November 2012

Shofarthe magazine of finchley progressive synagogue

פר שו

Generations

On the cover: Hannah Gellman decorating the Sukkah

Left: Kiddush in the Sukkah - the Mega-Challah!

Copy deadline is the 10th of each month. Please email all content to shofar@fps.org

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From the Rabbi

Generations – there is something about squeezing

together in our FPS Sukkah, seeing all the bright

faces and singing the blessings, enveloped by a green

tapestry, that makes me think about time. Autumn is

harvest time, and musing about the continuing cycle

of the seasons, it’s not a big leap to start thinking

about the seasons of our lives and even the life and

growth of our synagogue. I think of everything that

gets passed on down the generations – not just in terms of religion – family

traditions, secrets, stories and recipes survive in a living time-capsule in what

we teach the young.

With the anniversary of our synagogue getting closer, I’m curious about

all of your memories and stories of FPS. Did you join in the 70’s? Is your

membership older or younger than Google (14 years)? Older or younger than

Harry Potter? The Atari? Were you a member when Neil Armstrong took his

famous first step, or when the Beatles ruled? Let us know – we want to share

your memories and stories over the next year in Shofar!

The rabbis have referred to Cheshvan, the

month we’re now in, as Mar Cheshvan, Bitter

Cheshvan because of the lack of festivals.

I rather like this calm time after the flurry

of the festivals in Tishri. It will be a time

focused on community as November sees

FPS joining a sponsored walk for WJR, our

new monthly Chavurah pot luck supper,

which now takes place every first Friday of

the month after Resouled Unplugged – don’t

miss the next one on 2 November. We’ll have

B’nei Mitzvah Oneg Shabbat on 9 November,

Mitzvah Day on 18 November, One World

Week Tea for local churches on Saturday 24

November and our own Sue Kelvin presenting

the Rose Segal lecture Sunday evening 25

November.

Even without trying our community

never stops to do and offer and make. In the

theme of Generations that Pat has suggested

for November I wanted to plant a seed for

our 60th; the Grandparent Project. We have

many children who don’t have grandparents

nearby or in the community, and many older

members who have space and enthusiasm to

be surrogate grandparents in our community.

This will be one of our 60 Mitzvoth for 2012 and

one that will last way beyond it. So please start

registering your interest now as FPS match

makes, connects and introduces Grandparent’s

Shabbat.

And for all generations; we are looking for

a logo that will be used for all 60th anniversary

correspondence and publicity. Adults and

children please submit your entries and ideas

by 24 November!

Have a good month.

From the Editorpat lehner rabbi rebecca qassim birk

generations

Remember Mitzvah Day 18 NovemberDo you know anybody, elderly or not, who

might need a little help with small DIY/

decorating jobs in their home?

Can you paint, put up a shelf, take down

curtains ets? Please get in touch so we can

match up volunteers with different projects!

Contact details are on page 14

We have many children who don’t have grandparents nearby or in the community, and many older members who have space and enthusiasm to be surrogate grandparents in our community.

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fps presentsthe rose segal memorial lecture

sunday 25 november, 8.00pm

sue kelvinleading musical theatre performer

Mama Morton in Chicago, Golde in Fiddler On The Roof, Miss Hannigan in Annie, Madame Thenardier in Les Miserables,as well as roles in Streetcar Named Desire, Hello Dolly, Oliver,

Assasins, Rags, Onassis, Traveling Light and, of course,Sophie Tucker in Sophie Tucker’s One Night Stand

and many, many more! TV appearances include Casualty, Dr. Who, Friday Night Fever,

Doctors, among others.

chris burgess, playwright and director, will interview our guest (his wife) and discuss the various

elements of her exciting career.

Sue Kelvin will sing several of the songs she performed originally in the shows listed above!

All this plus wine and refreshments £12 Phone FPS 8446 4963 to reserve seats for this special evening

From the Chairlaura lassman

November is a

quiet month in the

Jewish calendar.

We have had the

personal and

communal flurry

of activity during

the High Holydays and Sukkot. Enthusiasm for

our good intentions and resolutions is probably

waning and the long nights are drawing in.

At FPS we are turning our thoughts to

celebration of the 60th anniversary, thinking

about those who paved the way and how

to ensure continuity for our children. It is a

generational moment making me reflect on

the lives and events that link us over time and

space. Perhaps we could benefit from making

November community month – every year.

The community best operates as a kind of

extended family: at its best, members are

there for one another to share celebrations and

sorrows; on the flip side - just as you cannot

choose your relatives - the community is there

for all its members. We are a mixed multi-

generational bunch, a cluster of friendship and

interest groups but also individuals who are

loosely connected. What if November were

dedicated to strengthen the bonds that do

connect us, ensuring that members in need are

contacted, that new members are befriended,

that life stages are celebrated, that young and

old connect through a shared project and so on.

In some ways, it is too late November

2012 but watch this space next year. In the

meantime, there is plenty for all generations:

Rosh Chodesh, youth club, Beit Midrash with

its focus on Israel, Café Thursday and Shabbat

Resouled.

Further afield:

Don’t forget to book into Limmud Conference for the ultimate inter-generational

Jewish experience.

http://limmud.org/conference

Booking is also open for the World Union for Progressive Judaism Biennial in Jerusalem

in May 2013. Get ready to learn, explore,

question, get involved and be inspired together

with our WUPJ family from across the globe

exploring how to be a righteous Progressive Jew

in the 21st Century.

http://www.wupjconnections.org

We are a mixed multi-generational bunch, a cluster of friendship and interest groups but also individuals

who are loosely connected.

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Letter from...lionel lassman & darren beach

From the moment we arrived in Minsk and

were met by Rabbi Grisha Abramovich we were

entranced. All the stories we had heard about

pre- and post- Holocaust Jewish life had to shift

and make room for new facts, emotions and

experiences as they flooded around us during

our whirlwind tour. Whatever any of us had

imagined about Jewish life in the FSU was

reshaped by the realities we met during our

stay.

On Day One, Rabbi Grisha walked us around

Minsk pointing out sites of Jewish importance.

Sadly, most of these sites were memorials to

massacres. Broken gravestones were artistically

and poignantly drawn together in a central park

built over the ruins of a centuries old Jewish

cemetery. We stood on grass in a beautifully

landscaped hollow which houses an obelisk

inscribed in Yiddish, remembering the 5000

Jews murdered on that spot and buried in the

pit below the hollow. We were saddened and

sombre as we remembered our roots.

This visit, however, was about looking

forward at least as much as looking back. We

shared a joyous Sukkot celebration with the

three progressive communities in Minsk at

Beit Simcha. The British Ambassador joined

us for the launch of the WUPJ sponsored Bar/

Bat Mitzvah guide book produced to support

distance teaching of Rabbi Grisha’s students in

the eleven congregations he serves.

With the focus firmly on spreading

wings, we travelled to the smaller city

of Mogilev to meet with members of our

twinned congregation. Mogilev, like Barnet,

has a population of about 250,000, but is a

provincial city rather than a suburb. We were

enthusiastically greeted by Mila Izakson, a very

talented musician and the energetic leader

of the Jewish community, who took us first to

visit their nursery, then to a fabulous lunch in

a restaurant and next down a small alleyway

to visit the dilapidated and cramped ‘office’

where members usually meet for services and

social activities. On this Erev Shabbat – as

for other special occasions - the service was

held in a nightclub owned by a member of

the community. We enjoyed the red velvet

plush seating and the flashing neon lights of

the venue for our early Simchat Torah service,

with Elliott as Chatan Torah and Wika as Kallat

Bereshit. It was followed by a big Kiddush and

sarah rosen-webb

concert by some very talented members of

Keshet’s musical group - until the club needed

to open for the serious business of dancing at

about 11pm! We, along with the executive

of the Keshet community, decamped to a

side room to begin our serious business of

brainstorming ways that our two communities

can benefit each other. After a couple of hours

of discussion, translation, mistranslation

and more food and drink, we came up with a

shortlist of projects.

On Shabbat morning Rabbi Grisha guided us

through a ‘Walking Shacharit’ service around

this once 75% Jewish and prosperous market

town. We paused at many sites - such as a once

beautiful synagogue which was not destroyed

during WW2, but which now houses a Boxing

Club - to reflect, offer prayers and sing.

‘Now boarding Belavia Flight B2 0851

Minsk to London’. Was it really only five days

ago that Wika, Josie, Corinne, Elliott, Jonty and

I embarked on the FPS twinning visit to The

Keshet Jewish Community in Mogilev, Belarus?

Five days and a paradigm shift later we

were returning to FPS with new understandings

and connections to share. You can hear more

about it – and sample a Belorussian style

Kiddush - at the Mogilev Shabbat morning

service on 3 November.

This visit, however, was about looking forward at least as much

as looking back.

fps visit to belarus

Last month I had the pleasure of accompanying

the FPS trip to Belarus. Whilst the country

itself was a fascinating experience, what was

heartening was to see the unexpected vibrancy

of the Belorussian community, especially their

Netzer-Belarus youth community. It really

inspired me to get involved, so please let me

know if you want to help.

Jonty Leibowitz

Previous page: Holacaust Memorial

From top: Sukkot at the bar, Kindergarden, Our last day at Mogilev

Photos by Wika Dorosz

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Beit Tefillahservices at fps

Friday 2 November Shabbat Resouled Unplugged

Saturday 3 November Shabbat B’Yachad with Kol Kulanu

Friday 9 November Erev Shabbat Family service

Saturday 10 November Shabbat Morning service

Friday 16 November Shabbat Resouled

Saturday 17 November Tzilzalai Shabbat

Friday 23 November Kabbalat Shabbat

with student Rabbi Rene Pfertzel

Saturday 24 November Shabbat Service

with student Rabbi Rene Pfertzel

Friday 30 November Erev Shabbat service

Beit Knessetwhat’s happening at fps

cafe thursday

Every Thursday @12.30pm

yoga

Monday @7.oopmTuesday @7.30pm Contact Richard on 020 8349 9602

bridge club

Mondays @ 8.00pm in the Small Hall

book club

Wednesday 14 November @8.00pm, for

details please call Sheila on 020 8445 3284

film club

Sunday 11 November @7.30pm, ‘Sunshine’For details please see page 11

people

shabbat services - november

we warmly welcome new members

David and Abigail Dolan with Daniel and Tom

Hilary Sapire with Anthony and Nicholas

Gary Anderson with Samuel

congratulations and mazal tov

To the family of Amy Grossmith-Dwek on her

Bat Mitzvah

curtain up!

Wednesday 21 November @7.30pmFor details please see page 11

rosh chodesh

Celebration of the new moon by women

gathering for learning and spiritual exploration

(over a glass of wine).

Thursday 15 November @7.30pm in the library

(Rosh Chodesh Kislev): The Role of Women in Judaism

our sincerest condolences

To Leon Pilpel and his family on the death of

his wife Kay PIlpel

We wish the family long life.

cafe thursdaylunch & leisure every week at fps

Congratulations Café Thursday on your first anniversary!!

1 NovemberCafé Thursday lunch and poetry reading

ChargeA contribution of £5.00 is requested to cover costs

Want to help or need a lift?Please contact Nicky Marzell c/o synagogue email administrator@fps.org

or phone the office 020 8446 4063

We look forward to Tziltzelai Shabbatour new Shabbat singing service

on 17 November!

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Beit Midrashlearning at fps

beit midrash onthursdayNEW!! An Israel education course in partnership with Yachad – not to be missed!

Thursday 8 November: Arab-Israeli relations inside the green line / Aya Ben Amos

What is the status of the 20% of Israel’s

population which is made up of the Arab

minority population? Their situation is

complex: on the one hand they have full rights

as citizens, and on the other, face a level of

discrimination that Jewish citizens of Israel are

not subject to.

Thursday 15 November: Understanding Jerusalem / Hannah WeisfeldWhat are the borders of Jerusalem? When

people talk of dividing the city what does it

really mean and can the conflict over one of the

most contested cities ever really be resolved?

Thursday 22 November: Bridging the Divide

/ Ann DavidThis session will provide participants with

the opportunity to view a photographic

exhibition and film which showcase verbatim

stories taken from interviews by The Forgiveness

Project with 8 members of Combatants for

Peace.

Thursday 29 November: Is the Talmud a blue-print for conflict resolution?/ Benedict Roth

The Talmud and conflict and peacemaking in

the 21st century.

Thursday 6 December: The conflict and international Law / Danny Friedman

Thursday 12 December: Jewish Sovereignty and leadership / Hannah Weisfeld and Daniel Reisel

This series is open to non-members as well so

booking essential.

£40 (non-members) £30 (members)

Return completed forms to the FPS office

In addition, our regular program runs as before: • Beginners’ Hebrew• Advanced Hebrew• Delving into Judaism (alternate weeks), for

conversion students and others. Led by Rabbi

Rebecca Qassim Birk• Adult Bat Mitzvah class (alternate weeks).

Led by Rabbi Rebecca Qassim Birk• Pilates for all. Led by an experienced trainer

Tea, coffee and cake break shared by all classes

lunch & learn

Every Wednesday 12.30 – 2.00pmHot learning topics with tea and cake – bring a

sandwich or lunch.

cafe ivriah

An informal and lively Saturday morning chat

over coffee for Ivriah parents and others. Coffee

from 9.30am, discussion from 9.45-10.45am.

fps breakfast shiur

Saturday 3 November – 8.45am:David &Uriah: Temptation, Baths & Corrupt Kings / Elliott KarstadtThis shiur will be based around a study of the

iconic story of the temptation of King David and

his abuse of his kingly trust in his treatment

of Uriah. We shall then explore some early-

modern reactions to the story, and see how it

has affected modern political thinking.

Arts at FPS

The next meeting of Curtain Up! on Wednesday 21 November, at 7.30pm features Claire Lichie.

Claire who trained at Guildford School, is an

aspiring, but unknown, young actress who

is currently involved in fringe productions as

she tries to climb her way up to the top. How

does she secure roles? How useful is it to know

the ‘right’ people? What is she working on at

present? There are sure to be many questions

on how and what she does to ‘make it’ and

achieve a succesful acting career.

In addition, Hedda Gabler, now playing at the

Old Vic, will be on the agenda.

All are welcome!

11 November 2012, 7.30pm | SunshineDirector Istvan Szabo’s Sunshine is an epic tale

tale that follows the Hungarian Jewish family

the Sonnenscheins through five generations. It

spans more than 100 years, from the mid-1800s

to the mid-1900s, exploring the history, politics

and economic shifts of the time. A beautiful

film with easy transitions, dramatic scenery and

costumes and admirable performances.

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz

coming up

2 December 2012, 7.30pm | The Goodbye Girl(1977) with Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason

All that hype for Daniel Cainer and, boy, was

it worth it! Billed as the Jewbadour, Daniel

thrilled an enthusiastic audience with a truly

Jewish evening. A gifted musician and lyricist,

he sang chunks of his family’s history. As

promised, we laughed and we cried (and joined

in some singing as well).

We heard about Daniel’s great Uncle Morry, the

tailor, and his partner Monty, who together

were going to be kings of the world. Morry

ended up poor and forgotten, while Monty

became Montague Burton. There was pathos

also in his lovely song of the wandering Jew.

Where did we come from and where are we

going? Only God knows where. And what fun

we had joining in the story of Daniel’s dad

and the scandalous goings on at the Surbiton

Washerama. Who would not be drawn into the

tale of Daniel’s Aunt Naomi, who fell in love

with a preacher at the Elim Chapel (Oy vay! Oy

gevalt!), and married him. Together they do

good works down in Kent.

We are enormously grateful to those who

made generous donations to the President’s

Fund, and to Laura Lassman and Danny Rich

for underwriting the evening as part of the

celebration of their recent wedding.

Sheila King Lassman

curtain up!

the screen on the grove

daniel cainer: review

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FPS Weekend Away

josie kinchin shares her recollections of a previous fps weekend away

As someone who was still getting used the

idea of being a single parent, it was with

some trepidation that I signed up with two

children for the FPS Away Weekend in the late

‘eighties’. Although, at that time, I’d been an

FPS member for over 20 years, I had never

participated in any residential programme.

The venue? Hothorpe Hall, Leicestershire. But

a very different Hothorpe Hall to the one we’ll

be experiencing in 2013. Much more Spartan

in those days, several shared bathrooms

and fairly thin walls. I’ll never forget Ron

Rappoport practising those dulcet tones in

the room next to me! Nowadays Hothorpe

Hall has greatly improved facilities, lovely

rooms all with en-suite bathrooms, a beautiful

Victorian dining room, conference rooms and

absolutely delightful grounds. But what of my

first visit? Would I feel ‘on my own’? Would I

like what was on offer? Would I be bored? At

the end of the weekend, I can categorically

say - No, yes, no! My kids had an amazing time

too and, having recently begun to go to LJY

Weekends (or in those days it was ULPSNYC)

and experienced their first Kadimah, they were

completely at home with this kind of event. I

was delighted by my first Havdalah service, by

the singing of Grace after Meals (using phonetic

translation!), reinforcing my Jewish learning

but, above all, being an integral part of the

friendly, encouraging and supportive group of

people. So much so, that I helped organise the

next one and several more after that. I became

a madricha (adult leader) within ULPSNYC,

I started going to Liberal Judaism national

conferences and these days, I cannot imagine

life without my FPS Family. I’m not saying that

this will happen to you after your first FPS

Weekend Away because each of us finds their

own level of participation but for me and for my

family, it was an amazing experience. Come and

join us 1-3 March next year – you won’t regret

it!

josie kinchin

1st —3rd MARCH 2013

Finchley Progressive Synagogue 54 Hutton Grove, N12 8DR

Spend the weekend with your FPS family in the delightful setting of Hothorpe Hall, Leicestershire

Highlights

Have fun

Learn

Meditate/relax

Get to know your

FPS family

Stuff for the kids

Bagels!

SAVE

THE

DATE! More details to

follow

1st —3rd MARCH 2013

Finchley Progressive Synagogue 54 Hutton Grove, N12 8DR

Spend the weekend with your FPS family in the delightful setting of Hothorpe Hall, Leicestershire

Highlights

Have fun

Learn

Meditate/relax

Get to know your

FPS family

Stuff for the kids

Bagels!

SAVE

THE

DATE! More details to

follow

To have a look at what Hothorpe Hall has to offer, see www.hothorpe.co.uk.

Photo by Yvonne Cooper

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Games, trips , food and LJY-Netzer madness!

School years 2-6

3 November and 17 November, 5.00-7.00pm

If you have any questions please get in touch –

sam@liberaljudaism.org or 020 7631 0584.

fps youth clubSaturday 3 November (half term) 11.00am-12.30pmShabbat B’Yachad with Kita Gimmel leading

part of the service

Friday 9 November 4.30-6.30pm Friday Ivriah,6.30 onwards - Friday Night Family

Service followed by Family Learning for Kita Vav

and Zain including Chavurah supper

Saturday 10 November 9.30am-12.30pm Shabbat Ivriah

Friday 16 November 4.30-6.30pm Friday Ivriah

Saturday 17 November 9.30am-12.30pm Shabbat Ivriah. From 11.00am Kids Kehillah

(for children under 5 and their parents)

Sunday 18 November Mitzvah Day @ FPS

Friday 23 November 4.30-6.30pm Friday Ivriah

Saturday 24 November 9.30am-12.30pm Shabbat Ivriah

Friday 30 November 4.30-6.30pm Friday Ivriah

november at ivriah

Above: Consecration service. Back row, l.t.r: Josh Hamerton, Nkem Ezeugoh, Amanda Goodman, Eli Ezeugoh, Rabbi Rebecca, Daniela Rotbande.

Front row, l.t.r.: Arella Ezeugoh, Zane Ezeugoh, Natalya and Tom Hibberd.

Below, l.t.r: Baking for Sukkot, Sukkot at FPS.

mitzvah day

sunday 18 november

it’s mitzvah day again – come join usand help make it a success.

• Children decorating plant pots & planting bulbs

• KT & older teenagers: WeedingHighgate Cemetery

• Musicians’ outing to a local care home

• Tree planting at St Albans

contact:

andrea narcinandrea_narcin@yahoo.co.uk

sarah rosen webbsarahrosenwebb@gmail.com

rikudSaturdays 3.00-5.00pmDance your shoes off!

Contact Denny Kingston on 020 8482 2149

one world week - interfaith event

Saturday 24 November 3.00-5.00pm

FPS hosts a cultural afternoon & teawith Rikkud dance group

Thomas Luxon Street Danceand music by members of Shabbat Resouled

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Contactsfps who’s who

finchley progressive synagogue

54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR

www.fps.org

020 8446 4063

Charity Number: 1071040

Rabbi: Rebecca Qassim Birk

rabbi@fps.org / 07939 227480

Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner

Synagogue Manager: Pauline Gusack

pauline@fps.org

Community Manager: Angela Wharton

angela@fps.org

executive

Chair: Laura Lassman

chair@fps.org / 07957 545 569

Vice-Chair: Joan Shopper & David Aarons

01582 792 959

Treasurer: Richard Kravetz

020 8349 9602

Honorary Secretary: David Pelham

020 8445 8111

synagogue committees & groups:

Beit Tefillha, Contact, Education, Membership,

Events Plus, Babies & Toddlers, B’nei Mitzvah,

Hospitality Group, Security.

We are represented on the Board of Deputies

and Liberal Judaism. For further information,

please call the office.

shofar editor

Pat Lehner

shofar@fps.org

Editorial assistant Sarah Aldridge

FPS is a constituent of Liberal Judaism

21 Maple Street W1T 4BE

020 7580 1663

LJY Netzer (youth dept) 020 7631 0584

ashley pageinsurance brokers

Commerce House2a Litchfield Grove

London N3 2TN

Tel. 020 8349 5100

janet tresmanmediator & collaborative

family law specialist solicitor

consultant at newman law solicitors

10 Hendon LaneFinchley, London N3 1TR

Tel. 020 8349 2655

janettresman@newmanlaw.co.uk