hakol november 2013

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Hakol November 2013 | Cheshvan/Kislev 5774 www.tlse.org.uk INSIDE THIS MONTH Food, Schmooze & Games! Rabbi’s Word comes courtesy of Rabbi Michael D Standfield on p2-3 Anthony Scott-Norman takes us on a tour of European Synagogues on p6 Richard Ellman hands over the Chairman’s seat to Nick Belkin. Find out why on page 16 Saturday 30th November Celebrate 3rd Night of Hanukkah & Rabbi Pete’s Return! Food, Schmooze & Games

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Monthly Synagogue magazine/newsletter from The Liberal Synagogue Elstree (TLSE)

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Page 1: Hakol November 2013

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HakolNovember 2013 | Cheshvan/Kislev 5774

www.tlse.org.uk

INSIDE THIS MONTH Food, Schmooze & Games!

Rabbi’s Word comes courtesy of Rabbi Michael D Standfield on p2-3

Anthony Scott-Norman takes us on a tour of European Synagogues on p6

Richard Ellman hands over the Chairman’s seat to Nick Belkin. Find out why on page 16

Saturday 30th

November Celebrate 3rd Night of

Hanukkah & Rabbi Pete’s Return!

Food, Schmooze & Games

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F or most people the three essential requirements for

a good holiday are the three ‘S’s : sun, sea and sand. I’m not very keen on sunbathing, I don’t mind a nice sunny holiday as long as I don’t have to sit or lie in it. As far as the sea is concerned, I can’t swim, so I stay out of it. It has been said that I swim like a fish that is continuously beneath the surface. As for sand, it gets into everything. Seen from a distance it can look quite attractive, but at a distance is where I like it.

When my wife and I go on holiday, we like to visit new places with some history, and wherever we go we try to seek out a Jewish content. What makes it even more interesting is if we can discover a Jewish quarter with a Synagogue.

Recently we were fortunate, by the kind generosity of my wife’s aunt and uncle, to be on a cruise which visited the island of Rhodes. This island once could boast of 4,000 Jews and no less than 6 Synagogues. Unfortunately today there is only one Synagogue and

anywhere between 20 and 40 Jews, no-one knows for sure.

In 1944 the Germans occupied Rhodes and, on July 23rd of that year, 1,673 members of the Jewish community were arrested and deported to Auschwitz. Only 150 survived. The names of the victims are registered in the Synagogue on a plaque at the West entry. There is also a memorial, to the victims, in what was the Jewish Quarter of old walled city.

When we arrived at Rhodes we knew of the existence of the Synagogue and went off in search of it. Unfortunately we couldn’t find it, for some unknown reason. We found two plaques in Hebrew registering the existence of a Jewish community but no Synagogue. It was only when we returned to the ship that we discovered where the Synagogue was, so back we went to see it.

The Synagogue was built in 1577 and is named Kahal Kadosh Shalom (Holy Congregation of Peace). Today it is only used for Friday Night Services, High Holy Day Services and special occasions when Jewish visitors to the island can join in prayer the small number of Jews on the island.

The Jewish community of Rhodes was made up largely of the Jews who fled from Spain and so there is a strong Sephardi influence on the design and decoration of the Synagogue. The Synagogue itself has been renovated by the Greek Government, returning it to its former glory. Adjacent to the sanctuary is a museum dedicated to the history of the Jews of Rhodes and also contains a Mikveh which

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probably dates back over 1,000 years. Interestingly enough, the Synagogue has two Arks either side of the exit to an outer courtyard. This is only the second Synagogue that I have ever visited that has two Arks, the other one being my favourite Synagogue (if one can have a favourite), that is the Yohanan Ben Zakkai Synagogue one of the Four Synagogues in old Jerusalem.

The guardian of the Rhodes Synagogue was unable to give a satisfactory reason for the two Arks so I presumed to give him what I had learnt. Both the Yohanan Ben Zakkai Synagogue and the Kahal Kadosh Shalom Synagogue were built under Ottoman rule and it was a requirement of all houses of worship, Jewish Christian Muslim or whatever, to have a copy of the Q’ran and in one Ark would be housed that copy and in the other the Torah. Another reason given, which I do not believe to be the correct one, is that one Ark was for the broken tablets of the Decalogue and the other to contain the second set of tablets.

The design of the Synagogue was quite Moorish, which was probably because of the influence of the Sephardi Jews from the West. During the 1930s a balcony was built in the sanctuary for the benefit of the women. Prior to that the women sat in rooms adjoining the south wall of the Synagogue and they viewed the Service through windowed openings adorned by lattice work. Throughout the Synagogue there are numerous religious wall paintings, which are not often seen in Synagogues.

The museum was well worth a visit, giving an insight into the Rhodes Jewish community in its heyday. There were several artefacts, made out of various materials, and also interesting clothing of the time. There was also a scroll, written in the Sephardi style, dating back some 600 years, with 49 lines to each column. The Ashkenazi custom is 42 lines to the column.

It’s amazing what you can discover on a holiday, seeking out Jewish history, especially in areas where

you wouldn’t necessarily think you could find such treasures. We have done this a few times in Europe in the past, the most recent and notable being Livorno. Here in the UK, we recently visited Canterbury. Unfortunately, the Jewish community there is sadly depleted and the old Synagogue, financed by Moses Montefiore and built in the Egyptian style, is now used by Kings College School for recitals and such but not for religious purposes. In other cities of Britain all that remains is the odd road or street with various combinations of the word ‘Jew’ marking the site where a Jewish community once lived.

So, next time you are visiting a new place, look around and see what you can find to bolster your knowledge of our Jewish past.

Rabbi’s Word is written this month by Rabbi Michael D Standfield

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Religion School

The Religion School will continue in November following its regular structure and

content. The morning will be divided into two halves: Hebrew and Jewish studies.

The children- also in two groups, Junior and Senior- will spend half their morning

on each of these activities.

The Religion School will meet on the following dates in November:

Sunday 2nd No Religion School – half-term

Sunday 10th 10.00 am - 12.15 pm Religion School

Sunday 16th 10.00 am - 12.15 pm Religion School

Sunday 24th 10.00 am – 12.15 pm Religion School

And there will be the usual Religion School service to end the morning.

Bar-/Bat-Mitzvah Class

The Bar-/Bat-Mitzvah class, led by Michael Walton, will continue its work looking

at the earliest stories in the Torah and why they are there. It meets on the following

dates in November:

Saturday 2nd 9.30 – 10.45 am

Saturday 16th 9.30 – 10.45 am

Kabbalat Torah

The KT Group we meet on Saturday 9th November at 9.45 am, prior to taking the

special Kristallnacht service at 11.00 am

Adult Education

Due to Rabbi Pete’s Sabbatical adult education will not take place at TLSE until

December 2013. This applies both to the Thursday meetings and the basic Judaism

classes.

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The Yom Kippur Memorial Service

I n last month’s Hakol, Pete wrote at some length about the Memorial or Yizkor Service on Yom Kippur afternoon. Pete has been

our rabbi now for over 10 years and early on, probably after his second or third set of High Holyday Services, we spoke with regards to his concerns about the ever increasing list of names that he was asked to read out during this service. At the time, Pete mentioned that when he had been working at another shul, before joining TLSE, they would only read the names of those who were deceased during the previous year and wondered if this was something that we at TLSE would consider.

I would like to put forward another suggestion and would be interested to know what other members think –

A Memorial Service Booklet. This booklet would contain a number of short readings or reflections and then the list of all of the names of the family members of congregants that would previously have been read aloud by Pete. In addition Pete would also read out just the names of those who had passed away during the previous twelve months. The Yizkor Service should, in my opinion, be an opportunity for you to think about and remember your family, rather than be in a situation where you are waiting intently to hear Pete read out the name / names that you have sent in to the shul.

During Yom Kippur, there are a number of gaps between services, I do not think that using the first 10 minutes of the Memorial Service to give people a chance to sit and reflect, would lengthen the time spent in shul and of course, the Memorial Service would itself be shorter as Pete would not be reading out such a long list of names

This idea is still in its early stages, but I would be interested to know if members think that it would be worth looking into. I am bringing it up now firstly as the High Holidays are still fresh in our memories and secondly, if we did decided to follow it through, I am sure that it would take quite a bit of organising and setting up.

Thank you David Steinberg

Dear Editor

Yahrzeit and Yizkor namesRabbi Pete’s comments regarding the reading of names at the Yom Kippur Yizkor service, prompted me to raise an issue that has disturbed me for some time, this being that of Yahrzeits on Shabbats. As a regular Shul attender, I hear names of deceased being read out that obviously mean something to a member. But where is that member? I appreciate that sometimes he or she have a genuine reason for not being able to be present on that particular Saturday, but perhaps it is that they cannot be bothered to come! My personal view is that the latter is true in the majority of cases, with, ‘... something else to do’, on that morning. To me this is totally disrespectful and the reading out of the deceased names is meaningless to those present. Our TLSE office sends reminders to all concerned, detailing the name, appropriate Shabbat and offering a Mitzvah. How many have the courtesy to even respond to this invitation? My suggestion is that there is a ‘tear-off’ section on the letter. This is given to the Rabbi prior to the service on the nearest convenient date, thereby giving no excuse for non–attendance. Exceptions can only be made at the discretion of the Rabbi or Rites and Practices Committee.

With regard to the Yiskor service, the list of names seems almost endless. Again, where are all the members? There are several ways that this can be overcome: 1) Perhaps a similar system of a ‘tear off’ slip can be introduced. 2) Only names of members who died in the past year are read out. 3) A printed list of names is produced and handed out. A donation can be made and the proceeds, apart from covering the cost, can be used towards the YK Appeal or other charity. 4) Combining the two latter suggestions.

Yours sincerely Harry Hurst

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O ver the last 2 years Marlene and I have visited some very interesting Jewish heritage buildings –some well-known and documented and others off the beaten track and all used for religious purposes at one time or other ranging

from medieval to modern times.

I shall start with the “piece de resistance”- the magnificent palatial Dohnanyi Synagogue in the centre of Budapest. We booked for a tour of it on the Internet and it was worth every forint covering the Shul itself, the museum inside and the cemetery and memorial park outside. Our guide for all bar museum was probably not Jewish but was very well informed articulate and inspiring. Our museum guide probably Jewish was much moved talking about Herzl and the modern persecution times whether from Hungarian fascists or Nazis. You will be amazed by the external Moorish/Christian architecture-reminding one of Cordoba and Seville and inside the beautiful wall and ceiling frescos and designs with a stately bima and a pair of pulpits opposite each other and a grand organ where Franz Liszt once played. Built though by a Christian architect and restored in post-communist 1990 it reminded me of West London Synagogue built 1840 –also Victorian-in time and style. The Wallenberg memorial park has wonderful artistry and the holocaust plaques are very moving. The shul is in good use as we observed passing by there one Shabbat morning a year previously.

Travelling south I recommend you to visit the Adriatic area synagogues in Venice and Dubrovnik. The latter is very small and up tiny stairs with some interesting artefacts. A local tourist guide will take you there from a big city fountain meeting place and will tell you a lot about the 2nd oldest synagogue in Europe and which occasionally welcomes a visiting Rabbi from New York. The ghetto with its museum and local tour of the Spanish and Italian and German synagogues is worth the walk or water bus journey to the old Corregio district. The buildings are well kept and one is still in use with a small congregation. It is worth finally noting the Kosher food shop, the jewellers shop and the gift shop where I bought a new yarmulke.

Anthony Scott-Norman

Recommended visits to Shuls in Central and South Eastern Europe

The Dohnanyi Synagogue in the centre of Budapest

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Luca Bernstein; Zak Daniel-Esner;

Dominic De Jonge; Daisy Grant; Levi

Lee; Joshua Levy; Zak Ungar.

Happy Birthday to...

Laurence Davidson & Karen Helman

Abby Curshen, Angelina Curshen and Jimmy Curshen

Welcome to...

Deadline for copy for December Hakol isThursday 21 November.

Date: Saturday 2 November Meet at:the Bell pub Bedmond

for a 5 mile walk across fields & styles.

Time: Meet 2.00 for 2.15.Leaders: Michael & Tina Shaw

Mobile: 07527 525 111Mobile is for ON THE DAY ONLY

Book Review | The Secret Purposes by David BaddielThis book surprised me. I associate David Baddiel with humour but this is a serious, but well written novel, which held my interest throughout. My only criticism is that it finished rather more quickly than I had hoped.

The book starts in pre-Holocaust Germany where we identify with Rabbi Isadore Fabian, who lives in Konigsberg. It moves speedily to relate the story of the Rabbi’s communist son, Isaac, and his non-Jewish German wife, Lulu, who have fled to England to escape the Nazis. We follow the fate of the young couple through the eyes of Isaac, interned on the Isle of Mann, and Lulu, who struggles on alone with their baby daughter in wartime Cambridge. The plot is enriched by the introduction of June, who works at the British Ministry of information and who, appalled by the suppression of information about the fate of the Jews in Germany, travels to the Isle of Mann in an attempt to find out the truth.

The Sunday Telegraph critic sums it the book up as ‘A big story with big themes. It has a quiet pathos which is more effective than any amount of blood and thunder.’

Tina Shaw

Borehamwood FoodbankPlease remember to bring your tins, dried fruit and dry goods for the foodbank. You will find a container in the lobby to receive your donations of non – perishable food.

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SATURDAYS SUNDAYS

Sat 2 Nov M Alabaster

H Cowan

Sat 9 Nov B Moss Sun 10 Nov L Renak

S Mizelas B Kramer

Sat 16 Nov B Tuckman Sun 17 Nov D Pollock

B Batley J de Jonge

A Flaum

Sat 23 Nov Y Zur Sun 24 Oct J Levy

A Needlestone R Elman

Sat 30 Nov M Gary

M Ward

Paying too much for Medical Insurance? We provide independent advice to obtain the most suitable policy for you at the most competitive premium.

Glen Sinclair

Security Rota | November 2013

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Starting Tues 22 October at 10am, there will be a

9 week Pilates course for Beginners/Intermediate taking place at

TLSE. Cost £85.50

The class will be limited to 10 people, to ensure more individual attention where required.

Please contact Mandy t: 07946579931 or e: [email protected] to reserve your place in advance.

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T hose of you who listened to Rabbi Pete’s High Holy

Day sermons will have heard him mention his plan to make some changes to how our services are conducted. He was (deliberately?) short on the detail of what this might actually mean and even as I write this, may be sitting at his computer musing on the alternatives. Time and Pete’s return may tell.

It has left me with the opportunity to consider some of the options we may be faced with. What do other congregants think? Here are some possibilities.

1. Changes to the Shabbat morning service - the content.

The first part of the morning service from Ma Tovu up to the Shema and its Benedictions on page 135, is meant to be a warm up for the real thing, and presents an opportunity to be creative. Different prayers, readings from non biblical sources such as literature, poems

Changes To Our Services?and songs, could be introduced, either on a regular or occasional basis.

The Benedictions, the Shema and the Amidah that follow are generally considered the essentials in the second part of the service. Does everyone agree? What would happen if we sometimes left them out, or read more verses of the Shema, or added other prayers to this section?

The Torah service follows on. Pete has already introduced some non biblical Haphtarahs, the three year cycle of Torah reading which has meant we were out of step with main stream Judaism, and we only ever read part of each week’s portion. Should we ever have a service with no Torah reading, or just a reading from the bible rather than the scroll? We already occasionally do not process the scroll. How do congregants feel about this option?

Next usually comes the sermon. Pete has certainly tried to vary

this with different styles of presentations, including discussions. My personal view is that the discussions rarely work due to the layout of the hall and the tendency of only a few people to want to contribute. Lay readers taking the services whilst Pete is away have also tried a variety of approaches ranging from no sermon, to readings, to personal accounts.

The final part of the service contains the Aleynu and the Kaddish and prayers for the dead. These are seen as essentials. Is there any alternative? Perhaps some poems rather than the short readings?

2. Changes to the Shabbat morning service - the format.

This raises some interesting possibilities. I find the responsive readings have little impact on me. Would they work better if the congregation was divided into two halves to read responsively? Would it work better if we went round the

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congregation reading a line each in turn? Would more people coming up to read create variety or chaos?

One of the purposes of the service is to give us space to contemplate our lives. Some years ago an experimental meditation service was tried, as an alternative to the main service. Should we try this again, or should we simply allow more time for silent reflection, perhaps a whole ten minutes rather than the two minutes which happen at present?

And what about the music? Currently we have variety in that Pete sometimes plays the guitar, we sometimes have the singing group and there is some variation in the tunes between the traditional and the modern. How about a whole service sung, or no singing at all, or even more chanting and leyning which for some people is a way of reaching into themselves on an emotional level? There are certainly new tunes, regularly sung in other Liberal congregations, which we could use to

add variety to our services and which would become familiar with time.

Pete has murmured about making more use of media and modern technology. Is this the future he is about to present us with? A large screen above the ark, relaying the service for those who prefer to look at screens rather than the printed page. The service relayed into our homes so that we need not bother to come to shul. This is certainly not for me, but would it appeal to the younger generation? It would be a huge benefit for those who are genuinely unwell and unable to come out but the value of joining together as a community and face to face human contact would sadly be lost.

3. The Erev Shabbat service.

We already have some variety here with the Kabbalat Shabbat supper, with different times of services and some variety of leadership, inevitably resulting in different styles of service taking. Many of these services are poorly attended

and ways to increase participation would be welcome. Services in people’s homes have been tried but it is not something which I believe Rabbi Pete favours. Adult education and onegs have also been tagged onto these services and have met with varying success. To me, as someone who rarely attends an Erev Shabbat service, these seem a good opportunity to experiment, but is there still a basic requirement to recite the significant prayers which form the core of the service?

4. Conclusions - if there can be any.

Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater! There is a time for change and this may well be it but we need our comfort blankets of traditional prayers and tunes as well as the stimulation of something new. We await Rabbi Pete’s deliberations with bated breath. Whatever he comes up with don’t forget to give him honest feedback. It is the only way we will be able to move forward.

Tina Shaw

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A-B Barbara Merton 020 8953 1369

C-F Leone Samson 07702 349350

G-I Carol Hurst 020 8950 1862

J-M Estelle Leigh 020 8954 9569

N-Q Peter Merton 020 8953 1369

R-S Rita Golding 020 8953 4439

T-Z Judy Westley 01582 468100

Nicky Leigh 07788 751275

We are very sorry to announce that Jean Friede has passed away and we send our condolences to her husband Philip and her son Alex.

We send our condolences to Juliet Schusman on the loss of her mother.

Get well soon to Shirley Batley after her recent operation

We wish to thank Shirley Leuw for her generous donation to Care and Welfare

Congratulations to Nicky Leigh on her engagement to Neil and to Max Samson on his engagement to Eleanor.

5 Things you should know about Dementia

1. Dementia is not a natural part of ageing

2. Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain

3. It is not just about losing your memory

4. It is possible to live well with dementia

5. There is more to a person than the dementia.

About Alzheimer’s Society

Alzheimer’s society is the UK’s leading support and

research charity for people with dementia, their

families and carers. They provide information and

support to people with any form of dementia and their

carers through their publications, National Dementia

Helpline, website and more than 2,000 local services.

For more information visit their website at:

alzheimers.org.uk/getinvolved

On Facebook at alzheimers.org.uk/facebook

On Twitter at @alzheimerssoc

Do You Need To Borrow A Wheelchair?The Care and Welfare Committee have a lightweight wheelchair that is available for anyone who would like to borrow it.

Contact Carol Hurst for further information

Crockery on loanAre you having an event that requires extra crockery and cutlery?

Look no further as the synagogue has acquired crockery and cutlery, which we can lend to you for a small donation.

Please contact Carol Hurst for more information on 020 8950 1862

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High Holy Day Appeal

I f you haven't yet donated to TLSE's 2013 Appeal, there is still time. It closes at the end of December.

The response so far has been promising with Jewish Women's Aid and Cherry Lodge Cancer Care proving equally popular, and Keren B'Kavod not far behind. Up till 9th October almost £7,000 had been donated by 81 members.

You will have read in last month's Hakol about each of the charities and how to donate online. You can also pay by cheque made out to TLSE and sent to me at 5 Hartfield Close, Elstree, WD6 3JD, preferably enclosing the tear-off slip from the appeal letter and specifying how you would like your donation allocated. And please don't forget to tick for gift aid.

Sue Woolf - Honorary Treasurer

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Services for November 2013Fri 1 Nov 6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat supperSat 2 Nov 11am Shabbat morning service 5 Gen 6,9-7,10; Psalm 124Council Rep: Ginny Jaffe Theme: Life & DeathFri 8 Nov 5.45pm Tots’ service 6.30pm Erev Shabbat serviceSat 9 Nov 11am Kristallnacht Shabbat morning service led by KT Gen 7,11-8,22: Job 5, 17-25Council Rep: Nick Belkin Theme: KristallnachtFri 15 Nov 8pm Erev Shabbat service 1Sat 16 Nov 11am Shabbat morning service 2 Gen 11, 1-9; Psalm 115, 1-16Council Rep: Allan Newman Theme: ToleranceFri 22 Nov 8pm Erev Shabbat serviceSat 23 Nov 10am Tots’ service 11am Shabbat morning service 2 Gen 11, 27-12, 9: Gen Rabbah 38, 13Council Rep: Debbie Ram Theme: Life’s JourneyFri 29 Nov 6.30pm Erev Shabbat serviceSat 30 Nov 10am Tots’ service 11am Shabbat morning service 3 Gen 12, 10-13, 12: 2 Maccabees 10,1-8Council Rep: Jason Levy Theme: Light

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Diary | November 2013Fri 1st Nov 18:30 Kabbalat Shabbat supper

Sat 2nd Nov 9:30 Bar/Bat-Mitzvah class

Sat 2nd Nov 11:00 Shabbat morning service

Sat 2nd Nov 14:15 Shabbat afternoon walk

Tues 5th Nov 10:00 Pilates

Fri 3rd Nov 17:45 Tots’ service

Fri 3rd Nov 18:30 Erev Shabbat service

Sat 9th Nov 9:45 KT Group meeting

Sat 9th Nov 9: 45 Singing Group Practice

Sat 9th Nov 11:00 Kristallnacht Shabbat morning service led by KT Group

Sun 10th Nov 10:00 Religion School

Tues 12th Nov 10:00 Pilates

Wed 13th Nov 20:00 Council Meeting

Fri 15th Nov 20:00 Erev Shabbat service

Sat 16th Nov 9:30 Bar/Bat-Mitzvah class

Sat 16th Nov 11:00 Shabbat morning service

Sun 17th Nov 10:00 Religion School

Tues 19th Nov 10:00 Pilates

Fri 22nd Nov 20:00 Erev Shabbat service

Sat 23rd Nov 11:00 Shabbat morning service

Sun 24th Nov 10:00 Religion School

Tues 25th Nov 10:00 Pilates

Wed 27th Nov First night Chanukkah

Fri 29th Nov 18:30 Erev Shabbat service

Sat 30th Nov 11:00 Shabbat morning service

Sat 30th Nov 18:45 Havdalah & Chanukkah celebration

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Trustees' Report And Financial Statement For The Year Ended 31 December 2012... ...which were presented at April's AGM are now available on the Charity Commission website http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/find-charities/ .

TLSE's registered number is 262001. Choose "view accounts" and the last 4 years will be available to read as separate pdf files.

Although the Trustees' Report contains some statutory information, it is mostly about the various activities which TLSE has carried out during the year and includes some of the challenges faced by the Trustees (Executive and Council members). And then you can enjoy the Financial Statements which are very detailed accounts with lots of notes included.

Sue Woolf

Word from the Chair

O ctober draws to a close and other than my letter to the congregation at High Holy Days and the appeal on Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur

from the bimah at Clore Shalom, the members of TLSE don’t hear much from me. But one of the reasons for this is that I have recently embarked on a course to retrain as a secondary school teacher. As you might imagine this occupies quite a bit of time and requires me to focus my energies elsewhere. So I have come to an arrangement to swap roles with Nick Belkin whereby he becomes Chairman and I will be vice-Chairman with immediate effect. So good luck Nick!

But before I pass on the ceremonial regalia to Mr. Belkin, there’s one last thing I want to say and it’s about the High Holyday Appeal: I doubt that it will come as any surprise to you when I say that the donations came in in a flurry, but turned fairly soon into a trickle. I made my contribution the day after Yom Kippur, because I knew that in previous years I’d kept on putting it off until I lost the appeal letter. But if you’re reading this, then you don’t have to worry any more about trying to remember which dusty stack of receipts, car insurance renewal notices, sundry letters from the kids’ schools and forgotten to-do lists, the appeal letter is mouldering in. You just need to go to this site http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving/make-a-donation/ and type TLSE into window on the right hand side. The rest is easy. It’s easy because the charities to which we pass on your donations, are doing vital work which most of us would never contemplate doing ourselves. It’s easy because if you and people like you don’t donate, then the work these organisations do to alleviate suffering, loneliness and fear will cease to be done. Frankly, it’s easy because it’s easy. I’m not asking you to part with more money than you can afford, I’m just suggesting, as I did from the bimah at High Holydays, that we all

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Something For The DiarySaturday, 7 Dec 2013 At TLSEAt 8pm (doors open 7.30)Price £10 (tickets sold in advance)Refreshments sold before show and during interval.

For one night only

Daniel Cainer http://www.danielcainer.com/ (songwriter, producer, broadcaster, composer) will be performing his laugh-out-loud one-man show of Jewish theme stories in song.

TimeOut, the Jewbadour, rated him 4 out of 5 stars for his portrayal of life and people.

DON'T MISS OUT

For more info and Tickets available through TLSE and [email protected]

Joely Bear's 57th Blood Donor SessionSunday 3rd November 9.30 - 4.30 at Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue: Joely Bear's 57th Blood Donor Session. Please come along, whether you can give blood or not. We need approximately 70 volunteers to run these days. Let me know if you can give any time to help.

Dan Renak

Singing GroupFollowing on from the fantastic feedback received throughout the high holyday services, we are once again opening up the singing group for new members to join.

There is really only one thing that is required of you in order to join the constantly developing group, enthusiasm! Anyone, of any age, that wishes to join the group is encouraged to attend our singing sessions, generally held on the second Saturday of each month from 9.45am for one hour. For further information, please contact the Synagogue office on 020 8953 8889

Dan Renak

shake off the apathy for short a time and make a positive contribution. So if you’re not already actively involved in cancer respite care, looking after the homeless or dispossessed or providing aid to the victims of domestic abuse, now’s the time to do the right.

If I achieve one good thing during the brief time I have been chairman, I hope it’s to encourage the members of TLSE to remember my interpretation of Teshuvah, Tefillah, Tzedakah – make a change and resolve to do something positive.

Thanks Richard Elman

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Enjoying Simchat Torah