January / February 2015

Shofarthe magazine of finchley progressive synagogue

פר שו

A Happy 2015!

Cover: Chanukah lighting at FPS, credit Louise Gellman Copy deadline is the 10th of each month. Please email all content to shofar@fps.org

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2014 was a long and eventful year for our FPS family. In

many ways we have grown together more than in other

years. In our many conversations, in and out of services

and during many suppers and shiurim we have learnt

much from each other. This is certainly what I’ve learnt

to appreciate the most this year – how we are always

stronger together.

In the first week of December my family (along with

many other families in North London) had the privilege of hosting two members

of the YMCA Jerusalem Youth chorus, an amazing project with teenagers from

very different backgrounds coming together to learn from each other – and they

sound pretty fantastic, too. (http://jerusalemyouthchorus.org. Photo on p.10).

A very Happy 2015 to all of you!

From the Editorpat lehner

an invitation to help shape our future

A Vision for FPSCouncil has been working on a vision for the

future of our community. We want to get you

involved too.

When? Saturday 31st January, 2:45 – 5:00pm

What? An afternoon to explore our vision for

FPS and plan for the future. An opportunity

to hear where Council thinks we are going, to

debate and shape our plans and to be part of

joining up our activities behind a common view

of what we want as a community.

Why? We are part of a great community. With a

shared vision and approach we can ensure that

FPS continues to thrive.

Who? Everyone is welcome. We particularly

want everyone to come who is already involved

in helping to run aspects of FPS. But you should

also come if you are interested in sharing your

views or just to find out more.

So we can plan for numbers, please email

pauline@fps.org to let us know you are

coming.

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rabbi rebecca qassim birk

Green shoots are coming. We may be in the

dead of winter still, but there will be green

shoots. That is the nature of things. My

Ruben, who as you know has been treated for

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, is responding well to

his treatment. The green shoots of Spring will

coincide precisely with his emerging from the

last chemotherapy. And we hope the beginning

of his recovery. The seasons will mean even

more this year. Thank you for your cards,

gifts, kind words and of course cake!

It has meant so much to us, and I am

convinced has helped propel us through

this inevitable but brutal cycle of

treatment. We feel so grateful.

At the end of this month will be

Tu B’Shevat, New Year for Trees. Not

much marked outside of agricultural

circles until the kabbalists decided it

was worthy of celebration. It’s a hugely

symbolic portent of the advent of spring. We’ve

often planted trees in our garden at FPS with

Ivriah, eaten fruit and talked of Spring. This

year we’re planting something more.

Some of you know that we have embarked

gently, and modestly on an initiative to reach

out to more of our members. We have wanted

to hear your thoughts and experiences of

being part of our synagogue. It’s universally

acknowledged that a healthy community is

full of members who feel happy and fulfilled

and cared for by it. We want that. Out of our

first listening and cups of tea campaign came

interesting insights.

“A friendly community, but I’m not sure

I have friends there.” Many share a strong

interest in good care for the elderly;

some members have concerns about

mental health in their children; some

want help to get here and be at the

synagogue.

I’m very struck by the need for

friends and connections and the

opportunity to share experiences.

Surely that is what a synagogue

is for? And eating together helps,

doesn’t it?

As a means of planting shoots this Tu

B’Shevat we will be arranging six dinners/

house meetings hosted by different members of

the communities bringing people together. This

is our next stage of community building and

ameliorating. Our synagogue has a strong trunk

and we’re growing new branches, twigs and

leaves! (forgive the metaphors!). If you’d like

to host or come to one, learn more, do contact

me. I’m looking forward to the approaching

spring for many reasons now.

From the Rabbi

Our synagogue has a strong trunk and we’re growing new branches, twigs and leaves!

From the Chair

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Several years ago I

went on a leadership

programme climbing

in the Austrian

Alps in the middle

of winter. Yes, it

was as crazy as it

sounds. Freezing

temperatures, waist high snow, hanging off the

side of a cliff-face with rucksacks on our backs

and sleeping on the mountains with only a

thin piece of canvas hanging from the trees to

shield us from the falling snow. I learnt a great

deal from the experience. The most poignant

lesson I remember is that the little things really

matter to people. This was illustrated most

clearly when the group was reflecting over hot

chocolate at the end of a long day. Those of us

who had waterproofed our boots thoroughly

were pretty content, whilst those who had

spent half the day with wet toes were decidedly

less cheerful.

I have observed this at Finchley over the

last few months. Lots of things really do matter

a great deal to people, particularly in terms

of how we relate to each other. It may be how

we are spoken to when the car-park is full, it

may be about our perception of appropriate

behaviour or even what is worn during services,

and it may be what to do when there is a

double booking of part of the building or how

someone asks us to adjust our plans. All these

things really matter to people and I want

members to know that Council considers these

issues as they arise.

I think it is important for our community

that our values guide how we interact with

each other. I believe amongst these are

inclusivity, individuality, tolerance and choice

through learning. Just like I could empathise

with my colleagues with wet toes (I was lucky

enough to have been in the waterproof boots

group!) I know that we can all consider each

other’s perspective when things that matter to

us are called into question. To quote from our

siddur ‘the first thing to learn in intercourse

with others is non-interference with their

own peculiar ways of being happy, provided

that those ways do not assume to interfere by

violence with ours’.

In general, I am a big picture person and

so would like to encourage you to come to a

session looking at the future of our synagogue

we are holding on the afternoon of Saturday

31st January. We will be looking at our vision

for the community and seeking to join up

the dots so that we are all working together

towards this vision. I would really like everyone

who is involved in FPS – Council members,

Vice-Presidents, members of groups and

committees, teachers, those who organise

activities, services, rotas, indeed anyone who

feels they have a stake, to join us and help

shape our future. Whether you are a big picture

person, or one who cares about the little

things, I would love to see you there.

alex kinchin-smith

‘the first thing to learn in intercourse with others is non-

interference with their own peculiar ways of being happy, provided

that those ways do not assume to interfere by violence with ours’.

D’var Torahhannah gelman

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vayatzei - imperfection

This is much abbreviated version of Hannah’s beautiful D’var Torah – you can find the full version, as well as Millie Bonneff’s D’var Torah, on our

website: www.finchleyprogressivesynagogue.org

My portion is Vayatzei, from Genesis: Chapter

28, verses 10 to 22. It is about Jacob and his

dream.

Jacob sees a ladder reaching to the clouds

and on the ladder, angels. Strangely, the Torah

says that the angels went up first, then down,

implying that the angels started from the

ground.

This makes rather a lot of sense to me as I

am scared of heights. A heaven in the clouds

is not exactly what I’d call fun or an attractive

prospect. I’d be much happier on solid ground.

The rungs of the ladder also represent Jacob’s

spiritual journey. He must

go through this before he

is renamed Israel, and fully

accepts his role as leader of

the Jewish People later in

the story.

This led me to wonder:

Where am I on my spiritual

journey? What are our

communal goals, and what’s at the top of our

ladders?

Jacob was awestruck. He had the feeling

of “Yirah” which means shock, amazement,

disbelief, or something in between. He marked

his feeling of Yirah with the monument.

How do we mark our feelings of Yirah? Do

we take a photo on our phone? Offer a prayer?

Share with friends and family? How will I mark

my Bat Mitzvah?

I’ve been marking it in a number of ways:

my tzedakah project to raise money for the

charity Cool Earth; leading part of the service

today; and wearing this tallit which I made

decorated myself, with other girls from FPS and

David Hoffman.

I treasure the idea of the imperfect Jacob

and his relationship with God. I like the idea

that our ancestors and leaders weren’t perfect,

and I don’t think God expects us to be perfect

either. Rather, we are just expected to be

human, rising up on our ladders, one rung each

time we show compassion, kindness, strength

and courage. Like Jacob, we are just human,

after all.

...we are just expected to be human, rising up on our ladders,

one rung each time we show compassion, kindness, strength

& courage.

Left: Mitzvah day at FPS

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Adult Learning at FPS

Ben Bag Bag, a Sage of early Mishnaic times (1st-

2nd century C.E.), used to say: Turn it, and turn it,

for everything is in it [i.e. Torah]. Reflect on it and

grow old and gray with it. Don’t turn from it, for

nothing is better than it (Pirke Avot 5:22).

As part of its ethos and identity, FPS wants to

be a place for intense Adult Learning. We offer

a wide range of opportunities for people who

want to join us and study. I would like to thank

Adrian Lister and Tony Rose for their ongoing

commitment to these various programs.

Information is provided on the website, and on

the weekly newsletter. I will issue a monthly

flyer with the different programs running in our

premises, the topics, the speakers. Meanwhile,

I would like to present a comprehensive picture

of our Adult Education programs. Most of them

are run during school terms.

Groups that meet on a regular basis:

beit midrash

Every Thursday, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm, people

passionate about

Judaism run

sessions on various topics. For example, we

just finished a series on “What did the Rabbis

say?” We had the chance to study rabbinic texts

on education, marriage, etc. Adam Ognel of

the New Israel Fund will give six presentations

in January/February on Thursday evenings.

In summer term, Leo Baeck College teachers

and scholars will come and share with us their

teachings and their passions. Do not miss this

chance to meet and study with them! For

further information contact Adrian Lister

and/or Rabbi Rene.

delving into judaism

This class runs also on Thursday evenings (7.30 – 9.30pm), and is led by Rabbi Rebecca

and myself. It is primarily intended to people

in the conversion program, but it is open to

anyone who wants to refresh basic Jewish

knowledge. The first hour is dedicated to

learning the basics of Hebrew, and the second

hour to Jewish studies. We follow the Jewish

calendar, and we cover in one year various

topics, such as Jewish practice, thought,

calendar, and so on. For any question contact

me.

lunch & learn

On Wednesday afternoons, from 12.30 till 2.00pm, we meet and study together. We

finished a series on the question of evil and

suffering, and we will start in January a series

on the Books of Chronicles, understanding their

relationship to other historical books, and their

proper theology. For any question contact me.

cafe ivriah

Originally started by parents whose children are

at Ivriah, this group meets every Saturday from 9.45am till 10.45am, to allow people to join

the service at 11.00am. Coffee is served from

9.30am. Various speakers are invited to talk on

various subjects, whether Rabbis on parshat

ha-shavua, or other speakers, on poetry, art,

philosophy… For any questions contact Adrian

Lister.

breakfast shiur

On some Shabbat mornings, Tony Rose invites

guest speakers about key issues. For example,

in October, Paul-Silver Myer talked about “God,

Gaza, and Israel”. Valery and Frank Hellner

explored the “Choreography of Prayer”. More

rene pferzel

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Adult Learning at FPSrene pferzel

recently, I was honoured to talk about Rabbi

Abraham Geiger. For further information

contact Tony Rose.

upcoming ad hoc programs in 2015 (save the dates!)

Kippah & Tallitot: why do we wear them? How

do we, as Liberal Jews, take informed decisions

and make changes? Two Café Ivriah sessions

will be dedicated to this question:

On Shabbat January 17, Rabbi Rene will expose

the traditional views on kippa and tallitot, and

on Shabbat January 24, Rabbi Rebecca will

bring a liberal input on these questions and

guide the community into policy making.

“I am a Jewish father, my partner isn’t”Liberal Judaism accepts patrilinearity as a valid

definition of Jewish identity. Why so? What

happens when the father is Jewish and the

mother is not? We will explore as a community

this definition of Jewish identity, not (yet?)

widely accepted. In February, we will meet and

have a dinner with Jewish fathers, to discuss

their issues. I will invite a speaker to explore

our sources, and to help us to understand how

Jewish identity has been defined.

FPS will host a “Patrilineal Shabbat” on March 14. We will celebrate together patrilineal Jews as

full members of our congregation.

Young Adults.In collaboration with Rabbi Leah Jordan, LJ

Chaplain for students and young adults, and

Rabbi Benjy Stanley, her MRJ partner at work

and at home, we will set a series of learning for

the young adults in our community. Details to

follow very soon.

“It is OK to be gay!”One of your rabbis and some of our

households belong to the LGBT community.

This demonstrates the strong ethos of FPS

as a true constituency of Liberal Judaism, its

commitment to diversity and its openness.

On Saturday May 8 we will hold a special LGBT Shabbat at FPS, with music, speakers, and

food!

I hope these different opportunities will meet

your expectations, and I hope to see you soon

and to take the chance to study together in

depth our wonderful and meaningful tradition.

change of undertaker

From 1 January 2015 Ronnie King of Michael

King Funeral Directors will serve as the Liberal

Judaism undertaker. His contact details are

020 8368 7453 or mobile 07595 956936

and they replace any previous numbers

you may have been given in any previous

Finchley Progressive literature. Ronnie will be

contactable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,

including Bank and Jewish holidays.

woodland burial

From 1 January 2015 woodland burial is

available at both Edgwarebury and Cheshunt

Cemeteries. There is an additional charge

– payable by the family or the estate of the

deceased before burial – of £1,700 for 2015.

This charge, to be reviewed annually, reflects

that payable for the land. This extra charge

is not payable by either Finchley Progressive

Synagogue or by Liberal Judaism under any

insurance or other arrangement.

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Beit Tefillahservices at fps

Friday 2 January Erev Shabbat service

Saturday 3 January Shabbat service

Friday 9 January Erev Shabbat family service

Saturday 10 January Shabbat service

Friday 16 January Shabbat Resouled

Saturday 17 January Shabbat service

Friday 23 January Kabbalat Shabbat service

Saturday 24 January Shabbat service

Friday 30 January Kabbalat Shabbat service

Saturday 31 January Shabbat service

services - january

new reflective erev shabbat service

Uninspired by our siddur, struggling with the

liturgy and the language? Yet yearning for a

quiet and uplifting spiritual connection?

Several of you have expressed this and so we

are creating a new reflective erev shabbat service with a difference. Music, Silence & Space.

Come Join Dean, Franklyn and Rabbi Rebecca

on Friday 9 January and 6 February

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Beit Knesset

people

congratulations & mazal tov

To Patricia and Alan Banes on the birth of

their grandson, Rufus Lionel Nightingale

Banes born to Robert and Katherine

And to Laura Lassman and Danny Rich

on the birth of the first grandchild, Emilia

Remi Lassman-Wat

Many members are celebrating important

life milestones by hosting and accepting a

mitzvah at a Shabbat service. If you have a

celebration you would like to share with the

community please contact the office.

yahrzeit list

There is an FPS Yahrzeit list from which we

remind those who would like a Yahrzeit to be

announced, that the date is coming up.

If you do want to be reminded please provide

the office with: Name of the Honoree, Date of

Yahrzeit, Name of Observer/s.

people

what’s happening at fps

notes from the council

Key topics discussed at Council meetings will

be published in Shofar. If you are interested to

know more then please contact Alex Kinchin-

Smith at chair@fps.org

In November Council• Reviewed the accounts for 2014 year to

date

• Considered a budget for 2015 and agreed

membership fees

• Reviewed all aspects of adult education

• Considered external communications –

website, Facebook

• In December Council• Considered the plans for fundraised

presented by our new fundraising group

• Considered the plans for increasing

membership developed by our new

membership group

• Received an update from our Citizens UK

listening project

• Considered policy on Tallit and Kippot

discussed at Beit T’fillah (our group that

oversees worship).

 

Emilia Remi Lassman-Wat

condolences

To Judith Wolfe on the death of her sister Ruth.

And to Brian Solomons on the death of his

mother Deborah.

We wish the families long life.

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beit midrash

Israel behind the Headlines

15 January – 19 February

Led by Adam Ognall,

CEO of the New Israel Fund.

This series will explore some of the key

issues within Israel; both those hitting the

headlines as we head towards an election,

and those issues that are less in the

spotlight that are no less important.

Also at Beit Midrash, our flagship adult learning

experience:

Thursday evenings 6.30 - 9.30pm6.30-7.15pm - PilatesGet fit in our small, friendly class, under the

Beit Midrashlearning at fps

expert guidance of Tali Swart. Cost £60 for a

series of six sessions. To arrange a trial session,

contact adrianlister@blueyonder.co.uk

7.30-9.30pm Discussion, Debate & Culture with break for tea, coffee and cake. A voluntary

donation of £5 is requested to cover costs.

cafe ivriah

Saturdays 9.45 – 10.45amInformal discussion over coffee and biscuits,

between Ivriah drop-off and morning service.

delving into judaism

In-depth Jewish learning, Thursday evenings 7.30pm-9.30pm7.30-8.30pm: Learning and discussion8.30-9.30pm: Biblical Hebrew with Ofra

Rosenwasswer. Everyone welcome so long as

they can at least read Hebrew slowly.

Above, left: Alaa Obied and Alaa Jodeh, of the YMCA Youth chorus, with Dylan, Lyra and Pat Lehner, a quick breakfast before a busy schedule of concerts and recordings.

Above, right: Happy Chanukah from Rabbi Rebecca

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the screen on the grove

4 January: The Squid and the Whale (2005) American comedy-drama film written and

directed by Noah Baumbach and produced

by Wes Anderson. It tells the semi-

autobiographical story of two boys in Brooklyn

dealing with their parents’ divorce in the 1980s.

The film is named after the giant squid and

sperm whale diorama housed at the American

Museum of Natural History, which is seen in the

film. The film was shot on Super 16mm, mostly

using a handheld camera.

2 February - (please note change of date to

monday due to Homeless Shelter at FPS) The Cheap Detective (1978) American satirical comedy film written by

Neil Simon and directed by Robert Moore

as a follow-up to their successful Murder by

Death. It stars Peter Falk as Lou Peckinpaugh, a

detective in the Humphrey Bogart mould. The

film is an affectionate parody of Bogart movies

such as Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon.

2 March (please note change of date to

monday) - His Girl Friday (1940) American screwball comedy film directed by

Howard Hawks, from an adaptation of the play

The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur. Walter

Burns (Cary Grant) is a hard-boiled editor for

The Morning Post who learns his ex-wife and

former star reporter, Hildegard “Hildy” Johnson

(Rosalind Russell), is about to marry bland

insurance man Bruce Baldwin. Can Walter

sabotage these plans by getting the reluctant

Hildy to cover one last story?

curtain up!

The theatre group will be starting off the new

year of 2015 with two visits to theatres. The

first is Golem at the Young Vic, a Wednesday matinee at 2.30pm on 14 January. Next is

Shaw’s Man and Superman at the National Theatre (Lyttelton), another Wednesday matinee at 1.30 on 4 March. You are all are

welcome to attend and also to join us for dinner

after the theatrical event, if you would like to.

All are welcome. For details contact the office

or Elaine Borish at 020 8445 8159

book club

Meetings are held in people’s homes, 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of each month.

Contact sheilakl@waitrose.com

yoga

Thursdays @ 7.30pm.

Contact Richard on 020 8349 9602

cafe thursday

Thursdays @ 12.45pm, £6, for details contact

Nicky Marzell via the synagogue office

bridge group

Mondays @ 7.45pm £4, for details contact

Gunter Lawson on 020 8346 5208

rosh chodesh

21 January (Wednesday): Rosh Chodesh Shvat “Women and Revolution” – led by Sarah Ereira

& Wika Dorosz

18 February (Wednesday): Rosh Chodesh Adar “Immigration & Me” – led by Sheila King

Lassman

Beit Knessetarts at fps

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Rather than use this letter from Beijing as a

travelogue, I shall put down some thoughts

on being an exile. This has often been the

Jewish situation, although enforced rather

than a freely-chosen exile, and most often for

economic reasons, sometimes for political ones,

and occasionally through choice.

The exile is faced with the choice of living

in isolation, or making “native” friends, or

socialising with other foreigners. Many famous

writers – from Ovid to James Joyce to DH

Lawrence – have lived in forced or chosen exile,

and the Jewish condition takes it as a sine qua

non. Of course I can just jump on a plane home,

and global communication nowadays means

instant communication with friends and family

in the UK, so perhaps it is unfair to compare

myself to exiles of past generations. But I would

like to share some thoughts on this subject.

Living away from one’s homeland is a

refreshing and a difficult option. Living in

China, in particular, means I am functionally

illiterate (yes, I can read about 300 characters,

but not enough to be able to read fluently,

or fast enough, out of a list of some 85,000

characters). Each province in China has a

different dialect, so that many Chinese cannot

understand each other (hence the Chinese

subtitles on Chinese television, so that the

whole nation can read if not understand their

TV programmes). So the moment I leave Beijing

and its environs I cannot be understood. This

has the effect of developing the other senses

far more strongly – visual clues for where to go,

and heightened awareness of other people’s

reactions.

Being cut off from television, other than

endless soap operas about the civil war and the

Japanese invasion, or dating shows (surprisingly

popular here, the parents get involved as well

to give their sons and daughters advice on

whom to choose) means that I read English

books a great deal. So I’m catching up on the

classics, something perhaps that in the UK I

would force myself to do.

The psychological effects of living away

from one’s own country, where one cannot

Letter from Beijingjohn olbrich

One develops a strong awareness of other people’s natures, simply because one cannot communicate

verbally in the same way, and also a sense of direction and place

which I never had at home

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Letter from Beijingjohn olbrich

read or understand, are interesting. Many

ex-pats – I must include myself here – become

extraordinarily sensitive to real or imagined

slights. One develops a strong awareness of

other people’s natures, simply because one

cannot communicate verbally in the same way,

and also a sense of direction and place which

I never had at home (my Chinese friends are

always amazed that I can find the way without

their help).

What is more disturbing is that I find an

underlying sense of anger at the constant

pushing in front and lack of manners,

particularly on the road. In a vastly over-

populated country, I suspect that the only

way of handling constant overcrowding is just

to move slowly, regardless of other people,

and to slowly forge ahead. So pedestrians will

cross the road without looking – and certainly

ignore traffic signals – in the expectation that

bikes or cars will avoid hitting them (they

usually do). Cars park on pavements because

any law forbidding this is never enforced.

Cycles, including myself, motorcycles, and

three-wheeled vehicles will ride on the left (i.e.

contra-flow) side of the road. The only safe way

to cross the road is to go with a large group of

people, since cars can legally turn both right

and left where pedestrians are crossing, despite

any red light to the contrary. It was a shock

when I visited the Republic of Korea recently to

find that cars waited for me to cross at zebra

crossings; I think that here crossings are simply

painted as pretty decorations on the street.

The standard advice on culture shock is to be

adaptable and just accept the way things are,

and of course it is unhealthy to feel angry at

what one cannot change, and impossible for

one person to change the behaviour of 1.5

billion people. But I can try!

As an aside, for those interested in travel:

last summer I visited the western end of the

Great Wall, Jiayuguan, and the Buddhist caves

at Dunhuang, where printed Buddhist sutras

from the ninth century were discovered in

the early twentieth century, and incidentally

pillaged by the British (and other Europeans).

This still rankles greatly with the Chinese,

especially since the British Museum publicly

exhibit very few of these priceless documents

and wall carvings. We (my son and myself)

also went to a Tibetan town in Gansu province

[the difficulties in getting a permit to travel

to Tibet proper, other than with a group, are

immense], providing a stark contrast with

rapidly modernising China proper.

14

from the headteacher

This term at Ivriah our young people have come

every Shabbat, to meet each other and build

a bond with their group, to work with their

teachers on Hebrew and Jewish Studies, and to

be part of the rich Shabbat atmosphere at FPS.

In Jewish studies, we have been working

to find out about Tzedakah - looking at

Maimonides’ ladder of charity and discussing

the differences between each step; finding

out about how Tzedek work with the people of

Ghana to make a difference to their lives; and

working on a project of their own - Kita Aleph

and Bet have made and decorated pillows to

give to homeless people at the FPS Winter

Shelter.

In Hebrew we work in small groups - we

have two extra teachers for Hebrew! - and

everyone is improving, from beginners learning

letter by letter of the Aleph Bet, to confident

readers who are deciphering meaning and

nuance in the text of the Torah. Last year a lot

of children’s feedback was they wanted to learn

more Hebrew - and we can see that happening!

We have found out about the festivals of

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Chanukah in

creative and hands-on sessions for everyone

- we like to mix the groups up when we cover

festivals, to give the children a chance to work

with people of different ages and get to know

the whole group.

Every week Ivriah has Tefillah (prayers) with

Dean leading our songs and a different teacher

introducing the prayers and adding their own

touch. One week we even thought about how

we can pray without songs or written prayers

and considered deeply what we say when we

pray.

Ivriah has been proud to see the first of the

year’s Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and Kita Zayin will

join and support their friends for each one as

the year goes on. Mazal Tov to the families of

Hannah Gellman and Millie Bonneff who have

pioneered this term with their simcha’s!

Wishing everyone Chanukah Sameach - a

very Happy Chanukah and the teachers and I

look forward to seeing you again on January

10th, for the first Ivriah of 2015!

xxAdele Silk - Ivriah Headteacher

Baby blessing of Baby Reuben Jack Israel at the Havdalah service in November

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Contactsfps who’s who

finchley progressive synagogue

54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR

020 8446 4063

www.finchleyprogressivesynagogue.org

Rabbi Rebecca Qassim Birk - rabbi@fps.org

Rabbi René Pfertzel - rabbirene@fps.org

Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner

Ivriah Headteacher: Adele Silk

education@fps.org

Musicians in residence: Franklyn Gellnick,

Dean Staker

Synagogue Manager: Pauline Gusack

pauline@fps.org

Premises Manager: Howard Hamerton

executive & council

Chair: Alex Kinchin-Smith - chair@fps.org

Treasurer: Martin Silk

Honorary Secretary: Josie Kinchin

honsec@fps.org

ashley pageinsurance brokers

Commerce House2a Litchfield Grove

London N3 2TN

Tel. 020 8349 5100

janet tresmanmediator & collaborative

family law solicitor

consultant now at hoffman-bokaei

Suite 2, Exhibition House, Addison Bridge Place

Kensington Olympia, London W14 8XP

Tel. 020 7433 2380 / jlt@hoffman-bokaei.co.uk

Vice-Chairs: Louise Gellman, Adrian Lister

Council members: Jacquie Fawcett,

Wika Dorosz, Braham Fredman, Andrea Collett

President: Alan Banes

Life Presidents: Clive Winston

and Sheila King Lassman

Vice Presidents: Renzo Fantoni, Josie Kinchin,

Lionel King Lassman, John Lewis, David Pelham,

Paul Silver-Myer, Andrea Rappoport,

Joan Shopper

contacts

Board of Deputies Reps: Janet Tresman,

Stanley Volk

Beit Midrash (Education): Adrian Lister,

Louise Gellman

Beit Tefillah (Rites & Practices): Michael Lassman, Josie Kinchin

Café Thursday: Nicky Marzell

Shofar Editor: Pat Lehner - shofar@fps.org

Calendar Co-ordinator: Sarah Aldridge