s Civic Service

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

welcomed local dignitaries, including mayors from surrounding boroughs, and in his sermon offered the new Mayor his blessing and advice on leadership based on the lessons we learn from Moshe Rabbeinu.

Dedication ServiceIlford Federation Synagogue’s beautiful, modern new home on Clarence Avenue has offi cially opened its doors. The three storey building has been completed to exceptional detail, thanks to the hard work of key members of the community. The etched glass mechitza and air conditioning gives the shul a comfortable open feeling and many members and visitors have commented on how pleasurable it is to daven there. The new building was dedicated on Sunday 7th September in the presence of the Rosh Beis Din Dayan Lichtenstein, the immediate past President of the Federation Mr Alan Finlay and the new President Mr Andrew Cohen as well as local dignitaries and donors.

Rabbi Chapper and Mayor Kissin

Ohr YisraelSpecial Batmitzvah Graduation Shabbat A graduation ceremony was held one Shabbat following the successful completion of the Batmitzvah course designed and run by Deborah Garson for mothers and daughters. Each girl was presented with a special Sefer and certifi cate. The course empowered the girls to appreciate the essential areas of Judaism from Shabbat to Kashrut, Chesed, Jewish Roles and Responsibilities. In addition each girl embarked on a Chesed project throughout the year of the course such as bake sales, visiting old age homes, car washing, joining kiddush rotas etc

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

Jewish Journeys – Poland Trip 8 & Morocco Journey 3 Our next Journey to Poland will BH take place on the 3rd of May 2015. The 3rd trip to Morocco will be taking place on the 31st of May 2015. For more details please contact Rabbi Garson at [email protected].

Cross-Communal Tehillim with the Mayor of Sderot - “Which child would you choose?” A cross-communal Tehillim rally was held at Ohr Yisrael and all of the local communities came together to do what we as Jews do best. To express empathy with the situation in Israel, to show compassion and feel the pain of the people who are suffering on both sides of



NEWS & EVENTS


this war, and more importantly to do our bit by learning and praying. All the local Rabbis came together and introduced the various Tehillim. The evening was graced with the presence of former Mayor of Sderot David Bouskila who gave us an inkling of what life is like living under fi re. Over 8000 rockets have rained down on Sderot since October 2000. Parents have only 15 seconds to rush to shelter; sometimes grappling with the decision that only one child could be taken into safety in time. “Which child would you choose?” This question hung in hushed silence over the packed out crowd of over 250 people.

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

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

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

Israel, USA, Australia, Spain and Denmark.

She is a spectacular cook and hostess, opening her

home and her heart to feed Shabbat and

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Dov BlackDov Black was the founder member of Ohr Yerushalyim, the only Federation Kehilla outside of London, and where he has served for over 15 years including being President.Dov’s vast experience in building Ohr Yerushalayim in Manchester helps assist his fellow Honorary Offi cers by focusing on introducing new communities to the Federation family, including being involved in the recent welcome of Nishmas Yisroel.In addition, having been President of one of the newest Shuls of the Federation, and also being based in Manchester, Dov adds a new dynamic and perspective to the Honorary Offi cers.With the effectiveness of the Federation operating with Ohr Yerushalayim, Dov believes in being on the Board to pay something back to the Federation and ultimately to Orthodox Communities in the UK.

Menachem Gertner Menachem Gertner, a member of Nishmas Yisroel, is from a family of rabbonim and community activists. So far, he has been able to use his experience in property development and planning to assist with the relocation of Finchley Central as well the search for a suitably located new cemetery and many other land and property related matters at the Federation.More generally, Menachem feels that there is scope for the Federation to boost its profi le within the community by working more closely with our members. He hopes that we can build on our existing platform to create a more vibrant and inclusive communal body that will serve Orthodox Anglo Jewry for decades to come. Menachem is excited to have the opportunity to be involved in such an august institution and hopes that his drive will assist in moving the Federation forward in the coming years.

Adam JacobsAdam is Treasurer and Trustee of the Federation of Synagogues and a loyal member of Ohr Yisrael.He is a technology management consultant with experience in the fi nancial management of high-value technology projects. He has created transformational digital strategies and architected solutions for leading organisations to enable them to excel in their industries.

He has also been responsible for managing geographically diverse, multi-disciplinary teams to deliver complex projects.Adam is using his knowledge and experience to drive the Federation to meet all elements of its vision for communities, Kashrut and Burial.

Leon Newmark Leon Newmark is the longest-serving member of the board of Trustees; now pledging a fi fth term to the Federation.Currently Chairman of Ilford Synagogue and has been for 12 years, Leon is able to offer the Federation community advice and guidance based on his invaluable experience and also his role as a director of a company through his working life.

Jacky WegJacky Weg works in property management although for many years he ran a button and trimmings manufacturing business. Jacky’s connection to the Federation dates back to his youth. Soon after his barmitzvah he attended Clapton Synagogue where he helped to organise the successful youth minyan for many years as well as daily services at Montague Road Beis Hamedrash. Since moving to Golders Green Jacky has been a regular attendee at Beis Hamedrash Sinai and for a number of years has been privileged to be its President.In the 1990s, Jacky represented the Federation of Synagogues on the London Board of Schechita. Returning now as Board Trustee, he considers it vital that the Federation strives to move forward. Jacky’s vision: “It is imperative that the Board of Trustees looks after the existing shuls and gives them the necessary support to provide the attractive service their communities require. At the same time, it is our duty to encourage and guide new Kehillos on the reasons to join the Federation, to encourage creativity within new synagogues and enable them to develop their own identities. We need as a matter of urgency to enhance and expand the stature of its Beth Din and establish the right grounds and approach

Meet the new Honorary Offi cers

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


Exc0_A6Ad.indd 1 13/5/08 15:28:00

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

Moshe WinegartenMoshe’s great-great-grandparents, great-grandparents, grandparents and parents z”l were all Federation members, each generation taking active and leading roles in their communities. Moshe himself grew up in Shomrei Hadath and following yeshiva and kollel, has made a career in Product Development and Business Strategy working at one of the biggest banks in the UK. Communally, he has grown up in the shadow of his father, Shlomo Winegarten z”l, and uncle, Jonathan Winegarten, supporting them in their role as shul presidents and has gone on to be elected onto the board of a thriving kehillo, serving as Honorary Treasurer.Three years ago, at the last Federation elections, Moshe’s father z”l was appointed as Federation Vice-President

along with his many other communal responsibilities. Shortly after his appointment, in the Hamaor magazine (Rosh Hashanah 5771), he outlined his vision for the Federation of Synagogues: “The Federation has to be restored to its position as a bastion of heimishe Anglo-Jewish Orthodoxy, that unique blend of kehillos - litvish, chassidish and sephardish – led by an independent highly-respected Beis Din and a fl ourishing Va’ad HaRabbonim, so that it becomes a visible centre of excellence for all its members. At the same time, on a lay level, Head Offi ce must develop as an effi cient resource-centre serving the practical needs of local shuls. Inspirational spiritual leadership supported by visionary lay leadership will, I believe, restore a long-lost sense of pride to this part of our identity – our membership of the Federation.”Moshe aims to put his professional and communal experience into practical use on the Executive Board of the Federation, to be part of that visionary lay leadership and to see his father’s vision become a reality.


Vision for the Federationby Mr Andrew Cohen President of the Federation of Synagogues

Over the past nine months, many times have I been asked: “Why?” - Why did I stand for election as

President of the Federation?

The answer is simple – the opportunity!

The opportunity is right there for all to see by taking a step back, looking at the wider context and seeing the trends in Jewish Orthodoxy in this country. It’s the middle ground. It’s where the Federation has always been but often overlooked and rarely heard. Whole swathes of North West London, from Golders Green and Hendon to Edgware, Elstree, Borehamwood, Bushey and beyond, are growth areas of frum, vibrant kehillos. Yet many exist having little or no association with a communal body either left or right; kehillos that would benefi t from support and shared services. Communities like these which have been the core of our organisation for generations, are the opportunity for our future.

To seize this opportunity, the Federation is raising its profi le to be recognised as having a clear and expansive strategy, to support and develop thriving kehillos and to be considered as their natural home. The vision is to reposition the Federation as the powerhouse of independent Jewish orthodoxy in England.

We think it is working. Since my co-Trustees and I were elected we have been approached by over 15 existing kehillos interested in talking to us about our strategy and where they might fi t in with our ethos and planned growth.

This is not something new, but it has been long in coming. I quote from my uncle, Rabbi Kopul Rosen, who was appointed Principal Rabbi of the Federation in 1945. At that time the Federation had 70 Shuls and 15,000 families. He set out his thoughts on the future of the Federation:

“The function of the Federation is not that of a Synagogal body (meaning an organisation providing facilities for Divine Services and religious ceremonies only), but that of a Jewish kehillah dealing with Jewish life in all its aspects”.

In Rabbi Rosen’s view, “The fi rst task is to reclaim large masses of Jews who have drifted away from Judaism…they are the rootless Jews of our community. There is another section, perhaps smaller in numbers, who were reared in an atmosphere of Jewish learning and strict observance. If the character of Anglo-Jewry is to be that of a learned, enlightened and observant community, then the builders of such a communal life will come mainly from this section.”

Kopul Rosen felt that the Federation should be associated with all communal activity but that it should concentrate on this section of the community and focus on building an organisation with a clearly expressed purpose and objective.

Earlier this year, at the fi rst Council meeting following our election, I set out our vision for the future of the Federation together with our strategy for its delivery. After reviewing the various aspects and functions of the organisation, we formulated the initial focus for the Federation and laid out the longer term objectives.

A fundamental necessity is to ensure the organisation is profi table at an operational level. This entailed


looking at profi t centres to drive enhanced

performance and cost centres to contain and justify

expenditure. The Federation should not be reliant on

the realisation of capital assets to cover shortfalls

generated through operations.

Our Beis Din, which should be a profi t centre, has

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

and reputation of our Dayonim is signifi cant and yet

we do not leverage this asset. With only two appointed

Dayonim, the Beis Din is not operating effectively and

referrals of Dinei Torah are becoming less frequent. It

was clear on investigation that to reverse this trend a

fully constituted Beis Din is essential. A Beis Din

recognised in the wider community and which raises

its profi le further through publications and marketing

of its talented Dayonim. To achieve this we intend to

appoint a third Dayan in the near future and to make

our Beis Din complete once again. The additional

investment in creating a fully functioning Beis Din is

offset by increased revenue and other communal duties

a third Dayan will undertake.

Our Kashrus division is a source of revenue and

profi t. It is, in reality, a business. Any successful

business requires an operating structure to exploit

opportunities available in the market place. There is

signifi cant growth within the world-wide kashrus

market and thus clear prospects to increase licensing

income through professional business management

and by leveraging the established reputation of the KF

label in Israel and America, if not in the UK. We intend

initially to appoint a commercial manager to take over

some of the signifi cant workload Dayan Elzas has

managed until now and to attain set targets of

increased sales and effi ciencies. We are also working

hard to bring to market ‘KF Mehadrin’ meat

products under the existing umbrella of the London

Board for Shechita.

The Burial Society has been in existence for well over a hundred years and is a core part of the Federation. As Trustees, we have a responsibility to our members to ensure that it operates effi ciently and that the structure is sustainable into the future. Consequently, we are currently undertaking an actuarial review of the whole operation and will report to Council in due course. We have invested funds in enhancements to Rainham Beis Olam including resurfacing of driveway and the building of a new permanent Ohel structure for Cohanim. We are also commissioning a computerised database of Burial Society records which will be accessible through our new website and for members to interact with online.

One of the criticisms levelled at the Federation over recent years has been the lack of a locally positioned cemetery for the NW London communities. Although previous Honorary Offi cers have endeavoured to resolve this issue, I sincerely hope that by the time you read this, there will be some positive news to share.

We have started many other initiatives which you may have already heard about or will do so in the coming months. A few examples include the Shailoh Line for questions to Rabbonim on call, the Vaad Harabbonim for our Rabbonim to meet and discuss cross-communal issues, the appointment of a marketing expert, the purchase of the Hendon site for Nishmas Yisroel and, of course, the appointment of our new Chief Executive, Avi Lazarus.

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

It was not an obligation or even a new challenge, but an opportunity. I am indeed fortunate to have this amazing opportunity: to deliver my vision for the community, to serve and add value to our kehillos, to make a signifi cant contribution and, above all, to facilitate change.


Why Mehadrin? By Dayan Lichtenstein, Rosh Beis Din

The word mehadrin literally means beautifi ed or

embellished.

In following Jewish dietary laws, there is a

good amount of room for leniency

or stringency. Someone who follows a stringent level

of kashrus is seen as having beautifi ed or embellished God’s commandments and thus is said to be keeping kosher l’mehadrin.

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

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

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

It all began with the largest kashrus certifi cation agency in Israel, the Chief Rabbinate (Rabbanut). Recognized by Israeli law as the supreme rabbinic authority in the country, the Chief Rabbinate has sole jurisdiction over all issues related to kosher certifi cation.

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

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

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

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

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

Another problem in Rabbanut ‘regular’ kosher certifi cations, is the number of hours that a supervisor (mashgiach) is present on the premises. The Rabbanut must rely heavily on the integrity of its clients and their employees to abide by all the kashrus rules when the supervisors are not present. Many times this trust is broken and the kashrus status is seriously violated.

The mehadrin alternativeA business that wishes to cater for the more observant kosher consumers, will often seek a ‘better’ kosher certifi cation (hechsher); one that does not rely on halachic compromises and minority opinions.

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

For the Federation, our decision is based on demand.

A mehadrin certifi cation simply means that a higher set of kashrus standards is observed. What these standards are depends largely on the certifying rabbinate. Each local rabbinate is free to set its own standards for mehadrin, which can vary widely from locality to locality.

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


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

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

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

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

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

The President and Trustees

extend their warmestwishes for

A Ksiva VachasimaTova

to all Members of the Federation of Synagogues

and their Families

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

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

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

Why on This Night...

...do we dip???

awareness | inspiration | educationRegistered Charity No: 1135926 Mikvah.org.uk is a project of Lubavitch of Edgware

בס’’ד

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

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

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

Why on This Night...

...do we dip???

awareness | inspiration | educationRegistered Charity No: 1135926 Mikvah.org.uk is a project of Lubavitch of Edgware

בס’’ד

Go ahead, refresh yourself! Take a dip!


A Message From Our New CEO, Rabbi Avi Lazarus

As Rosh Hashana fast approaches, a new year beckons. For me personally, 5775 represents the opening of a fresh chapter, having started work at the

Federation on September 1st. When considering my application for the role, I consulted a well-respected North-

West London Rabbi whom I thought would be well placed to offer impartial advice, himself not affi liated to the Federation. “There’s no doubt about it” he said, “the Federation is currently the most exciting place in town”. I was persuaded. Thank G-d, I was honoured when a few weeks and interviews later, I was chosen to fi ll the role of CEO, succeeding Dr Eli Kienwald who has held the position for the last six and a half years. I look forward with relish to the privilege and challenge of serving the Jewish community through the Federation.

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

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

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

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

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

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


Thoughts for Yom Kippur by Rabbi Moshe Mayerfeld, Shomrei Hadath

The shul is packed with people who have come to pray. The atmosphere is electric. Generations stand together as one, requesting forgiveness

for their past mistakes and hoping for a better future. This is Yom Kippur; a day

of atonement and of refl ection. Yet the prayers and the way they are generally said do not always set the tone one might expect.

Imagine the scene: the chazzan is wrapped in his talis, focused, charged with leading the community with inspiring tefi los. Everyone waits as he begins to chant with the familiar tune, as we confess all the mistakes we made this year. “Aiy…aiy…aiy…aiy… Oshamnu, Bogadnu, Gozalnu…. But something is off-key, and it’s not the chazzan. The tune sung almost universally in synagogues all over the world is an upbeat one; melodious and joyous! We have sinned, we are traitors, we have stolen, “aiy aiy aiy aiy ya!” What is going on here?

Another source of dissonance is the order of the high holy day calendar. On Rosh Hashana, we ask G-d for a good and healthy year; a year full of peace, fi nancial security, successful family life, and all that is needed in our lives to be good and moral people. All this to open our path to do mitzvos, to study, to learn and to be able to connect to Hashem. On Rosh Hashana we present G-d with our list of requests. We ask Him to favour us kindly. And then begin the Ten Days of Repentance; the Aseres Yomei T’shuva. We refl ect, we say selichos, we apologise for our misgivings and then this fi nally leads us to Yom Kippur; the day when we seek full forgiveness for all we have done wrong.

Surely this should be in the reverse order. If we offended a friend and we then needed a favour, fi rst we would apologise. “I am sorry for having been rude”. Only then we would ask, “Can I borrow your car?” First we would repair the relationship and then we would drum up the courage to request their kindness again. Why is it any different with Hashem?

Chazal share with us an insight as to why it must be in this order. On Rosh Hashana, we make plans; we dream what we would like to look like in a year’s time. We set our sights on being less self-absorbed and more focused on giving. Focusing on our goals to connect to what life is really about and building a better world. It is only once we know where we are going that our prior mistakes really matter. Only then do we realise they are detracting us from achieving our destiny. First we need Rosh Hashana to fi gure out where we are going and then we can say we are sorry for when we strayed.

Yom Kippur is a serious day, not a sad one. In fact, the Talmud in Taanis 26b refers to it as a Yom Tov. It is a ‘festive’ festival. The fact that we are not held back by our past, that we are not defi ned by what we may have done (or not done), is truly a cause to celebrate. We believe in change. We look forward to the future. We can be different tomorrow compared to yesterday. That gives us cause to sing, to rejoice.

This idea is refl ected in one of the most famous customs of Yom Kippur. As we begin the Maariv service we say Shema. Then we say the second line, “Baruch shem kavod malchuso l’olam va’ed” (Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity). This is a phrase that the angels use to praise Hashem. All year long, we say this line quietly. But tonight, on Yom Kippur, we say it aloud! We are mere mortals, so although we ‘borrow’ it and we do say it all year - we don’t wish to


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

when we are not eating or drinking, and are focusing

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

shem” out loud.

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

again say Shema in Maariv. Interestingly, though we are

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

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

offered is that as Yom Kippur begins we are heading into

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

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

over and we are saying the fi nal prayers, our mind is

already on the bagels! We are heading towards the food. We are humans once again. The message is that where we are is actually about where we are headed; where we are focused on reaching.

Hopefully this year our break-fast will be consumed with increased meaning. Having internalised the vision of Rosh Hashana and committed to correcting our errors on Yom Kippur, we have a new strategy for the year ahead. We have taken on the messages of these holy days - days of true rejoicing!

Wishing you well over the fast, a meaningful day and Chag Sameach.


Obituary of Michael Goldman

The death of Michael Goldman has deprived Anglo-Jewry of one of its most consummate civil servants, and the Federation of Synagogues of one of its most effective diplomats. As a communal bureaucrat he was a model of the genre: exceedingly knowledgeable; modest to a fault; very wise; and – perhaps above all else - ultra-loyal. Goldman served the Federation during a period of profound and in some respects turbulent change. That it survived these challenges, and fl ourished when it might so easily have foundered, is due in no small measure to his wise counsel and brilliant inter-personal skills.

Michael Goldman was born on 3 November 1929 in Brighton, where his father was headmaster of a Jewish school. As a child he spent some time in Switzerland, recovering from tuberculosis. The war years were spent as an evacuee living with his grandparents in Tredegar, South Wales. After the war his parents moved to London, where he attended the celebrated Etz Chayim yeshiva; he was a devoted student and (though it was often overlooked in later years) a most accomplished Talmudic scholar.

The Goldman family were stalwarts of the Federation in its Hackney setting. In his late twenties Goldman obtained employment in the Federation’s Stepney headquarters, serving under the redoubtable Julius Jung, who had been appointed Federation Secretary as long ago as 1925. Jung – by now Executive Director - retired in February 1959. The posts of Secretary and Executive Director were merged, and Goldman was appointed to the new offi ce as “Clerk.” As the Federation’s chief administrator he continued to serve until his retirement thirty-fi ve years later.

In this role Michael Goldman’s expertise was pivotal to the survival of the Federation, and to its renewed growth. His tenure of offi ce coincided with the

presidency of Morris Lederman, a period that was characterised by a tumultuous relationship with the United Synagogue, whose successive leaderships wished (to put it bluntly) to kill the Federation off. These assaults were not merely rebuffed. In 1966 the Federation established its own Beis Din and so formally distanced itself from the United Synagogue’s Chief Rabbinate. At the same time it began a long-delayed programme of synagogue building in the suburbs of north-west and north-east London, to which areas its membership had relocated itself.

On the one hand, therefore, Goldman was drawn into the haute politique of British Jewry (culminating in the 1971 decision of the Federation to withdraw from the Board of Deputies in protest at its determination to confer consultative status upon non-orthodox ecclesiastical authorities). On the other he found himself immersed in the minutiae of property matters, the selling of redundant East End sites and the buying of new ones in Barnet and Redbridge. He was also centrally involved in guiding the fortunes of the London Shechita Board and of the London Board for Jewish Religious Education (of which organisations the Federation was a ‘parent body’), and in keeping a watchful eye on the early administration of the Federation’s Kashrut division.

Following his retirement as Secretary, Goldman continued to serve the Federation as Registrar to its Beis Din, and maintained an active interest in a range of charitable causes.

Michael Goldman died on 28 August 2014 and was buried the following day at the Federation’s Edmonton cemetery. In 1986 he married Channah Cohen, by whom he is survived.

Professor Geoffrey Alderman


Yeshurun Mission to Morocco by Jeff Levison, member of Yeshurun Synagogue

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

the shared minicab to Gatwick Airport was the fi rst of

several reminders that this was a Yeshurun Synagogue

mission to Jewish Morocco and by no means a holiday.

A combination of Yeshurun members plus several

others from across the community made for a lively

and friendly eighteen-strong group, led by Marcel

Manson from Jewish Heritage Tours and Raphael

Elmaleh, our brilliant Moroccan guide. In just three

and a half days we managed to visit all four imperial

cities - Marrakesh, Rabat, Meknes and Fes - as well

as Casablanca.

But why Morocco? My own fi rst encounter with Jewish

Morocco was a photographic exhibition at the London

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

1950s the photographer Elias Harrus recorded the rural

community there; in 2008, Pauline Prior retraced that

journey to photograph the remnants of the community.

Over that period, the Jewish population of Morocco

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

In recent years it has become almost a sacred duty for

Ashkenazim to visit where our ancestors lived in Central

and Eastern Europe. It seemed to me that Morocco

would provide an interesting and exotic contrast.

Why did Jews go to Morocco in the fi rst place and why

did they leave in such numbers in the 1950s and 1960s?

Morocco is located at the north-west corner of the

African continent with north and west coasts on the

Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and land borders

with Algeria and Mauritania to the east and south,


respectively. It was to this far fl ung corner of the

Roman Empire that many Jews fl ed after the destruction

of the Second Temple, where they settled and lived in

harmony with the local Berber tribesmen. There is

some evidence of an even earlier Jewish migration

after the First Temple was destroyed.

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

early eighth century. As dhimi, People of the Book,

Jews were allowed to remain and practice their Judaism,

albeit as second class citizens. In general they enjoyed

royal protection but periodically their security was

imperilled and some local massacres took place. There

was another mass infl ux of Jews into the north of

Morocco in the late fi fteenth century, following the

Spanish expulsion. These Sephardim had very different

practices and customs to the established Nusach Sefard

community and this led to much friction between the

two communities.

The French took over Morocco in 1912 and remained in

charge until independence in 1956. As a consequence,

in 1940 Vichy France became the colonial power.

Representatives from Vichy France and Nazi Germany

visited King Muhammed V in 1941 requesting him to

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

response was unequivocal. In a scene with echoes of

the Purim story, he invited the fi ve leading Rabbis of

Morocco to sit with him at a banquet and the European

representatives left in disgust. Thus royal protection

helped to save Moroccan Jewry, further ensured by the

landing of Allied troops in 1942.

It was the establishment of the State of Israel and the

rise of Arab nationalism across North Africa and the

Middle East that led to the mass exodus of Moroccan

Jewry, mainly to Israel. There were no mass expulsions

as elsewhere; on the contrary many obstacles were put

in the way of their leaving. These obstacles

were overcome and few Jews now remain, mostly

in Casablanca.

Our party arrived in Marrakesh in late morning and,

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

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

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

Jews voluntarily chose to live close to the royal palace

and surrounded their dwellings with a wall, with the

gates locked over Shabbat, for their own protection;

this was quite unlike the typical European ghetto and

there was no compulsion to live there. The name

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

the King had granted the Jews the monopoly for

trading salt with the spice-bearing caravans from the

East and the salt store was wedged between the palace

and the Mellah.

The souks in Marrakesh, narrow and covered as in the

other towns we visited, appear to have changed little

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

goods are twenty-fi rst century. The kosher poulterer is

a small stall with minimal storage facility; you simply

buy a live chicken from the stall next door and the

poulterer shechts it for you – no different from London’s

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

fi rst of several small restored synagogues during our

trip, a far cry from the large communal buildings we

have become accustomed to in London.

The Bahia Palace is a typical example of the beautiful

Arab architecture we saw everywhere in the imperial

cities, with magnifi cent arches and doorways decorated

with colourful mosaics and intricate stucco work and

topped with beautiful ornamental wood ceilings.

While out and about, the men in our party were

requested not to wear visible kippot but, walking


through the souks here and elsewhere, people who

knew our guide Raphael greeted us with a warm and

friendly Shalom.

Our fi rst exhausting day concluded with dinner in the

home of the president of the Jewish community, the

fi rst of several meals starting with very spicy hors

d’oeuvre and followed by chicken and the inevitable

couscous and vegetables.

Next morning we had a longish coach ride to

Casablanca, home to most of Morocco’s remaining

Jews. The London Exhibition photographs had been

taken in the Atlas Mountains and at Sahara oases. The

Morocco we now saw, coast side of the mountains, was

an unexpectedly “green and pleasant land” with sheep

and cows grazing in the fi elds, in addition to the

inevitable goats, but not a camel in sight.

Our fi rst stop was the Jewish Museum of Casablanca,

the only one of its type in the Arab world, built on the

site of a former Jewish orphanage. The museum gives

a valuable insight into the distinctive characteristics of

the ritual life of the community. Raphael had played a

key role in setting it up and in rescuing Jewish artefacts,

particularly from abandoned synagogues. When

donors are found to restore a synagogue, the original

artefacts are returned.

This was followed by lunch at the grandest of

Casablanca’s Jewish social clubs, replete with several

tennis courts, followed inter alia by a walk along the

Street of Seven Synagogues. Driving through this and

other towns, there was clear evidence of massive slum

clearance, coupled with extensive building of

“affordable housing” - apartment blocks on the

outskirts. A delicious baked lamb dinner was enjoyed

by all at another Jewish club.

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

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

shul, then to Meknes, before arriving at our fi nal

destination Fes, the earliest imperial city. Once again

we dined well at a Jewish club.

After visiting the Jewish cemetery fi rst thing on day

four and the newly renovated Aban Danana Synagogue

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

which uses the excellent grey local clay. By this time,

prior to entering what is the largest Medina in Morroco,

we had acquired an additional guide and two guards to

make sure nobody got lost in the bewildering maze of

alleyways. We then spent many hours walking through

the Mellah and then to various craft factories as well as

a leather shop overlooking the famous tannery; here

everything is still done by hand as it has been for

centuries, with workers climbing into the tanning and

dyeing pits.

To the Jewish visitor, Morocco presents a series of

paradoxes, with contrasting modern and ancient

side by side. There are currently no formal diplomatic

ties between Morocco and Israel and yet, by royal

decree, the French-language daily newspaper Le Matin

has the French, Islamic and Jewish dates side by

side under the banner heading. But few Jews remain to

appreciate it.

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

very early morning fl ight. Overall it was a fantastic

experience and everyone on the tour seemed to have

had a marvellous time. If anyone is interested in

learning more about Jewish Morocco, our guide

Raphael has written a book with a colleague, entitled

“Jews under Moroccan Skies”, published by Gaon Books

and available over the internet. Better still, go there

and see it for yourselves.


Students Bolster the Home Front by Jeremy Kelly, Chief Executive of the Ben-Gurion University Foundation

Hundreds of B e n - G u r i o n University of the

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Members of ASRAN, the medical students union, organised activities for the children of Soroka personnel who were on call to treat wounded soldiers and civilians. Of their own initiative, other students who had moved out for the summer offered their apartments to the families of wounded soldiers who came down to visit them in the hospital.

“Over the last several weeks, we’ve seen hundreds of students donate their time and abilities who went to different locations in the city to help the residents in this emergency situation. As the head of the Community Involvement Department of the Student Union, I am very proud to be part of a university where the students are really involved in the community, even at this time. I was moved to see the willingness and desire of the many volunteers and the sense of commitment the students feel to this city in which we live,” says Maayan Palti-Negev.

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

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Refl ections from the Refl ection of the Danubeby Rabbi Raphy Garson, Ohr Yisrael

In March this year I was

privileged to be in a special

place at a special time.

Dayan Lichtenstein kindly

arranged for a group

of Federation Rabbis

along with over 300

rabbis from across

Europe to fl y to Budapest, Hungary. It was here

that we were challenged and inspired in a

special conference dealing with the problems of

assimilation and intermarriage. Chief Rabbi Lau

recently said that assimilation is the greatest threat

facing world Jewry today, even more than

anti-Semitism.

Notwithstanding the theme of the conference, being

in Hungary one could not forget the events that

occurred there during the invasion of the Germans in

1944. Thus the organisers arranged a memorial

ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the murder

of the Hungarian Jews by the Nazis. The Kaliver

Rebbe, a former citizen of Hungary, was fl own in

especially for the occasion.

The ceremony took place on the banks of the Danube

River at the “Shoes on the Danube” memorial. The

event was attended by Israel’s Chief Rabbis, Rabbi

Yitzchak Yosef and Rabbi David Lau, the Kaliver Rebbe,

as well as by Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs,

Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, members of the local Jewish

communities and representatives of the Hungarian

government.

The memorial shows 60 pairs of iron shoes, in

commemoration of the victims of the fascist Arrow

Cross Party, who were shot right into the river. The

victims were forced to take their shoes off before

being shot.

The Arrow Cross Party was a national socialist party

headed by Ferenc Szálasi, which led, in Hungary, a

government known as the Government of National

Unity from 15 October 1944 to 28 March 1945.

During its short rule at least 20,000 Jews were

murdered, many were shot into the Danube, and

437,000 Jews were deported to Auschwitz.

Permit me to share with you some thoughts that went

through my head that evening, as I stood looking at

the refl ection of the Danube. There is a home truth

that two people can look at the same thing, yet see

something quite different. At a recent inaugural

charity dinner for the organisation Shalva, a huge

piece of art formed the centre piece on each table. It

was designed by a famous modern Israeli artist; so

famous I forgot his name. Take modern art as an

example, one person might see a beautiful piece of

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

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

bottle of paint which splattered all over. “Brush


strokes which are genius” … really? It’s just a few

scribbly lines on canvas.

So too with music. Someone may hear something

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

Poetry can be uplifting for one and for someone else

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

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

appreciate that which is before him.

Avraham Avinu is recovering from his recent brit

milah and despite the excruciating pain he is eager to

welcome guests. “Vayisa Einav Vayaar, Vehine

Shelosha Anashim”.

The lesson is profound. If one wants to help others,

one must lift up one’s eyes and see. G-d sent angels

who need no nourishment. Abraham saw people in

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

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

opportunity to help.

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

many walk around absorbed in their own little world

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

the midst of traffi c, and have paid with their lives.

Whereas Abraham looked to welcome guests, so many

today communicate in the most impersonal of ways;

with Facebook and email replacing human interaction

and the spoken word.

In an age before opticians, Abraham’s vision was much

keener than 20/20. But that was something that he

had to develop, as he was to become the founding

father of our religion.

Tzara’at, is an affl iction that discolours human skin,

clothing, hair, beards and even homes. Its laws are

Shoes on the Danube


detailed, complex and intricate. Rabbi Mordechai

Kaminetzky points out that the ramifi cations of

tzara’at have more than physiological implications,

they have a great theological impact as well.

Anyone who has it must go to the Kohen, who

instructs them how to rid themselves of it. The Torah

teaches that the fate of the person is totally dependent

upon the will of the Kohen. Only the Kohen has the

power to declare it tamei (impure) or tahor (pure).

Even if all signs point to impurity, if the Kohen, for

any reason, deems the person tahor, the man remains

tahor. He is not tamei until openly labelled as such by

the Kohen.

The passuk says: “And the Kohen shall look at the

negah affl iction on the skin and behold it has changed

to white and appears deeper than the skin of the fl esh

- it is a tzora’as and the Kohen shall look at him and

declare him tamei” (Vayikra 13). Why must the Kohen

look twice? What purpose is served by looking again?

Rabbi Abraham Twerski tells the story of a young man

who came to the chief Rabbi of Vilna, Rabbi Chaim

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

father was applying for a Rabbinical position in a

town that the sage was familiar with, he asked the

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

Rabbi Grodzinsky felt that the candidate was not

worthy of the position; but instead of fl atly refusing,

he just said that he would rather not mix into the

rabbinical affairs of another city and was sure that

the council of that city would make a fair decision.

A tirade followed. The young man began to spit

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

silence. After a few minutes Rabbi Grodzinsky excused

himself and left the room.

Students who witnessed the barrage were shocked at

the young man’s audacity. They were even more

surprised that the Rav did not silence the young man.

Rabbi Grodzinsky told them: “You cannot view that

onslaught on its own. You must look at the bigger

picture. This young man was defending the honour of

his father, and because of that I had to overlook

his insults.”

A Kohen who is instructed and empowered to deal

with a Meztorah should not only look at the negah.

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

The Meshech Chochma explains that even if the negah

has all the attributes that should lead to a declaration

of tumah, there are other factors that must be

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

impurity must not be declared. Why? Because it

will ruin the celebration. For this and other

mitigating circumstances, the declaration of Tuma

must be postponed.

R’Kaminetzky thus suggests that perhaps the Torah is

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

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


must ask himself: “How is my declaration going to

affect the future of this person?” He must consider

the circumstances that caused the negah. He must

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

In Pirkei Avot we learn “Judge people favourably”.

Some mefarshim understand this as do not look at a

partial person; rather, judge all of the person. A fl aw

may have a motivation or rationale behind it. The

Kohen may look at the negah, but before he pronounces

tamei he must look again. A Kohen is charged to look

beyond the blemish and to look at the whole man.

The Danube late at night looked gorgeous. But 70

years ago, that blue refl ection was deep red; fi lled

with the cheap blood of our brothers and sisters.

Nazis lined up Jews and tied them in threes shooting

only the middle one, the force of that falling Jew

pulled the others along with him.

At the event, Rabbi Liebermann, Chief Rabbi of

Antwerp, spoke …. “Simply to have a memorial

gathering or a slogan ‘never again’ is not enough,

unless we are inspired with the same passion for

strengthening the Jewish people and Jewish identity

as the murderers and the haters are inspired to destroy.

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

and have commitment to mobilize all our strengths

to strengthen Jewish people and Jewish life in all its

manifestations wherever possible, this way we’ll

become a source not only for positive goodness for

our people, but for the whole world”.

Rabbi Paysach Krohn makes the point that after

visiting that memorial some years ago he found

himself crying during the following Yom Kippur. As

the Kohanim came down from blessing the people, he

noticed a large row of empty shoes which reminded

him of the memorial.

What’s the difference? The answer is of course clear;

these people were living and in a few moments would

step into those shoes to walk. A walk that can be

taken to do goodness in the world.

So my friends, the Danube continues to fl ow. But as

we approach the Yemei Hadin, let us absorb the lesson

of looking twice to understand that what one senses

is dependent on one’s ability to appreciate that which

is before him. Let us recall the Gemara in Shabbat

127b: “One who judges his friend favourably will be

judged favourably”.

If we look and look again, we will fi nd opportunities

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

a mission of fi lling those empty shoes by caring more

and being dedicated and committed with permanent

determination to strengthen the Jewish people and

Jewish life wherever possible.

If we do this, then the memorial we attended will

have meaning and signifi cance and we can be on the

road to creating a better world.

Ketiva Vechatima Tova


How Jeremy went from being an Employee to Employer

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

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

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

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

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

Is this when you considered starting your own business? To be honest, I had always loved the idea of being my own boss but never knew where to start. I’d been in web design for over a decade, knew how the industry worked and was always full of creative ideas. After talking to TrainE-TraidE’s Career Adviser, she put me in touch with the charity’s business department. I had one-to-one meetings and began to put a business plan together. They even helped me apply for a government start-up loan to cover the costs of marketing my new business.

One year on, are you happy with your decision? Absolutely. I love being my own boss and my business is fl ourishing. TrainE-TraidE has continued to be part of my professional life - they’ve been an invaluable source of advice and support.

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


Budapest with the Kaliver Rebbe by Rabbi Zvi Portnoy, Loughton

Earlier this year in March, I was given the opportunity to travel to Hungary with a group of Rabbis from the UK as part of the annual

convention of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE), which this year was held

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

So who are the RCE and what do they do? The Rabbinical Centre of Europe was established in the year 2000 at the request of communal Rabbis throughout Europe. The goal of the RCE is to enlarge the scope of spiritual opportunities in Europe and support the sacred work of European Rabbis; likewise to strengthen the spiritual infrastructure of Jewish communities in Europe.

Unfortunately this year’s main topic, “Assimilation and Intermarriage”, is one we hear much of these days and perhaps, dare I say it, of which we are even a little tired. In reality it is a challenge that every community will inevitably face, on some level or other, despite many who profess that such challenges or responsibilities are either out of their control or not their business. I am not particularly interested in numbers and statistics but one simply cannot ignore the current astounding

prognosis for European Jewry. According to RCE’s research, over 85% of European Jews assimilate and intermarry with non-Jews; 80% do not attend synagogues, even on the central holiday of Yom Kippur; over 75% of Jewish children in Europe do not receive a Jewish education, and over 90% of European Jewish students have no connections with the Jewish community. Clearly just a little bit of trend-reversing needs to be done!

Aside from the troubling question of assimilation, there were various discussions on methods of confronting European bans on shechita (ritual slaughter) and bris milah (circumcision), in addition to other challenges facing Jews in Europe who are trying to maintain a lifestyle in accordance with Jewish law. What was very special to see was the sense of achdus - unity - amongst all the Rabbonim present, as well as the feeling that, whilst the issues being faced are indeed too large for any one individual, nevertheless, united, they can all somehow be overcome; to use a cliché, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

For me personally there were many highlights, but I will keep this article brief and share just two of them. The fi rst was the central event on the fi rst day of the convention. A “March of the Living”, headed by the Kaliver Rebbe and both Israeli Chief Rabbis, Rav David Lau and Rav Yitzchak Yosef, along the bank of the River Danube, to the sacred site where so many Kedoshim – holy Jews who gave their lives for Judaism - were shot and tossed into the water by the Nazis. Major traffi c arteries in Budapest were closed by police to enable the hundreds of Rabbonim and relatives of the victims to march in the path that the martyrs walked. The event was also attended by ministers in the Hungarian government, as well as the Mayor of Budapest and city councillors.


What was particularly moving was hearing the Kaliver

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

a transport to Auschwitz by the Nazis, and he arrived

there three days before Shavuos. He was transferred

from there to the Breslau concentration camp, and

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

he discovered that his wife had survived and they were

reunited in Sweden. In 1947 they migrated to the

United States of America, where he began his work in

Cleveland, Ohio, to memorialize the Holocaust. He

moved to Israel in 1962. In a choked voice, tears rolling

down his cheeks, the Rebbe described what he saw and

experienced in the death camps, and how he promised

Hashem that if his life would be spared, he would

disseminate the name of Hashem and His holiness all

over the world. “From then and till now, I am working

to fulfi l my promise,” the Rebbe said. He concluded

with Kabbalas Ol Malchus Shamayim, as the assemblage

stood up and recited Shema Yisrael in unison. Following

which we all sang “Ani Maamin”. It had me in tears, and

I’m sure I was not the only one! If anyone had any

doubt over the strength and commitment of Am Yisrael,

one need not have looked any further.

The second highlight for me was a shiur given by the

Sephardi Chief Rabbi, Harav Hagaon Yitzchak Yosef, on

the halachic issues regarding the permissibility, or

indeed superiority, of machine versus hand-baked

Matza! Dayan Lichtenstein introduced him, and noted

the beautiful halachic work by Rav Yitzchak Yosef’s

father, Rav Ovadia Yosef ZTL, “Yabia Omer”. Dayan

Lichtenstein described it as a majestic symphony

bringing together the multitude of halachic opinions

to a mighty crescendo; whilst noting that Rav Yitzchak

Yosef’s own “Sefer Yalkut Yosef”, has built on his father’s

work by extrapolating the fi nal halachic ruling

according to his father. Rav Yitzchak Yosef’s shiur was

for me simply mind-blowing. Much of the shiur

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

“chozair v’nayor”, which loosely (in this case) translates

into the question of whether or not we say that

chametz cooked together with non-chametz before

Pesach is nullifi ed when Pesach arrives or whether it

maintains its status as chametz on Pesach. Chacham

Yitzchak Yosef so seamlessly wove the enormous

multitude of Sephardi and Ashkenazi Rishonim (11th-

15th century authorities) and Achronim (16th century

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

such ease and brilliance; the Torah poured from

his mouth!

Overall the whole trip was an amazing experience, and

I am grateful for the opportunity to have been present.

The Dayanim, Chief Executive and

Head Office Staffextend their warmest

wishes for

A Ksiva VachasimaTova

to all Members of the Federation of Synagogues

and their Families


What would it feel like to be hungry more than one day a year?What if you knew that you would feel hungry the next day as well and the one after that?

1.7 million Israelis live below the poverty line, and this

includes several hundred thousand children. Many of

them do go hungry every day. Children like 8 year-old

Tammy. Tammy often just gets a glass of water for

breakfast. She also goes to school without anything

for lunch and has to share her friend Ayala’s fruit or

if she’s lucky, a bit of her sandwich. The one solid

meal Tammy’s family get each day is from Meir

Panim, the organisation for which Manna is the

UK branch.

Rosh Hashanah. Each card is worth 300 shekels (£50).

The recipient buys the food they need, then hands over

the card at the checkout for payment, just like with

a credit or debit card. People keep their self-respect,

making their own choices over the food their family

needs and without the embarrassment of entering a

Food Centre or waiting in line for a food basket.

You can make a real difference.

Will you buy a card for £50 (or more than one

card), and give hungry families in Israel a festive

Rosh Hashanah?

For more information please go to

www.mannauk.org

Thank you and Shana Tova.

R e g i s t e r e d C h a r i t y N o . 1 1 2 9 7 3 8

Tammy

Food Shopping Card

Meir Panim feeds as many of these hungry people

as possible. Every day, they provide a hot meal to

thousands of people in need. And every year, they

distribute thousands of Food Shopping Cards before


The European Cantors’ Convention in Budapest and the Longest Friday Night Service Imaginable!by Hirsh Cashdan and Russell Grossman

Recently we enjoyed a Friday night service that lasted over 2 hours – but it was a special occasion. This was in Budapest as part of the 2014 European Cantors’ Convention attended in fact by participants from USA, Canada and Israel as well as the UK and other European Countries. Some sixty participants in total.

Budapest is a beautiful city; once two cities, with Pest and Buda linked by bridges over the Danube. The Jewish community, amazingly some 80,000 strong, is mostly in Pest where the metropolitan centre of the unifi ed city is located and boasts some wonderful synagogues. As part of the Annual Convention – now in its ninth year - we sampled four of them.

The convention sessions and the two concerts took place in Bethlen Square Synagogue - a pleasant shul half an hour’s walk from the central area. Here, we focused on helping prepare delegates for the forthcoming High Holy days with the expert help of two world famous guest chazzanim – Cantor Asher Hainowitz of the Yeshurun

Synagogue in Jerusalem and Cantor Yaakov Motzen of

The Shul of Bal Harbour, Florida.

Both maestros provided many examples of ways of

tackling the nusach of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

while keeping the interest of the congregation, and

encouraging them to join in well-known melodies.

Local speakers introduced us to the specifi c heritage of

Hungarian chazzanut and included many other related

topics.

All of this was folded round a Shabbat enhanced not

only by the singing of various chazzanim but also by

twenty members of the Jerusalem Cantors’ Choir who

were not only participants but led the Kabbalat Shabbat

service; singing an elaborate arrangement to virtually

every paragraph.

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

to be retranslated into either Hungarian or English -

accounted for the length of the service.

Shacharis at Bethlen Square Synagogue Interior of the Kazinczy Street Synagogue


Our Shabbat services were mostly at the Rumbach Synagogue – a wonderfully decorated octagonal building which had lain empty for fi fty years but was re-commissioned especially for us! And didn’t we bring it back to life resoundingly. Shabbat morning service lasted until almost one o’clock, but no-one was complaining!

We held Minchah on Shabbat afternoon at another strikingly beautiful and capacious synagogue nearby – the Kazinczy Synagogue – remarkable not only for its decoration but also for its two tiers of ladies seating. Like the other synagogues, this building was abused in the war but subsequently fully restored.

There are lots of politics around the Budapest shuls and rarely will the expression “there are four shuls here just so there are three I won’t daven in” be truer. However, on the Sunday afternoon we were treated to a tour of Budapest and given the opportunity to return to the various synagogues armed with camera (hence the photos).

Apart from those mentioned we also visited (though not for a service) the largest and most famous of all the Budapest shuls – Dohany Street. This is huge, with space for 3,500 people but very good acoustics – Lazlo Fekete, chazzan there for the last 25 years, proved it to us by standing in front of the Aron Kodesh and singing a piece for us – it could be heard everywhere … mind you he does have a very loud and penetrating voice!

Extremely moving was a visit to the Shoe Memorial. Situated just outside the Hungarian Parliament, on the edge of the bank of the Danube, this commemorates the shooting and dumping into the Danube of a number of Jews in 1944. To stand there while two great chazzanim led us in reciting psalms, el mole rachamim and kaddish was indeed a highlight of the tour.

The convention is run each year by the European Cantors’ Association. More at http://www.cantors.eu/. If you’re hoping for an even more exotic location in 2015 though, we might have to disappoint you … next year the plan is to hold the convention in Leeds!

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


A Shiva Visit in Auschwitz Birkenauby Rabbi Raphy Garson, Ohr Yisrael

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

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

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

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

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

The guards moved Leslie into a line to the right while his mother and his six siblings were moved to the left. Leslie went on to stand in more lines that day: the line where his clothes and shoes were taken away and he was given a prisoner uniform and a pair of wooden clogs, as well as the line where his Auschwitz prisoner number, A-8230, was tattooed on his left forearm. Later, during his fi rst night in Auschwitz, he asked the other prisoners in his barracks where his mother and siblings were. They told him that they had been murdered by gas, and that their bodies had probably already been cremated.

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

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

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

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

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

This was the second “symbolic” shiva Tzvi and I arranged for Leslie in Birkenau. Last year he sat for his family. This time he sat for one of his brothers. After sharing some ideas which took the form of a “Hesped”, I framed the traditional mourners’ greeting in the context of the Holocaust.

“Hamakom Yenachem Etchem…” is usually understood that God should comfort you. Hamakom is a name of Hashem; as we say in the Haggada: “Baruch Hamakom Baruch Hu”.

Several years ago I heard from the son of a survivor who understood this differently. “Hamakom” – when a person has a place to visit that brings comfort.

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

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

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

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

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

Leslie Kleinman sitting shiva on the cattle truck at Birkenau

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

The levayot of our three boys gave Am Yisrael a time and place to cry and to grieve. The families who sat shiva, processed their emotions and prepared themselves for the impossible and face the coming days and years. That process, the blessing that is the “shiva” will help them achieve some closure, and eventually, menuchat hanefesh, peace of mind.

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

Leslie emotionally told the group that for the fi rst

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

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

Leslie and Miriam - we will never forget you and your family. THANK YOU! May Hashem bless you both with infused strength to continue your holy work, in good health for many more years. AMEN!

I also pay tribute to my esteemed colleague, CEO and Director of JRoots, Tzvi Sperber -- the one and only!!! THANK YOU.


BIRTHS

Mazal Tov wishes are extended to the following people:

Mazal tov to the following on the birth of a child:Mr and Mrs A Jacobs on the birth of a daughter

CroydonShelly Nason on the birth of a granddaughter

Finchley CentralMr and Mrs A Blieberg (Past Members) on the birth of a granddaughterMr and Mrs J Kutner on the birth of a daughterMrs B Needleman on the birth of a great grandson

IlfordNatalie and Freddie Jacobs on the birth of a great grandsonIrene and Felton Ward on the birth of a granddaughterAdele and Melvyn Elliott on the birth of a grandsonMichelle and Barry Greenberg on the birth of a daughter

Machzikei HadathRabbi and Mrs CZ Pearlman on the birth of twin grandsons and three granddaughtersRabbi and Mrs E Pearlman on the birth of a daughterDr C Coleman on the birth of a granddaughter in IsraelProf and Mrs I Smith on the birth of a granddaughterMr and Mrs B Resnick on the birth of a grandsonMrs S Fishman on the birth of a great grandsonMr and Mrs L Kleerekoper on the birth of a grandsonMr and Mrs Z Sacho on the birth of a sonMr and Mrs B Sadka on the birth of a grandsonMr and Mrs D Lanzkron on the birth of a grandson in Israel

Nishmas YisroelColev and Lisa Frickers on the birth of a daughterShimon and Rivky Levy on the birth of a sonMechi and Yael Davis on the birth of a daughterMr and Mrs Yumi Wasserstrum on the birth of a daughterMr and Mrs Avi Isacharoff on the birth of twin daughtersMr and Mrs Ezra Kada on the birth of a sonMr and Mrs Yisroel Benjamin on the birth of a daughterGav and Perri Noe on the birth of a daughterMr and Mrs Yisroel Benjamin on the birth of a daughterSruli and Rivki Saurymper on the birth of a daughter

Ohr YisraelAdam and Lara Jacobs on the birth of a daughterStuart and Adrienne Rocklin on the birth of a granddaughter

Martin and Anna Roth on the birth of a daughterMark and Sarah Pitch on the birth of a sonGemma and Jamie Sinai on the birth of a sonEric and Glenda Deacon on the birth of a grandson

Ohr YerushalayimRov and Rebbetzen on birth of two grandsons and two granddaughtersMr and Mrs Daniel Harris on the birth of a daughterMr and Mrs Gary Zolty on the birth of a sonMr and Mrs Bernard Levey on the birth of a grandsonMr and Mrs YM Cope on the birth of a sonMr and Mrs Donny Wilks on the birth of a daughterDr and Mrs Michael Wilks on the birth of a granddaughterMr and Mrs Johnny Berkovitz on the birth of twin granddaughters and another granddaughterMr and Mrs David Bondt on the birth of a sonDr and Mrs David Wolfson on the birth of a grandsonDr and Mrs David Lewin on the birth of a grandsonMr and Mrs Dov Brysh on the birth of their daughterDr and Mrs Howard Sacho on the birth of a grandson Rabbi and Mrs Johnny Goodman on the birth of a sonMr and Mrs Yoel Ross on the birth of their daughter

SinaiMr and Mrs Andrew Cohen on the birth of a granddaughterMr and Mrs Julian Cohen on the birth of a grandson Dr and Mrs Yossi Adler on the birth of a grandson and a granddaughterRabbi and Mrs Ephraim Klyne on the birth of a granddaughter Mr and Mrs Ronnie Moore on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Lezer Bloch on the birth of two grandsonsMr and Mrs Shimon Bowden on the birth of a grandson Mrs J Leitner on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Yosef Meshulam Englard on the birth of two grandsonsRabbi and Mrs Yoel Kahn on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Sidney Bradpiece on the birth of a granddaughter Mr and Mrs Noson Iwanier on the birth of a granddaughter and a grandson Mr and Mrs Mendy Itzinger on the birth of two granddaughtersMr and Mrs Meir Itzinger on the birth of a daughterMr and Mrs Dovid Rosenthal on the birth of a grandson Rabbi and Mrs Menachem Kampf on the birth of twin granddaughters Mr and Mrs Benny Dzialowski on the birth of a granddaughter

PERSONAL


PERSONAL

Mr S Dzialowski on the birth of a great granddaughter Mr and Mrs Yitzchok Kruskal on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Mendy Itzinger and Mr And Mrs Zalman Hoff on the birth of a grandsonMr and Mrs Moshe Grun and Mrs J Leitner on the birth of a grandson Mr and Mrs Yitzi Scharfer of the birth of a daughterMr and Mrs Julian Cohen on the birth of a granddaughterMrs E Homburger on the birth of a granddaughter

Yeshurun Jeanette and Barrie Gordon on the birth of twin granddaughtersYaffi t and Jeff Gordon on the birth of a grandsonRabbi and Mrs Lewis on the birth of a grandsonRochelle and Mark Goldwater on the birth of a grandson and a granddaughterHilary and Jonathan Raymond on the birth of a granddaughterStacey and Richard Taylor on the birth of a granddaughterRabbi and Mrs Shindler on the birth of a grandsonAlyson and Mel Ezekiel on the birth of a grandsonEstelle and Barry Goodstone on the birth of a great grandsonSheryl and Richard Sandground on the birth of a grandsonDaniel and Esther Sandground on the birth of a sonVictor and Kathy Panas on the birth of a grandsonRebbetzin Judy Lopian on the birth of a great grandsonRochelle and Philip Baigel on the birth of a granddaughterLisa and Graham Golding on the birth of a grandsonSylvia and Andy Harwood on the birth of a grandsonBruna and Harold Cowan on the birth of a great grandsonCarol and Stuart Niman on the birth of a grandsonKathryn and Alan Finlay on the birth of a grandson

ENGAGEMENTS Mazel Tov to the following:IlfordJosie and David Simons on the engagement of their son Daniel to Hannah Levy

Nishmas YisroelSimon Cowen on his engagement to Goldie StahlMikey Mendelsohn on his engagement to Tanya Neuman

Ohr YisraelStuart and Florence Asher on the engagement of their daughter Caroline to Lee Gordon.

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

Ohr YerushalayimAshy Rubin on his engagement to Jordanna JacobsMr and Mrs Michael Freedman on the engagement of Debbie to Avrohom Moshe Begal

SinaiMr and Mrs Jacky Weg on the engagement of their son Boruch to Miss Breindy Adler Mr and Mrs Benny Chontow and Mr and Mrs Leiby Levison on the engagement of their children Ari to Esti Mr and Mrs Eliyohu Reich on the engagement of their daughter Chana to Asher Bennett

YeshurunEunice and Russell Grossman on the engagement of their daughter and their sonSami and Karen Kropp on the engagement of their daughterAndrea and Michael Bentley on the engagement of their sonAnne and Clifford Simons on the engagement of their daughterMichael Drucker on his engagement to Jane AthersychVivianne and David Prince on the engagement of their daughterPaul Fogelman on his engagement to Leora ErezJacqueline and Michael Samuel on the engagement of their daughter

WEDDINGSMazel Tov to the following:Dayan and Mrs Elzas on wedding of their daughterSimcha Hirsch on the wedding of his brother

Finchley CentralMr and Mrs J Blau on the wedding of their sonRabbi and Rebbetzen Z Telsner on the wedding of their son

IlfordRosalind and Stanley Barclay on the wedding of their son

Machzikei HadathMr and Mrs D Colman on the marriage of their son Motti to Miri CroninMr and Mrs J Wosner on the marriage of their daughter Dina to Jason Webber


PERSONAL

Ohr YerushalayimMr and Mrs Stephen Wieder on the wedding of Moishe to Batsheva SonnenbergMr and Mrs Motti Gershon and Mr and Mrs Leo Stern on the wedding of Chaim to EstherMr and Mrs Michael Epstein on the wedding of EliMr and Mrs Johnny Berkovitz on the wedding of Leora to Aron KahnMr and Mrs Meir Possenheimer on the wedding of Gila to Avrumi Sandler

Sinai Dr and Mrs Yossi Adler and Mr and Mrs Moshe Grun on the wedding of their children Mr and Mrs David Wilner on the wedding of their sonRabbi and Mrs Danny Kirsch on the wedding of their daughterRabbi and Mrs Robert Chevins on the wedding of their daughterMr and Mrs Yehoshua Steinhaus on the wedding of their sonMr and Mrs Avi Levison on the wedding of their daughterMr and Mrs Zalman Hoff on the wedding of their daughter

YeshurunAlison and Melvyn Ezekiel on the marriage of their daughter Yaffi t and Jeff Gordon on the marriage of their son Rabbi and Mrs Lewis on the marriage of their daughter

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIESMazel Tov to the following:Finchley CentralMr and Mrs E Amron on their Diamond wedding anniversaryDr and Mrs M Segal on their Ruby wedding anniversary

IlfordAlan and Beatrice Truman on their Ruby wedding anniversaryNatalie and Freddie Jacobs on their 65th wedding anniversaryJoy and Bernie Cohen on their Diamond wedding anniversaryRita and Leon Newmark on their Golden wedding anniversaryLeona and Sidney Zagger on their Golden wedding anniversary

YeshurunMiriam & Leonard Specterman on their Ruby wedding anniversarySheryl & Richard Sandground on their Ruby wedding anniversary

BAR MITZVAHSMazel Tov to the following:Machzikei HadathRabbi and Mrs C Z Pearlman on the barmitzvahs of two grandsons

Nishmas YisroelAvi and Sara Leah Schwartz on the barmitzvah of their son Yoni

Ohr YerushalayimMr and Mrs Michoel Issler on the barmitzvah of their son ShuaMr and Mrs Leivy Goldman on the barmitzvah of their son BenziMr and Mrs Lance Bookatz on the barmitzvah of their son Avrohom NachshonMr and Mrs Avi Stern on the barmitzvah of their son ZviMr and Mrs Marcel Marks on the barmitzvah of their son Gavriel

SinaiRabbi and Mrs B Knopfl er on the Barmitzvah of their grandson Kalman Jacobsen Mr and Mrs Mendy Itzinger on the Barmitzvah of their son Simcha Mr and Mrs Moshe Perry on the Barmitzvah of their son Binyomin

YeshurunRichard and Hinanit Menczer on the barmitzvah of their son Daniel

BAT MITZVAHSMazel Tov to the following:Ohr YisraelGavin and Daliah Block on the batmitzvah of their daughter Eden

YeshurunJonathan and Sue Bernstein on the batmitzvah of their daughter Ayala

SPECIAL BIRTHDAYSMazel Tov to the following:CroydonRae Freedman on her 90th Birthday


PERSONAL

Finchley CentralMr S Fertleman on his 80th BirthdayMrs R Lew (Mother of Mrs B Westbrook) on her 95th Birthday

IlfordJoyce Cohen on her 80th birthdayRita Newmark on her 80th birthdayRuth Fields on her 80th birthdayNettie Keene on her 80th birthdaySarah Wimborne on her 80th birthdayDora Glazer on her 90th birthday

YeshurunNettie Clapich on her 80th birthdayBernard Fox on his 80th birthdayAlfred Rein on his 90th birthdayBetty Cavendish on her 90th birthdayFay Levene on her 90th birthdayMorris Bourne on his 90th birthday

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTSMazel Tov to the following:IlfordCouncillor Ashley Kissin on his election as Mayor of Redbridge

Nishmas YisroelNishmas Yisroel on their 5th anniversaryRabbi Mendi Chissick on receiving the Keser Torah award from Golders Green Kollel.

Ohr YisraelDr Darren Freedman for winning, for the 3rd time in a row, the coveted prize of the “longest walk over the year to shul” award. We thank him for his herculean commitment on walking over 180 miles a year to attend shul over Shabbat and Yom Tov

CONDOLENCESWe offer condolences to:CroydonValerie Butler and family on the loss of her husband

Finchley CentralMrs S Langdon on the loss of her brotherThe Family of Mrs D LeversonThe Family of Mr L LevisonMr P Westbrook on the loss of his mother

Head Offi ceMrs M Goldman and family on the death of Mr Michael Goldman

HendonMr J Endfi eld on the loss of his father

IlfordMichelle Leigh and family on the loss of her fatherThe family of Millie GeeLawrence Conroy on the loss of his motherJacqueline Hurst on the loss of her motherLionel Cordell on the loss of his wifeThe family of Raymond ShawDeborah Montlake on the loss of her motherThe family of Melanie Gordon

LoughtonMrs B Cohen on the loss of her mother

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

Ohr YerushalayimMrs Etti Horwitz on the loss of her father

Ohr YisraelFlorence Asher on the loss of her fatherKamila Raymond on the loss of her husband

SinaiMrs A Cohen on the loss of her father

YeshurunMrs Cheryl Colletts on the loss of her father Mrs Margery Cohen on the loss of her husbandThe family of Mrs Renne LomanMrs Janine Richman on the loss of her motherMr Bernard Fox on the loss of his wifeThe family of Mr Nathan HarrisMrs Rebecca Ezekiel on the loss of her husbandMrs Fiona Belson on the loss of her fatherMr Adrian Goldwater on the loss of his father Mrs Hilary Sadick on the loss of her husband Mrs Ann Hanstater on the loss of her motherThe family of Mrs Queenie GreenhouseRabbi and Mrs J Shindler on the loss of their daughterMrs Blanche Gold on the loss of her sonAlan Finlay on the loss of his mother

DIRECTORY

FEDERATION OF SYNAGOGUESKASHRUS BOARD

Chairman: Mr A. CohenDirector of Kashrus: Dayan M. D. Elzas

The following establishments are licensed by theFederation Kashrus Board and are under

the Supervision of the Beth Din of the Federation of Synagogues

ALL MEATY RESTAURANTS SUPERVISED BY THE BETH DIN OF THE FEDERATION OF SYNAGOGUES ARE GLATT KOSHER ALL DAIRY RESTAURANTS SUPERVISED BY THE BETH DIN OF THE FEDERATION OF SYNAGOGUES ARE CHOLOV YISROEL

CATERERS:

PARK LANE HOTEL Piccadilly, London W1J 7BX 020 7290 7368

STARGUEST CATERINGArieh Wagner - www.starguest.com 020 8458 7708 THE PILLAR (Only Catered Events)19 Brent Street, NW4 2EU 020 8457 4000

DELICATESSENS AND SHOPS:

MR BAKER119-121 Brent Street, London NW4 2DX 020 8202 6845

THE KANTEEN BAKERY23 High Road, Bushey, Herts WD23 1EE 020 8950 0400

HOTEL:

CROFT COURT HOTEL 44 Ravenscroft Avenue, London NW11 8AY 020 8458 3331

RESTAURANTS:

AVIV RESTAURANT (Meaty)87-89 High Street, Edgware, Middx HA8 7DB 020 8952 2484 020 8381 1722BEIT HAMADRAS (Meaty - Indian)105 Brent Street, London NW4 2DX 020 8203 4567

K GRILL (Meaty)60 Edgware Way, Edgware HA8 8JS 020 8958 7062

K PIZZA/ FISH K CHIPS (Milky)66 Edgware Way, Edgware HA8 8JS 020 8958 9087

MET SU YAN (Meaty)134 Golders Green Road, London NW11 8HB 020 8458 8088

MET SU YAN (Meaty)1-2 The Promenade, Edgwarebury Lane, Edgware HA8 7JZ 020 8958 6840

PITA (Meaty)98 Golders Green Road, NW11 8HB 020 8381 4080

PIZAZA (Milky)53 Brent Street, London NW4 2EA 020 8202 9911

PIZAZA (Milky)100 Golders Green Road, London, NW11 8HB 020 8455 4455

SLICE (Milky)8 Princes Parade, London, NW11 9PS 020 8458 9483

SOYO (Milky)94 Golders Green Road, London, NW11 9HB 020 8458 8788

THE KANTEEN (Milky)23-25 High Road, Bushey, Herts WD23 1EE 020 8950 0747

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

THE KITCHEN (Meaty)16-17 Promenade, Hale Lane, Edgware, Middx, NW4 2JT 020 8905 4488

65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQTel: 020 8202 2263 Fax: 020 8203 0610Email: [email protected]

Federation of Synagogues

Trustees

President: Mr Andrew Cohen

Vice-Presidents: Mr Dov Black &

Mr Jacky Weg

Treasurers (Federation):

Mr Adam Jacobs & Mr Leon Newmark

Treasurers (Burial Society):

Mr Menachem Gertner &

Mr Moshe Winegarten

Beth Din

Rosh Beth Din: Dayan Y Y Lichtenstein

Dayan M D Elzas

Registrar: Rabbi Z Unsdorfer

Enquires to the Registrar

Tel: 020 8202 2263

Chief Executive

Rabbi A Lazarus

Burial Society

Administrator: Mr Thomas Zelmanovits

Sexton: Mr Noson Kahler

Tel: 020 8202 3903 Fax: 020 8203 0610

Out of hours answerphone: 020 8202 3903

Cemeteries

Montagu Road, Edmonton N18 2NF

Tel: 020 8807 2268

416 Upminster Road North, Rainham, Essex RM13 9SB

Tel: 01708 552825

During the winter months both cemeteries

are open daily, except Shabbos and Yom

Tov, from 9am until dusk.

During British Summer Time gates are

open until 5pm and during the month of

Ellul until 6pm.

President: Andrew Cohen Vice-Presidents: Dov Black * Jacky Weg Treasurers (Federation): Adam Jacobs * Leon Newmark Treasurers (Burial Society): Menachem Gertner * Moshe Winegarten

RAINHAM & EDMONTON CEMETERIES

VISITING TIMES FOR ELUL 5774 & TISHRI 5775

THE CEMETERIES ARE OPEN FROM 9.00AM

PLEASE NOTE THE CEMETERIES CLOSE EARLY ON FRIDAYS AND EREV YOM TOV AND REMAIN CLOSED

ALL DAY ON SHABBOS AND YOM TOV

The cemeteries will remain open each day from Wednesday 27th August to Tuesday 23rd September 2014 until 6:00pm, Fridays - until 3:00pm

Wednesday 24th September – Erev Rosh Hashono - until 3:00pm

From Sunday 28th September – Thursday 2nd October - until 5:30pm Friday 3rd October Erev Yom Kippur – until 3:00pm

Sunday 5th October – Tuesday 7th October – until 5:00pm

Wednesday 8th October Erev Succos - until 3:00pm

Sunday 12th October – Wednesday 15th October Chol Hamoed - until 3:00pm

VISITORS ARE KINDLY REQUESTED TO ARRIVE NO LATER THAN 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE GATES CLOSE

Visitors are advised to check the closing times of cemeteries during the rest of theyear by calling the office numbers listed below or online: http://www.federationofsynagogues.com/burial-society/

Rainham Edmonton 01708 552 825 020 8807 2268

www. federationofsynagogues.com Registered Charity Number 254951

Chief Executive: Rabbi Avi Lazarus

Constituent Synagogues Affiliated Synagogues

BEIS HAMEDRASH NISHMAS YISROEL62 Brent Street, Hendon, London NW4 2ES. Secretary: Andrew Krausz. Email: [email protected]: www.bhny.co.uk

CLAPTON FEDERATION SYNAGOGUE(Sha’are Shomayim). (in association with Springfield Synagogue)202 Upper Clapton Road, London E5 9DH.Secretary: Robin Jacobs. Tel: 020 8530 5816.

CROYDON & DISTRICT SYNAGOGUEThe Almonds, 5 Shirley Oaks Road, Croydon, Surrey CRO 8YX. Tel: 020 8662 0011. Mrs B Harris. Tel: 020 8726 0179. Rav: Rabbi N. AsmouchaEmail: [email protected] Website: www.croydonsynagogue.org.uk

EAST LONDON CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE30/40 Nelson Street, E1 2DE. Tel: 020 7790 9809,Rav: Rabbi Y. Austin. Secretary: Mr J. Beninson. Tel: 020 8529 8146.

FINCHLEY CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE2 Redboume Avenue, N3 2BS. Tel: 020 8346 1892.Rav: Rabbi Y. Hamer. Secretary: Mrs P. Wittner. Tel: 020 8346 1892 Website: www.finchleyfed.org.uk

HENDON BEIS HAMEDRASH65 Watford Way, Hendon, London NW4 3AQ. Tel: 020 8202 2263. Rav: Dayan Y.Y. Lichtenstein.Contact: Perry Burns. Tel: 020 8203 6500.

ILFORD FEDERATION SYNAGOGUEClarence Avenue, Ilford, Essex, IG2 6LH. Tel: 020 8554 5289.Rav: Rabbi A. Chapper. Secretary: Mrs L. KleinEmail: [email protected] Website: www.ilfordfeds.org

MACHZIKEI HADATH V’SHOMREI SHABBAT SYNAGOGUE1-4 Highfield Road, London NW11 9LU. TEL: 020 8455 9816Rav: Rabbi CH. Z. Pearlman. Secretary: Dina Grosskopf.Email: [email protected] Website: www.mhshul.org

NETZACH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE281 Golders Green Road, London NW11 9JJ Tel: 020 8455 7725Rav: Rabbi Doron Ahiel. Administrator: Rabbi A MatherEmail: [email protected]

OHR YERUSHALAYIM SYNAGOGUE470 Bury New Road, Salford, Manchester M7 4NU Tel: 0161 792 9242Rav: Rabbi Berel Cohen. Secretary: Mr A Stern. Website: www.ohryerushalayim.org.uk

OHR YISRAEL SYNAGOGUE31/33 Theobald Street, Elstree, Herts WD6 4RNRav: Rabbi R. Garson. Secretary: Josephine Kay Tel: 020 8207 4702Website: www.ohr-yisrael.org.uk

SHOMREI HADATH SYNAGOGUE64 Burrard Road, Hampstead, London NW6 1DD.Secretary: Mrs P. Schotten. Tel: 020 7435 6906. Website: http://shomrei-hadath.com

SINAI SYNAGOGUE54 Woodstock Avenue, London NW11 9RJ. Tel: 020 8455 6876.Rav: Rabbi B. Knopfler. Secretary: Mr E. Cohen. Tel: 020 8455 6876

YESHURUN SYNAGOGUECorner of Fernhurst Gardens and Stonegrove, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 7PH. Rav: Rabbi A. Lewis. Administrator: Lisa Denby. Tel: 020 8952 5167. Email: [email protected] Website: www.yeshurun.org

AISH HATORAH COMMUNITY379 Hendon Way, London NW4 3LP. Tel: 020 8457 4444.Rav: Rabbi J. Roodyn.Website: http://aish.org.uk

CONGREGATION OF JACOB SYNAGOGUE351/353 Commercial Road, London E1 2PS. Contact: Mr David Behr.Tel: 020 7790 2874.Email: [email protected] Website: www.congregationofjacob.org

FIELDGATE STREET GREAT SYNAGOGUE41 Fieldgate Street, E1 1JU. Tel: 020 7247 2644.Secretaries: Mrs F. Treep & Mrs L. Michaels.Email: [email protected]

FINCHLEY ROAD SYNAGOGUE(Sassov), 4 Helenslea Avenue, London NW11 8ND.Rav: Rabbi S. Freshwater. Tel: 020 8455 4305

LEYTONSTONE & WANSTEAD SYNAGOGUE2 Fillebrook Road, London E11 4AT.Secretary: Cllr. L. Braham. Tel: 020 8989 0978.

LOUGHTON SYNAGOGUEBorders Lane, Loughton, Essex, IG10 1TE. Tel: 020 8508 0303.Rav: Rabbi Z. Portnoy. Secretary: Mrs M. Lewis.Email: [email protected] Website: http://loughtonsynagogue.com

SPRINGFIELD SYNAGOGUE202 Upper Clapton Road, London E5 9DH. Tel: 020 8806 3167Rav. Dayan I. Gukovitski. Secretary: Mr. R. Conway. Tel: 020 8806 3167

STAMFORD HILL BEIS HAMEDRASH50 Clapton Common, London E5 9AL. Rav: Dayan D. Grynhaus.Secretary: M. Chontow. Tel: 020 8800 7369.

WALTHAM FOREST HEBREW CONGREGATION(Queens Road) 140 Boundary Road, London E17 8LA Tel: 020 8509 0775.Rav: Rev. S. Myers. Secretary: Mrs B. Rose.Email: [email protected]

3

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A6 TT Supporting Journey to Work.indd 1 29/07/2014 14:35

Documents

Contentsimages.shulcloud.com/.../34947_hamaor_sept14_web.pdf · Page 1 Contents Published by The Federation of Synagogues 65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQ Tel: 020 8202 2263 Fax: 020