THE GGS
April
2014
Nissan 5774
News and Views from Golders Green Synagogue
Issue 4
Inside this issue:
. A new chapter at GGS, by chairman Benny Chain
. Report and photos from well-attended Purim celebrations
. Rimon gets the thumbs-up from Ofsted and Pikuach inspectors
contents
THE GGS JOURNAL
April
2014
Nissan 5774
Stay in touch with GGS online
www.goldersgreenshul.org.uk
6
GGS WHISKY TASTING
Jeremy Kaufman reports the alcoholic details of the annual meeting of the Dunstan Road Blind Whisky Tasting Society
8
FRIENDS OF CHILDS HILL PARK
Ingrid Posen updates on the exciting redevelopment plans for Childs Hill Park
13
MEMORIES OF RABBI NEWMAN
Jackie Crossley profiles Rabbi Dr Eugene Newman, who served in the GGS pulpit for 23 years
23 HOURS IN VILNIUS
Corinne Kaufman travelled to Vilnius last year for a business meeting, but used the trip to try to trace her roots
14
15
SHABBAT IN ST PETERSBURG
Lynne Fertleman recalls the highlights of a trip to Russia last year with husband Ben and son Eli
16
CONFESSIONS OF A LIMMUDNIK
David Reuben on the highs and lows of 20 years of attending Limmud conferences
THE MELTING-POT
Terry Sopel recounts his recent appearance in an Israel Zangwill play at JW3
17
18
20
features
4
PESACH WITH
DAYAN LOPIAN
Rabbi Belovski
looks back on the lessons
he learned from his late
rabbinic mentor
7
MITZVAH DAY 2013
Members of the
GGS community
turned out in force to
volunteer their time for
multiple causes
9
PURIM 5774
This year’s Purim
programme included
a very successful carnival
for young children from the
shul and Rimon communities
A BATTLE BETWEEN RABBIS
Avraham Shapir on the story of Rabban Gamli’el and Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaria
CHAG KASHER V’SAMEACH
Pesach greetings from the members of Golders
Green Synagogue
10
RIMON THRIVES
IN SECOND YEAR
Rimon gets the
thumbs-up from Ofsted and
is over-subscribed for its
third intake of pupils
12
CHIEF RABBI’S
PESACH MESSAGE
Chief Rabbi
Ephraim Mirvis reflects on
the timing of Pesach in the
month of Nissan
The GGS Journal is compiled and edited by Joel Clark. To discuss content for future editions, please email joelsclark@gmail.com
The production of the magazine is made possible only by the kind generosity of our advertisers and those taking out sponsored
greetings. To place an advert in the next edition, please contact Jenny Sandler at sandler.jenny@gmail.com
Photos by Joel Clark, Jeremy Kaufman and David Vaughan
Cover photo: Children from the community and Rimon enjoy the show at the Purim Carnival
2
welcome
A new chapter at GGS
I
n the Parashiot of Vayakhel and Pekudei,
the Torah devotes considerable space
and detail to the construction of the
Mishkan in the wilderness, suggesting
that the physical environment in which
worship takes place is an important facet
of Judaism.
This has special resonance for our own
community, which has spent a great deal of
energy and resources over the past five years
on improving the quality of the space in which
we pray, socialise and study.
It was with some trepidation that the
Honorary Officers approached Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur, the first occasion on which
many members would see the new layout. The
amalgamation of the two minyanim, which
had been operating on the site for many years,
was also a cause of some anxiety.
In the event, our fears proved groundless.
The services in the refurbished Shul went
beautifully, thanks in no small part to the
enormous efforts of our gabbayim, Rob
Ginsburg and Terry Sopel. For me, standing in
front of the Ark looking out over a packed Shul
as we began Neilah was an inspiring moment,
and the indication of a successful outcome to
a very big and risky experiment.
We are now enjoying a break from the
redevelopment, although surrounded by
intense building efforts as Rimon School
nears completion. But further exciting plans
are in hand. We have just submitted a large
grant application to the Heritage Lottery Fund,
the outcome of which will be known in June. If
successful it would provide the necessary
funds to complete the restoration of the
interior of the Synagogue, construct an
exhibition and social space in the rear section
of the ladies’ gallery, and re-landscape the
space in front and to the sides of the building.
In addition, the award would fund a full-time
education and heritage officer, who would
work with volunteers to develop a programme
of activities promoting awareness and
knowledge of Jewish heritage and its place in
British culture and history.
If successful, the project promises both a
solution to our fundraising efforts for the
building restoration, and an exciting
opportunity for our members to get involved in
innovative educational initiatives whose aim is
to engage people of all ages, cultures and
backgrounds in learning about our unique
Jewish heritage. If you are interested in
reading the application, it is available from me
or from the Shul office.
These are exciting times for the community
as a whole. The membership is growing, after
nearly 40 years of decline. After many years of
deficit, the budget is balanced, and we are
looking at ways of using our refurbished space
to attract additional income. The Board of
Management is discussing ways we can
provide increased professional support for the
many younger members who have joined in
the past three years, as well as for the older
members in our community. Increasingly,
both our Rabbi and our membership are
engaging more with the outside world through
interfaith activities, the media and social
action programmes.
With growth, and a flourishing of all these
different types of activity, come new
challenges. First among them is to maintain
the level of commitment to the core activities
that make us an orthodox Jewish community.
Prayer and Torah study remain the activities
that define us as an orthodox Jewish
community, yet far too few of our members
participate in our daily minyanim and range
of shiurim.
It is a defining feature of our members,
old and new, that they take pride in having a
broad range of professional and community
interests, that they interact with the modern
world and contribute to wider society as well
as to the Jewish one. The challenge is how to
balance this with the demanding day-to-day
commitment to Torah that defines the
orthodox way of life.
I believe this to be the principal challenge
facing modern orthodoxy today. How
successful we are in overcoming it will define
whether the middle ground flourishes, or is
overrun by the tide of extremism from the
right, and assimilation from the left. I am sure
that the rejuvenated Golders Green Synagogue
community, in its beautifully restored home,
will continue to show Anglo Jewry the
way forward.
Benny Chain
Chairman,
Golders Green Synagogue
GGS Journal | 3
news
Pesach with Dayan Lopian
Rabbi Belovski looks back on the lessons he learned about Pesach from his rabbinic
mentor, Dayan Gershon Lopian z”l, who passed away in January
V
icki and I arrived in Golders
Green just two weeks
before Pesach in 2003, so
pretty much my first duty
was to conduct a couple of pre-Yom
Tov classes. I suspect that by now,
those who are interested are
familiar with my approach to
Pesach, but back then I was ‘new’
and my style was clearly under
scrutiny. After one class, a
participant said that he’d reckoned
it would be worth having me as the
new rabbi despite knowing that I’d
be rather severe in my halachic
rulings. Apparently, discovering that
I was actually more accommodating
than he’d expected was an
added bonus!
Less well-known in the
community, perhaps, is how I
learned this approach to halachah
and in fact, to my rabbinate in
general. Sadly, this recently
became the topic of a couple of
sermons following the untimely
passing in January of my mentor
and teacher Dayan Gershon Lopian,
emeritus rabbi of Edgware
Yeshurun Synagogue.
Holistic Approach
Much has already been said and
written about Dayan Lopian, but he
has been particularly in my mind in
the run-up to Pesach this year, as
his attitude to the entire holiday
exemplifies for me the vocation of
the rabbinate.
I can only describe it as a holistic
approach to Pesach, in which the
demands of the halachah, the need
to have a meaningful, wholesome
and enjoyable religious experience
and the importance of minimising
the physical and financial burden on
those preparing for Yom Tov, are all
delicately balanced. People flocked
to the Dayan’s pre-Pesach shiurim
(in fact I’ve been asked on a few
4
occasions if I will give the ‘Lopian’
Pesach shiur – not my own) and his
phone rang continuously
in the lead-up to Yom
Tov with calls from lay
Rabbi
people and experienced
rabbis seeking advice.
Dr Harvey
In Pesach rulings, as
Belovski
in other areas of
halachah, it is an
oversimplification to
characterise his
methodology as universally lenient
– it was not. But he was always
willing to work outwards from the
specific needs and circumstances of
the questioner to create a
personalised, yet authentic
response. I have tried throughout
my rabbinate in Golders Green to
implement his approach, and I hope
that I have succeeded at
least sometimes.
his approach so successful.
For Vicki and me, absorbing and
Meaningful Seder
teaching Dayan Lopian’s approach
Reflecting on his passing over the
to Pesach was not just theoretical.
past couple of months, I have
In the years after we married and
realised that for a community rabbi,
before we entered the rabbinate in
proficiency in halachah, while
1997, we spent a great deal of time
obviously essential, is simply
with the Lopians prior to and during
insufficient. At the shiva, Rebbetzin
Pesach. Beforehand, it was learning
Lopian mentioned that her husband
DAYAN LOPIAN EXEMPLIFIED TECHNICAL
EXPERTISE, INTEREST IN PEOPLE,
CONVICTION IN THE POWER OF HALACHAH
AND A WICKED SENSE OF HUMOUR
“simply loved people”, something
indispensible to developing a
sensitive and contemporary
rabbinate. Indeed, Dayan Lopian
exemplified technical expertise,
genuine interest in people,
conviction in the power of halachah
to enhance and empower, as well as
a wicked sense of humour. It was
this unique confluence that made
the rabbinical ropes, listening in on
how he dealt with questions and
observing practical preparations.
But the highlight was the several
– we can’t remember the exact
number, but it was at least six –
sedarim we spent with them. Apart
from enjoying them immensely, we
learned a precious skill – how to
conduct a seder that is meaningful
Photo by Hayley
Lehman
and accessible to a wide range of
ages and types.
Around the Lopian table there
were scholars and small children,
religious beginners and older
people. The Dayan did not allow the
seder to become a sequence of
abstruse discussions, nor was it
reduced to the lowest common
denominator: somehow, it was just
the right balance in terms of pace,
content and variety to hold
everyone’s attention. Above all, it
was terrific fun. And we shared a
few tricks with the family too – I
discovered at the shiva that even
though we hadn’t spent seder with
them for nearly 17 years, our
contribution had been remembered.
Contrary to popular practice, the
Dayan only ate machine-baked
matzah even at the seder, as he
believed it was superior in terms of
scrupulous preparation. This
brought him into minor conflict with
some of his guests, who wanted to
eat what he jokingly referred to as
‘chametz’ – hand-baked matzah.
One second seder, things were
running very late and by the time
we’d said kiddush, the guests were
rather hungry. This troubled the
Dayan, who permitted coffee and
cake to be served before continuing
with the seder.
Defining experience
To finish, here is an idea that I first
heard at Dayan Lopian’s seder. In
the hagaddah, the wise son asks:
“What are these testimonies,
statutes and social laws?” Ritva
(13th century Spain) points out that
because the son is wise, he is able
to identify different aspects of the
experience: ‘testimonies’, like
matzah and maror, bear witness to
the exodus; ‘statutes’, such as the
prohibition to break the bones of the
Pesach offering, are without a
clearly stated explanation; ‘social
laws’ which include the requirement
that uncircumcised men may not
Update from the youth
Gavriel Rosen, GGS Youth Director
In the past few months, Dunstan Road Youth has held a host of different events. The
year began with a trip to Regents Park, where we went boating on the lake. It served
as a great introductory event for the year and provided me with a valuable opportunity
to meet the younger members.
Soon after we held a terrific event on Chol HaMoed Sukkot. We began with ‘Pizza
in the Hut’, kindly hosted by the Chain family, which was followed by the ‘London
Nightrider Experience’. Led by our tour guide, we cycled around central London visiting
many key landmarks. Cycling past the London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tower
Bridge created a brilliant atmosphere and everyone enjoyed it immensely.
Perhaps the greatest success of the year has been the introduction of the ‘Kiddush
and Conversation’ programme. Held on a weekly basis immediately after the service,
the Youth have their own Kiddush where they discuss relevant and interesting issues
in Jewish philosophy, law and life. The Youth are split into two different age groups, so
the educational needs of all are catered for in a more tailored way.
Subjects we have discussed include Creation and Evolution, Gun Control in Jewish
Law, and Businesses Ethics. A number of the Kiddushim have been themed – we had
a ‘Sushi Special’, a ‘Ben and Jerry’s Fest’ and an ‘Eight Different Doughnuts Kiddush’ at
Chanukah. Rabbi Belovski also led two of the sessions – one a general Q&A and the
second a stimulating discussion on ‘Piggybacking on Wifi in Halakha’.
In October, older members of the Youth joined Shomrei Hadas Youth for an Israel
Advocacy Evening. They had the opportunity to hear Neil Lazarus, an internationally
acclaimed expert in Middle East politics and public diplomacy, and had a training
session with Jeremy Brier, a former winner of the World Debating Championships who
has coached advocacy to schools and universities around the world for over a decade.
In November the Youth braved the cold to do their bit for Mitzvah Day, collecting
food from shoppers and amassing 20 large boxes, which were donated to GIFT and
Cricklewood Homeless Concern. We ended the
term with a ‘Graffiti 101 Workshop’, which we
held together with Raleigh Close Youth. With
the help of professional Graffiti artists, we
had two hours to prepare our own ‘Graffiti
Masterpieces’, which we took home at the
end. It was an entertaining evening and the
pizza dinner provided a great finale.
On a personal note, I have really enjoyed
working with the Dunstan Road Youth and
being part of this friendly and welcoming
community. Our young members are witty,
bright and always a pleasure to deal with.
eat the offering, foster social
cohesion. This son wants to ‘know
the basis for each thing’.
The seder means different things
to different family members and
guests. Some see complex rational
ideas in celebrating exodus, others
the inscrutable divine, still others
the creation of narrative and rituals
that will secure Jewish continuity.
Each of these expectations, as
well as the interests of those who
know little, care little or just want
to have an enjoyable evening,
must be, and can be incorporated
into what should be a year-defining
experience.
Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski
OBITUARIES FOR DAYAN LOPIAN CAN
BE READ IN HAMODIA (VICKI
BELOVSKI) AT HTTP://HAMODIA.
COM/2014/02/04/DAYAN-GERSHONLOPIAN-ZTL/; AND THE JEWISH
CHRONICLE (RABBI BELOVSKI) AT
HTTP://WWW.RABBIBELOVSKI.CO.UK/
DAYAN-GERSHON-LOPIAN
GGS Journal | 5
news
NEWS FROM GGS Mitzvah Day 2013
From a blind whisky tasting and a young families lunch to Mitzvah Day and Purim, it has
been a busy six months at Golders Green Synagogue. We present the highlights
Tu B’Shvat lunch
for young families
Annabel Ries and Sarah Berelowitz
GGS whisky tasting
T
he Dunstan Road Blind
Whisky Tasting Society
held its annual meeting on
December 18 at the home
of Philip and Sara Goodman. On offer
were five decent single malt whiskies,
plus a surprise addition.
Initially it was intended that we
would choose a representative from
each of the five regions: the Highlands,
Islands, Lowlands, Speyside, Islay and
Campbeltown. However, due to some
misunderstandings we ended up with
two whiskies from the Islands and none
from Campbeltown.
The evening started with a semi
Dvar Torah as I tried to convince the
attendees that whisky is really “Mayim
Chayim” and that the Cohen Gadol
could have been drinking whisky or
something similar in the Kodesh
Kedoshim. If Rabbi Belovski had been
able to attend, it is possible that a
heated and learned argument could
have ensued. Unfortunately, he was
unavoidably detained elsewhere, but we
were very pleased that Vicki was able to
join us towards the end of the evening.
The first whisky tasted was an
Auchentoshan, which was a good start
and a number of people recognised
it as originating from the Lowlands.
This was quickly followed by a bottle of
Scapa Orcadian. This is a whisky that
few people had sampled before and
it was well received. By this time my
talk explaining whisky production was
6
falling largely on deaf ears and so it was
decided to move on to the ‘Joker’.
In the back of his drinks cabinet,
Philip had unearthed a bottle of
Famous Grouse and we served it as
our “mystery guest”. Paul Gilbert
commented that it tasted somewhat
familiar, but he was unsure where he
had tasted it. Almost everyone rejected
this imposter and gave it a poor mark.
However, my father, the only Scotsman
present, who therefore should know
better, marked it 9 out of 10! It is now
obvious that the Kaufmans were
weaned on something that was
not whisky.
Following this ruse we moved onto
the final three offerings: a Talisker Port
Ruighe, a Bruichladdich Port Charlotte,
heavily peated, and my personal
favourite, an 18-year-old Aberlour.
We ended with a fun quiz, in which
we learnt that apparently the French
drink the most whisky and a distillery is
being planned in Israel. Julian Goodkin
claimed to have achieved the highest
mark, but it was unclear whether
anyone was accurately counting by this
point, after five or more shots of whisky.
Many thanks to Sara for allowing her
house to be invaded by the not-sosober whisky addicts, Shevi for her
wonderful biscuits, to everyone for
coming, and to my wife for taking
me home.
Jeremy Kaufman
On Shabbat Parshat Yitro, January 18, more than 100
people enjoyed a wonderful communal lunch, with a
difference – namely that most of the participants were
under the age of 7!
The Shul is now brimming with young children,
attracted by our fantastic children’s services and
Rimon Jewish Primary School. We wanted to organise
a social event that brought the children and their
parents together for a relaxed and family-friendly
occasion, and the Shabbat after Tu B’Shvat gave us
the perfect opportunity.
After Kiddush, we had a magic show to enable the
kids to have a good giggle and build up an appetite
after their crisp-fest, while the catering team finished
things off downstairs. We then sat at the beautifully
laid tables and enjoyed an outstanding meal, with
plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (and festive fruity
straws!) to celebrate Tu B’Shvat, as well as other treats
for grown-ups and children alike.
Rabbi Belovski gave a Dvar Torah based on the
gemara about the ilan tree, linking Tu B’Shvat with
the hope that our children should grow up to be
blessed and praiseworthy. In between courses we
sang zemirot, played Tu B’Shvat bingo and anagrams,
designed our own pictures from crudités and sang
Happy Birthday to both Joel Clark and Rabbi Belovski.
Big thanks to the catering team – Benedict Roth,
Barbara Cohen, Eve Freiberger and Miriam Davis – and
to Jenny Sandler, the founder and driving force behind
the community’s new Children’s Committee.
The feedback speaks for itself:
“The lunch was a total success. My kids loved it, the
magician was brilliant and the food was kid friendly.
Well done to all.”
“The food, atmosphere, entertainment and all the
many small details – including table puzzles and the
wonderful Magic Dave – really took the shul dining
experience to a whole new
level. A wonderful way to
celebrate Tu B’Shvat!”
“Just wanted to say
thank you for a wonderful
day at Shul – was a really
PLEASE JOIN US
fun event and so
FOR A YOUNG FAMILIES
well organised!”
SHABBAT LUNCH,
“Thanks so much for a
CELEBRATING TU B’SHVAT!
fabulous lunch. I thought
SHABBAT 18 JANUARY 2014 FOLLOWING KIDDISH
the entertainer was great,
£15 per adult, £10 per child aged 3+, free for under 3s
Maximum £40 per family
the games on the table
were an excellent touch
and the food was perfect
for Tu B’Shvat and
yummy too!”
BOOK ONLINE BY 6 JANUARY AT
WWW.GOLDERSGREENSHUL.ORG.UK/NEWS-EVENTS/
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS EMAIL
JUNIOREVENTS@GGSHUL.ORG.UK
Giving a small amount of time to bring help and joy where it is needed is at the
heart of the ethos of Mitzvah Day, and the GGS community once again turned out in
force on November 17
M
itzvah Day at Golders
Green Synagogue saw
a broader and more
successful range of
activities than in any previous year
as our community sets the standard
for the annual day of social action
and volunteering.
In addition to running the nowregular shopping project, in which
volunteers from the youth and
wider community collected extra
food at Sainsbury’s for donation to
Cricklewood Homeless Concern,
a group of volunteers also cooked
a three-course meal in the shul
kitchen, which was donated to feed
12 homeless people and three staff at
Barnet Night Shelter. Meanwhile the
community’s expert knitters gathered
in the board room this year to knit
blankets for World Jewish Relief,
while clothes and spectacles were
collected downstairs.
The growing contingent of young
families in the community all pitched
in, with the toddlers making cards for
Jewish soldiers serving in the armed
forces, and older children making
biscuits for nurses at the Royal Free
Hospital. Elsewhere, a number of
members of the community donned
their wellies and helped to plant bulbs
in Child’s Hill Park.
Back in the synagogue, the rear
of the hall was converted into a
blood donation centre for the day –
an initiative spearheaded by Rabbi
Belovski, following the recent closure
of the Shree Swaminarayan Temple
on Finchley Road, which had formerly
hosted blood donation sessions. A
total of 103 units were donated during
the course of the day, with 43 new
donors from the Jewish Community.
Three further sessions were
immediately diarised for 2014.
“It was wonderful to see so
many members and friends of GGS
leading and taking part in Mitzvah
Day activities,” says Rabbi Belovski.
“The blood donation centre attracted
both existing and new donors and
enabled us to welcome many people
from the wider local community. The
range of other Mitzvah Day activities
meant that people of all ages could
participate, from the young children
making Chanukah cards and biscuits
to distribute in local hospitals, to
projects which will make life a little
easier for those less fortunate than
us, both nearby and further away, and
families planting bulbs in our local
park, for all to enjoy in the spring.”
Thankyou to all of the many
volunteers who gave their time on
Mitzvah Day, and we look forward
to making it even bigger and better
next year.
JOEL CLARK AND
SAMANTHA VAUGHAN
Photos by David
Vaughan
GGS Journal | 7
news
NEWS FROM GGS PURIM 5774
Friends of Childs Hill Park
T
here are strong links
between Golders Green
Synagogue and Childs Hill
Park. The Shul backs on
to the park; parents, grandparents
and children enjoy the open space
and playground, and now it will
become the main arena for the sports
activities of the pupils at Rimon.
The Friends of Childs Hill Park
are working to increase community
involvement in our project to make
the park more beautiful. Many
Dunstan Roaders came along and
helped to plant bulbs on Mitzvah
Day in November, and a quick walk
round the park will reveal the green
shoots just emerging. On March 12,
we planted more than 400 native
trees and shrubs along the Dunstan
Road border of the park, thanks to a
gift from The Woodland Trust. Each
Rimon pupil planted a shrub or tree.
We are now embarked on a threeyear regeneration project. Our vision
is a park with beautiful year-round
flowers and shrubs. Barnet Council
has just asked a landscape architect
to draw up detailed planting plans,
which will form part of our grant
applications to environmental trusts.
We also want to make sure the park
is fun for all children, and we are
working with Kisharon to include play
equipment that can be enjoyed by
children of all abilities.
We are currently developing a
programme of activities for local
children, which we hope will include
environmental education, sport and
fun. We very much want parents to
give their views, and help make the
programme happen. You will find the
proposed activities on our facebook
page, Friends of Childs Hill Park,
NW2. Do let us have your thoughts.
The park is for adults too. We
would love to hear about the kind
of event you might enjoy in the park
– for example, a pop-up cinema, a
fireworks display, or a birds of
prey session.
Keep an eye open for the planned
improvements getting underway over
the next few months. You can expect
to see upgraded paths, repaired
benches, new playground equipment,
an outdoor gym, and a family area with
picnic, table tennis and chess tables.
Keep up with the news by emailing
your details to friendschp@gmail.com
so that we can add your name to the
distribution list. You will receive our
regular electronic newsletter, and
have the chance to play your part in
shaping the future of Childs Hill Park.
Ingrid Posen
Chair, Friends of Childs
Hill Park
Golders
Green Cares
Susan Freiberger
susan.freiberger@gmail.com
We are a very active care group in Golders Green
and this time of year has been particularly busy.
A few weeks before Pesach, a team of five
volunteers goes to the United Synagogue head
office, where we telephone about 150 members
who do not come to Shul on a regular basis. We
wish them Good Yom Tov and see how they are
getting on with their preparations for Pesach. It
is also an opportunity for us to have a chat and
catch up with their news. The most important part
of these calls is to make these members feel part
of our community and the calls are always very
well received. If you know of someone who is not
getting a call and would like one, please do let
me know.
Also at this time of year, another group of
volunteers, led by Ruth Glatman, prepare the
Pesach food parcels, which is part of United
Synagogue Project Chesed. These are delivered
a few days before Yom Tov to some of our
members who need help with their Pesach
groceries. It is a big task - organising the
shopping, making up the boxes and arranging
deliveries. The recipients are very happy to see
the volunteers and for the help provided. If you
are interested in helping with this project in
future, please let Ruth or me know.
On our ongoing projects, we have volunteers
visiting the housebound or elderly members of
our community. We also have a bereavement
and befriending group, and offer regular hospital
visits, if we know of a member who is unwell. If
you would like a visit or just a helping hand, or
perhaps you would like to become a volunteer,
please call the care line on 07553 451 023.
And finally, a big thank you to all of the
volunteers who are doing a wonderful job in our
community. Your work is really valued.
I wish you all a very good Yom Tov and a Happy
and Kosher Pesach.
REDEVELOPMENT WORKS CONTINUE
The past few months have seen a break from
the major building work in the synagogue as
fundraising continues for the final stage of the
redevelopment project. But two important
developments have taken place since
Rosh Hashanah.
Firstly, a Kiddush in late December was
sponsored by Dr Rob Ginsburg to mark the
Yarhzeit of his late father, Major Rev Alec
Ginsburg, and the inauguration of the Bet
HaMidrash, which is dedicated to the memory of
8
both of Rob’s parents. The occasion was also
marked by a guest shiur given by Gila Fine,
editor-in-chief of Maggid Books, Jerusalem, and a
few words of tribute given by Brian Beckman as
well as Emeritus Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks.
The second development was the
refurbishment of the Aron HaKodesh, which was
sponsored by Terry Sopel in memory of his late
father-in-law Leslie Green, a former chairman
and warden of the Shul. The work was done by
Susette Palmer, Jackie Crossley (pictured) and
Rob Ginsburg.
P
urim at Golders Green
Synagogue is never an
occasion to be missed, with
a flagship megillah reading
by Rabbi Belovski in the bright
green apparel of a dragon, flashing
traffic lights, and the celebrated
megillah side-show, ably performed
by Brian Baderman.
A highly successful addition to
the programme this year, which
already includes a communal
supper, breakfast and multiple
megillah readings, came in the
form of a Purim Carnival on Sunday
morning for the younger generation,
complete with face painting,
tattoo transfers, hamantaschen
decorating, arts and crafts, an
entertainer and fairground games.
With more than 80 toddlers and
young children attending from the
community and Rimon, the event
was a huge success with a fantastic
atmosphere, thanks to meticulous
planning and execution by Fleur
Ruda, Lisa Scott, Jo Hart and
Deborah Pais.
“We celebrated a fantastic and
memorable Purim at Dunstan Road
this year,” says Rabbi Belovski. “In
the evening, a very large crowd,
many in fancy dress, heard my
usual active megillah reading,
complemented by traffic lights and
Brian Baderman’s unforgettable
side-show and followed by our
popular hot-dog supper. On Sunday
morning, after megillah and
breakfast, there was a brand new
and fabulous fancy-dress parade
and carnival for children. 80 GGS
and Rimon children and their
parents had a wonderful morning
playing games and face painting.
The costumes were so good I
couldn’t choose a winner and a
good time was had by all. Thank you
so much to the organisers.”
SUCCAH IN THE CITY
The winner of this year’s Inside
the Booth competition is
14-year-old Sam Kaufman, who
took these arresting pictures of
his school’s succah from the
roof of City of London School.
“Since we have a large Jewish
community, and the Jewish
Society is one of the largest in
the school, every year a Succah
is put up,” says Sam. “On the
first year, the caretaker moved
the Succah under shelter to
protect it from the rain. They
couldn’t understand why we
insisted on having an openroofed tent out in the open.
Every year, the heads of the
society sleep in the Succah for
one night for charity. The event
isn’t always a success, as typical
British weather generally ruins
the sleep.” Well done, Sam!
GGS Journal | 9
rimon
Rimon thrives in its second year
Five months after the first two classes of Rimon Jewish Primary School moved into their new
building, acting head teacher Sarah Campbell reports on a busy second year for the school
W
e are now well over
half way through
the second year at
Rimon, and so far it
has been a very successful year.
In early November, we moved into
our new school building and the
staff all worked incredibly hard
to prepare the classrooms over
an extended half term so that
they were ready for the children
on their return to school. The
children were delighted with their
new classrooms and playground,
and the rest of the building is
progressing well.
The pupils have been checking
up on the building works regularly
from their special viewing area,
watching cranes and putting their
to work closely together, showing
off their superb acting and singing
skills. The play took place in the
synagogue hall, where parents
greatly enjoyed the performance
amid the glare of flash photography.
The children have been on a
range of trips to complement their
learning, including a farm, parks,
museum, and theatre. We have also
welcomed a number of fascinating
visitors into the school, including a
historian, palaeontologist, wildlife
officer, architect, charity speaker,
African drummer, vet, dentist and
police officer!
Lunch and Learn
Rabbi Belovski has joined us on a
number of special occasions during
RABBI BELOVSKI HAS JOINED US ON
A NUMBER OF SPECIAL OCCASIONS
DURING THE YEAR, INCLUDING
MITZVAH DAY, SUKKOT, CHANUKAH,
TU B’SHVAT AND PURIM
many technical questions to the
project manager. It has been a
wonderful experience for the pupils
to watch the build around them and
witness so much of the development
of their school. In addition, the
children recently planted trees and
shrubs in Child’s Hill Park on the
school border, arranged by Friends
of Child’s Hill Park. They are very
excited to watch their trees and
shrubs grow!
Magic Dreidle
During the Autumn term, staff and
pupils prepared for our wonderful
Chanukah play, The Magic Dreidle,
which provided an opportunity for
the Reception and Year 1 classes
10
the year, including Mitzvah Day,
Sukkot, Chanukah, Tu B’Shvat and
Purim. The children are also greatly
enjoying their half-termly ‘Lunch
and Learn’ sessions with the Rabbi,
during which they can discuss
interesting topics and ask questions
while enjoying lunch together.
As well as collecting tzedakah
each week, we have taken part in
a range of additional charitable
initiatives since the start of the
academic year. In November,
the children baked food for
the homeless as part of the
community’s Mitzvah Day activities.
More recently they collected fruit for
GIFT on Tu B’Shvat. Both classes
also took part in Fairtrade Fortnight,
Thumbs-up from Ofsted
David Vaughan
Chair of the governing body, Rimon
organising a Fairtrade sale in
early March to raise money for the
Fairtrade Foundation. The children
baked delicious South African milk
tarts and banana muffins, as well as
making bookmarks and necklaces.
Environment
Preservation of the environment is
a guiding principle at Rimon and
we have started to work towards
the ‘Green Flag’ Eco-Schools
Award by taking part in a range
of environmental initiatives. The
children regularly learn about
the importance of respecting,
sustaining and enriching the physical
environment. During the Spring
term, Year 1 learnt about sustainable
energy and eco-homes as part of
Clockwise from left:
Fairtrade sale;
donation of Tu
B’Shvat fruit to GIFT,
and school outings
to Golders Hill Park,
Belmont Farm and
the Belovski Sukkah
their ‘Global Gardens’
topic. Over the next few weeks, the
children will be planting vegetables
to eat and cook with in time for
Healthy Eating Week in May.
The Parent-Teacher Association
(PTA) has also been very busy
fundraising this year, selling school
calendars in the Autumn Term and
organising a community fair in
November that raised £750. I would
like to take this opportunity to thank
the staff, governors and PTA for
all their hard work and dedication
in supporting the school with its
activities over the past two terms.
SARAH CAMPBELL
Dr Zoe Dunn is currently on maternity
leave from Rimon
The past few months have been exceptionally busy at Rimon, and we have passed a
few important milestones on which I would like to update the community.
In March, we had our inaugural Ofsted inspection, as well as Pikuach, which is the
statutory equivalent of Ofsted for Jewish religious education. At the time of going to
press, neither report had been published, but I can reveal the summary results and by
the time you read this, you should be able to access the full reports online.
I am enormously proud that both the Ofsted and Pikuach inspectors agreed that
what has been achieved at Rimon during a short space of time is “nothing short of
remarkable”, and I am pleased that the inspectors viewed Rimon as a “Good” school
with many “Outstanding” features. This is a tremendous achievement for a new Free
School, and I am sure that many of you will have read some of the less positive media
coverage that surrounds some Free Schools and Academies around the country.
I would like to thank Sarah Campbell and the staff for the tremendous amount of hard
work and dedication that they put in during both inspections.
As we look towards our third year, I am delighted to say that we have received more
than 100 applications for next year’s 28 reception places, and it is great to see so many
parents buying into what we are trying to achieve at the school. It is difficult to believe
that a little over 18 months ago, we opened with a reception class of only 12 pupils in a
temporarily converted Lebetkin Hall, which has now been demolished to make way for
the extension of the new school building. We have come very far during a short period
of time.
Rimon’s admissions criteria gives priority to members or regular attendees of Golders
Green Synagogue, and we are proud to be associated with the Shul. If you are asked by
family or friends about the criteria for admission to Rimon, please do encourage them to
join or come regularly to Shul. For more information, invite them to book a visit to the
school by emailing office@rimonschool.org.uk.
GGS Journal | 11
chief rabbi
Chief Rabbi’s
Pesach Message 5774
P
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis explores the reasons why the simcha of Adar continues into
Nissan, the month in which Pesach occurs
esach is celebrated during
the month of Nissan. A
notable feature of our liturgy
during this month is the
omission of tachanun, the prayers of
confession and supplication in our
weekday services. In these prayers,
we focus on our shortcomings and
ask God to forgive us. Tachanun is
omitted during Nissan on account of
the joyous nature of the month.
Should this not be the case (the
halacha) for the preceding month of
Adar? After all, is it not concerning
Adar alone that our Sages teach
“With the commencement of Adar,
our joy increases”?
Our Sages explain that when the
Mishkan (Sanctuary) was erected in
the wilderness, it was dedicated on
Rosh Chodesh, the first day of
Nissan. During the first twelve days
of the month, the princes of the
tribes brought sacrifices and each
of these days was celebrated as a
Yom Tov by the tribes. As a result, to
this day, these twelve days have a
festive flavour to them. Just a few
days later Pesach commences. For
the majority of the month we enjoy a
festive spirit and so we do not recite
Our happiness gathers momentum
and therefore the joy of Nissan
supercedes that of Adar.
Organisers of moving and
inspiring events are always
concerned with follow-up and
impact. A spectacular occasion
may be great on the day, but if it
is only a ‘one-day wonder’, with
no added commitment by the
participants, it is likely to be a
wasted opportunity.
In our tradition, nothing is
reserved exclusively for one day
alone. Even a festival that lasts a
day is a catalyst for further
engagement. Shavuot, for example,
inspires us to have a Season of the
Giving of the Torah on every day of
the year. Similarly, following Yom
Kippur, our Day of Atonement, we
have an opportunity to repent
throughout the year.
So too with regard to happiness
(simcha). The simcha of Adar is only
of true value if it enables us to find
the key to ongoing joy and
fulfilment. How apt, therefore, that
the month of Nissan, which follows
Adar, is one of continuous simcha.
During my first six months as
I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WITNESS,
AT CLOSE HAND, THE IMPRESSIVE VITALITY
OF OUR COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE UK
tachanun throughout the month
of Nissan.
In his commentary on the Talmud
(Ta’anit 28a), which deals with the
joyous nature of the month of Adar,
Rashi states that with the start of
Adar, our happiness increases
through our celebration of Purim
and Pesach. Rashi understands that
Adar begins a process that
continues beyond the month itself.
12
Chief Rabbi I have had the privilege
to witness, at close hand, the
impressive vitality of our
communities throughout the UK; in
synagogues, in schools, in our
communal organisations and on
campuses. Let us ensure that we
continually seek maximum impact
and lasting effect in all that we do
across our communities. We must
set our expectations high and settle
Chief
Rabbi
Ephraim
Mirvis
for nothing less. It is only through
our collective efforts as individuals
and as communities that we can be
inspired and inspire others, that we
can be engaged and engage others.
As we celebrate Pesach this year,
may we be blessed with increased
happiness, fulfilment and success.
Valerie and our family join me in
wishing you all a Chag kasher
vesameach.
CHIEF RABBI EPHRAIM MIRVIS
Rabbi Mirvis is the
Chief Rabbi of the
United Hebrew
Congregations of
the Commonwealth
feature
MEMORIES of Rabbi Newman
Following the report of the fierce battle for succession prompted by the retirement of
Reverend Livingstone in 1954 in the last edition, Jackie Crossley profiles Rabbi Dr Eugene
Newman, who served in the pulpit for 23 years until his death in 1977
O
ur Shul has been blessed
with many outstanding
rabbis over the years and
Rabbi Dr Eugene Newman
was certainly one of them.
Rabbi Newman was born in 1913 in
Bilke, Czechoslovakia. He studied in
the German Gymnasium, while also
attending yeshivot in both Tirnau and
Bratislava. The youngest student in
the yeshiva, he studied through the
night every Thursday.
He escaped to England before the
Second World War after a long and
hazardous journey from Prague,
hiding under the seats of the train
with German soldiers sitting above
him. He eventually made his way
through Belgium and on to England.
On his first attempt he was turned
back, but he persevered and gained
entry in 1938.
Rabbi Newman’s first position was
as Minister of the New Synagogue in
Manchester, which he held from 1939
to 1945. During this time, he gained
Semicha from Jew’s College, even
though he had already done so from
his previous yeshiva. In 1945, he moved
to Portsmouth and during his time as
Rabbi there, he was consulted by the
Navy and Admirals of the Fleet on
matters relating to Jewish servicemen.
His next move was to Golders
brought about a number of new
innovations. Every weekday morning
after Shacharit, he gave a short shiur,
and shiurim given by Rabbi Eli
Cashdan and Rabbi Wiesenberg were
also introduced.
Rabbi Newman was very
conscientious in his pastoral duties,
and was always available when needed
by his congregants. Children’s services
continued to flourish, attended by
many of our younger siblings, while a
youth club met every Sunday evening
and a thriving Cheder at which Susette
Palmer still remembers being taught
Pirkei Avot by Rabbi Newman.
Rabbi Newman also started a ‘Study
Circle’, which attracted numerous
teenagers, boys and girls, including
myself, Susette and Brian Beckman. It
met every Shabbat afternoon in Shul,
the Rabbi’s home or one of our own
homes. He also encouraged us to hold
monthly youth services.
There was a vibrant Cultural and
Literary Society and for the older
members, a Friendship Club. Mrs
Newman joined enthusiastically in the
life of the kehilah. She chaired the
Ladies’ Association, which met
regularly, and held coffee mornings
and bazaars, raising money for the
Shul. Those funds were used to install
the rail around the ladies’ gallery, a
Rabbi Newman was a great infflluence
during my youth, and through him I
made lasting friendships and became
involved in all aspects of Shul life
Green Synagogue, where he was
inducted as the Rabbi on March 23,
1954. He arrived with his wife Bertha
(nee Sussman-Cohen), and two sons
Michael and Winston. His daughter
Adele was born a few years later.
Rabbi and Mrs Newman became
involved in all aspects of our
community, which in those days had
some 1300 members. Along with the
regular duties of a minister, he
much-needed safety measure.
Mrs Newman also organised the
local Poppy Day Appeal for the Golders
Green area. She implemented the
provision of kosher school meals in the
Joseph Freedman Hall, with a
voluntary rota of mothers supervising,
and a coach taking the children to and
from local non-Jewish schools.
Rabbi Newman was an ardent
supporter of Jewish day schools and
was the first Principal of Mathilda
Marks, which at the time was situated
in Golders Green. His sons went to
Hasmonean and Adele to JFS, as did
a number of others from the
community. He was a keen Zionist. He
participated in interfaith activities and
worked on the causes of refuseniks
and prisoners-of-conscience. He was
Chaplain to both the New End Hospital
and Athlone House convalescent
home. Rabbi Newman was also a
scholarly man who attained his
doctorate while serving our
community, writing a thesis on “The
life and teachings of Isaiah Horowitz”.
Rabbi Newman passed away on
Shabbat morning, January 1, 1977.
This was announced by Dayan Swift at
the end of the service. I for one will
never forget the feeling of sadness
and loss that permeated the Shul on
that day. He was a great influence
during my youth, and through him I
made lasting friendships and gained a
love and involvement in all aspects of
Shul life. For many years, he tried to
get the Shul to install a central bimah.
It was appropriate that following his
death, one was erected in his memory,
designed by his son Winston.
Rabbi Dr Eugene
Newman
Jackie Crossley
GGS Journal | 13
feature
23 hours in Vilnius
During a short work trip to Lithuania last year, Corinne Kaufman took the opportunity to
visit the old Jewish area of Vilnius and research the country where her family once lived
I
n early November last year, I
attended a meeting of European
financial regulators in Vilnius,
hosted by the then Lithuanian
Presidency of the Council of the
European Union. I was only there for
23 hours, but I took the opportunity
to find out about my family who
came from Lithuania, and to try to
track down some of their records.
To assist me I booked a lovely
guide, Regina Kopilevich, from the
local Vilnius Jewish community, to
show me around Jewish Vilnius.
Regina hails from Grodno, in
Belarus (formerly also Lithuania,
White Russia and Poland) near
Swislocz, from where my maternal
grandmother came.
Regina took me on an early
morning walking tour of the old city
of Vilnius, where until the Second
World War nearly 150, 000 Jews –
close to half the city’s population
– lived. I discovered that Jews had
lived in Vilnius from around 1440,
and that the various Lithuanian
leaders, often Polish royalty,
oscillated in their likes and dislikes
of Jews, such that Jewish art, and
art depicting Jews, was highly
visible in the numerous churches
scattered around the city, including
visible image of a Magen David on
one wall. In an area that once
housed 25 synagogues, all adjacent
to one another, was the famous
Great Synagogue, which whilst
being the only one to survive the
war, was destroyed by the Russians
in the 1950s, and over it was built a
school. Moreover, the cemeteries
were all destroyed, and buildings
built over them. However I did
discover some tombstones with
inscriptions in Hebrew, which to my
abhorrence, were being used as
steps for entrances to churches,
built after the Second World War.
I visited Vilnius’ Jewish Museum,
where I saw exhibits of survivors
from the pogroms in the 19th and
20th Century, and remnants of what
had been a thriving Jewish
community of learning and of
culture. On display were films
showing harrowing testimonies
from a few who had escaped mass
executions in a wooded area on the
outskirts of the city, of those who
were born and visited Vilnius, and
an exhibit of a secret passageway in
the roof of its building.
With the help of maps of the
former Jewish areas, I saw
buildings that used to be yeshivot,
IT WAS A LONG AND HARROWING DAY, IN WHICH I
FOUND FEW SURVIVING REMNANTS FROM WHAT
WAS ONCE A THRIVING CENTRE OF JEWISH LIFE
one such church, which in a corner
displayed an etching citing the blood
libel in Latin, dating from around
the 1500s.
Despite the City’s strong Jewish
heritage, all that remains of the
large Ghetto, to which Vilnius Jews
and the neighbouring Jewish
communities were rounded up in
the Second World War, were two
fairly new plaques and a barely
14
schools and major printing
workshops of Judaica. I also saw
building sites of flats and offices
under construction, where in their
foundations and nearby, lay Yiddish
and Hebrew markings of former
shop fronts of kosher butchers and
Jewish merchants.
I ended my tour outside a small
kindergarten where a few boys in
Kippot were smiling and playing
with toys, in a fairly new
establishment opened and run by
Chabad, and saw that despite the
tragic past, Lithuanian Jewry
lives on.
I then attended my business
meeting at the Town Hall, where I
discovered in its records that many
of the former city councillors had
been Jewish, and that it had been a
popular venue for large Jewish
weddings, and for meetings hosting
visiting Jewish dignitaries.
After my meeting, I visited the
public record offices to see if I could
track down details of my family, but
alas I was unsuccessful in tracking
their birth, death and tax records,
from the shtetls and villages from
where they came. But my research
was not in vain as I found a good
source on those regions at www.
jewishgen.org.
It was a long and harrowing day,
in which I found few surviving
remnants from what was once a
thriving centre of Jewish life, but the
enduring message comes from the
final credit of a film I happened to
see while I was there: “Do not
forget history to ensure it does not
repeat itself”.
Corinne Kaufman
Yiddish shop
sign discovered
on building site
in Vilnius
feature
Shabbat in St Petersburg
On a trip to Russia last year with husband Ben and son Eli, Lynne Fertleman spent
Shabbat in St Petersburg. She recounts the highlights
C
elebrating Shabbat on
holiday always requires a
certain level of preparation
before leaving home, from
candles, challot and dinner
ingredients, to remembering to
check Shabbat times online. But
things were a little different when
we spent Shabbat in St Petersburg
last June.
The city’s very northern
geographical location means that in
the summer months the sun does
not set for long enough for darkness
to appear. Instead, the sky is bathed
in a translucent twilight glow in
what the Russians call the White
Nights. Shabbat came in at around
11pm, so at a friend’s suggestion we
did something on Friday night that
we have never done before and went
to the ballet at the fabulous
Mariinsky Theatre and saw the first
few acts of Don Quixote.
Some readers may be more
familiar with the name Kirov, which
is the name this theatre was known
by during the Soviet era. The inside
of the building is grand and certainly
has a royal feel. It was really fun to
watch the audience’s behaviour as
most magnificent architecture, built
in the Moorish/Byzantine style,
which is so prevalent in eastern
Europe. Very few repairs were made
to the building during the Soviet era,
with the exception of some minor
decoration in 1980 in preparation for
the Moscow Olympics as the
synagogue had a high tourist
ranking. By the 1990s, the building
was in a poor state of repair. Thanks
to the generosity, for the most part,
of the American Safra family, major
restoration works were completed
in 2005. The synagogue now has
daily services, a kindergarten,
restaurant and a shop selling
groceries and Judaica.
We had spent the first week of our
trip to Russia in Moscow, visiting
well-known tourist spots such as
Red Square and the Kremlin. Ben
and Eli went to the Moscow Choral
Synagogue, which is Moscow’s
oldest and most prominent shul.
Although there were no services in
the main prayer hall at the time of
the visit, it was still being used. This
magnificent building is also built in
the Moorish style and, like the
synagogue in St Petersburg, has a
THE SUN DOES NOT SET FOR LONG
ENOUGH FOR DARKNESS TO APPEAR.
SHABBAT CAME IN AT AROUND 11PM
they waited for the ballet to begin.
It was a true cultural occasion:
people were formally dressed and
many were taking photos of the
décor and each other. The seating
was also unexpected in that
everyone had their own padded
wooden armchairs.
On our last day in St Petersburg,
we visited the Grand Choral
Synagogue. The design is
supposedly based on the “New
Synagogue” on Oranienburger
Strasse in Berlin. It opened in 1893
and is the second largest synagogue
in Europe. The building has the
tall cupola (dome-like structure)
above the Aron HaKodesh.
Opened in 1906 after 26 years of
red tape, it was designed by Semyon
Eibuschitz and Roman Klein. It was
also the only synagogue that
continued to operate throughout the
Soviet era, even though the
communists wanted to convert it
into a workers’ club (many churches
were converted to swimming pools
during this period). Now part of a
thriving community, the synagogue
is probably best known as the place
where Golda Meir, in her role as
Israel’s first ambassador to the
Soviet Union, greeted thousands of
Soviet Jews in 1948. It was also
refurbished to its former glory in the
early part of this century and the
new dome was completed in 2001.
Why did we visit Russia? Eli
studied Russian at school and Ben
promised him a visit if he achieved
an A*. However, as the results were
not out until the end of the summer,
we had to make the trip before we
knew his grade. Eli’s knowledge of
Russian did prove very useful,
especially as nearly everything is in
the Cyrillic script and very little
English is spoken. We didn’t go on
an organised tour; instead we
rented apartments in both Moscow
and St Petersburg so there was no
hotel concierge to help us out.
Oh, and how did Eli do in the
exam? He got his A*!
The Grand Choral
Synagogue in St
Petersburg
Lynne Fertleman
GGS Journal | 15
Confessions of a Limmudnik
From lectures on aircraft hijacking to antinomianism, David Reuben offers his personal
perspective on the value of Limmud
O
k, I admit it – I’m biased.
It’s 20 years since my first
Limmud – I met Sam at
Ilford Limmud in 2002, and
around 75% of my favourite lectures
have taken place there. So have
75% of my least favourite talks, as
it happens, but I ensure I leave the
seminar room as soon as I realise
I’ve made a terrible mistake.
Limmud has only increased my
level of knowledge and observance
over the years, and I have enjoyed
discussing theology with other
Limmudniks late into the night.
Personal highlights have included
talks on the development of rabbinic
responsa by Jonny Solomons, an
explanation of the Hallel Psalms
from a professor at Bar-Ilan
University, a close analysis of the
prophet Nathan’s rebuke to King
David, and a talk on antinomianism
not heresy but apathy. Vast numbers
of attendees see Limmud as their
main educational event of the year.
Do I support everything that goes
on at Limmud? No. In
my view there are too
many talks of a self-help
nature, and too much
David
grumbling about Israeli
Reuben
policies by people who
are unable to suggest
a viable alternative.
Sometimes they are too
welcoming, but other
home or on the ski slopes instead?
times they get it right. For example,
If the latter, they should come up
I appreciated the chance many
with a sensible suggestion, and
years ago to hear The Independent
I’m sure the organisers would be
journalist Robert Fisk speaking
pleased to hear from them. What
about the Middle East. I don’t find
they shouldn’t do is grumble from
his views any more palatable than
the sidelines without offering
previously, but his summary of his
anything constructive.
family’s involvement with the area
(his father was in the Palestine
David reuben
David Reuben has
been attending
Limmud for 20 years
LIMMUD HAS ONLY INCREASED MY
LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE AND
OBSERVANCE OVER THE YEARS
in the Mei Shiloach. I have also
learnt about no end of biblical
characters, including Lot, Samson,
Zimri, Jezebel and Elisha.
There’s a full programme for
children of all ages, and the family
accommodation is more three-star
hotel than a hall of residence.
vThe food is basic, though with
an option for fine dining for those
whose lives aren’t regulated by
children’s bedtimes.
Is Limmud a den of heresy? I
have never found this to be the
case; those who stay over Shabbat
are required to observe it in public
places, and while there may be talks
by people who don’t keep kosher,
those talks are not about kashrut.
Recent studies have shown that the
main obstacle to Jewish continuity is
16
police) explained a lot.
Many of the sessions have a
tangential link with Judaism at best
– the history of aircraft hijacking
by an air safety consultant was
fascinating, as was a talk on the
concept of universal jurisdiction. A
speaker from the Turkish embassy
spoke about his government’s take
on the Middle East situation, and
a spokesman for the Methodist
Church made a doomed attempt
to defend its one-sided and frankly
rather juvenile policy on Israel.
The opponents of Limmud should
ask themselves whether they would
like it to be abolished or reformed. If
the former, do they genuinely think
that the Jewish community would
benefit from potential attendees
spending their holiday period at
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feature
The Melting-Pot
Terry Sopel recounts the highlights from his recent appearance in an Israel Zangwill play
at JW3, including the last-minute addition of a second part
I
t was the Queen who
prompted it. Since Johnny
Kelly mentioned to me one
Shabbat that he thought
my dramatic rendition of the
Prayer for the Royal Family may
very well have added several
years to our dear Queen’s life,
I had been hoping that a casting
agent from the Royal Shakespeare
Company would happen along and
sign me up but, for some reason
which I cannot fathom, it had
not happened.
When I read on JW3’s website
that an amateur dramatics group,
The Spielers, was being formed for
a production of The Melting-Pot, a
play by Israel Zangwill, I attended
the audition. I read for the three
senior male parts and was
delighted to be offered the part
of Baron Revendal.
We soon had the first readthrough and I met the other
cast members. Although I thought
I didn’t know any of them, Clive
Kennard, who played Quincy
Davenport, reminded me that he
had been part of the choir that had
attended several Shabbat morning
services at GGS in 2012.
A week before the performance,
“Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto
No 1”).
As I only had one hand free,
the script encumbered the
use of props but, apart from that,
my only other problem was
transferring from a heavy Yiddish
accent in Acts I and II to an
English-educated Russian accent
for Act III, before returning to
Yiddish for Act IV.
I must say I had
trouble remembering
all my lines, albeit a
Terry
different line at each
rehearsal. I put this
Sopel
down to decrepitude,
but the director, Debbie
Chazen, explained that
professional actors
have had time to develop this side
of their brain
and it would not therefore be
surprising that an amateur would
take much longer.
I still favour the decrepitude
theory, although Debbie told me
that we’d had only two-thirds of the
rehearsal time a West End
production would have had for a
similar play.
The many shul members
who came seemed to enjoy
Terry reprises
his role as Baron
Revendal, complete
with boater, on
Purim. Photo by
Jeremy Kaufman
MY ONLY PROBLEM WAS TRANSFERRING
FROM A HEAVY YIDDISH ACCENT TO AN
ENGLISH-EDUCATED RUSSIAN ACCENT
the chap due to play Mendel
left the show for health reasons
and, not having any shared scenes
with him, I put myself forward
to take on this second part in
addition to the Baron. As there
would not be sufficient time for
me to learn the lines, I familiarised
myself with the part and carried
the script on stage (cunningly
concealed in a folder labelled
the production; the worst
review I heard being that the play
was “interesting”, such opinion
being offered in a rather
unenthusiastic tone. JW3 plans
to put on three plays each year
and, if not snapped up by
Hollywood in the interim, I hope
to participate again.
TERRY SOPEL
GGS Journal | 17
feature
A battle between
Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaria was “like seventy years old”, the haggadah tells us. But in fact he
was only 18. Avraham Shapir explores the texts and the history behind the statement
‫הרי אני כבן שבעים שנה‬
T
his line is taken from the
haggadah. It is a statement
by Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaria
and it means, “I am like
seventy years old”. So, how old was
he? He was only 18 years old. This
word “like” refers to a coup d’etat
that took place in Yavne and is
described in detail in the Talmud
Bavli in Brachot 27/2-28/1 and in
the Yerushalmi 52/1-2.
The background to this
event started in 70 AD, at the
destruction of the temple. Rabban
Yochanan ben Zackai managed
to escape from Jerusalem (the
escape is described in Gittin 56/1).
When he reached the Roman camp,
he met Vespasian, the Roman
General, and predicted that he
would become the Emperor of
Rome. When Vespasian asked for
Rabban Yochanan’s wish, Rabban
Yochanan asked for Yavne and its
Sages (Yavne was located about 40
miles south of Tel Aviv).
Here starts the Yavne Era.
The importance of this era was that
it determined the faith of Judaism
and moulded cultural and religious
life for generations to come. Here,
in fact, commenced the Talmudic
era. Yavne has expanded and
institutions that existed before, in
Jerusalem, were renewed. That is,
the Sanhedrin and the Nassi who
was its head; and the Bet-Din.
Before the destruction, Hillel held
the role of the Nassi. His
descendants succeeded him. That
is, Rabban Gamli’el the first and his
son Simon. In Yavneh, Rabban
Gamli’el seemed to be the natural
heir to the Nessi’oot. According to
the tradition, Hillel stems from King
David. The Yichus was there. The
power of the leadership was split
18
equally between the Nassi and the
Chachamim. The
Chachamim were in fact
the rival power to the
Nassi. We know for sure
that that there were
Avraham
always tensions between
Shapir
the two. Rabban
Yochanan left Yavne, and
this was probably due to
tensions between him
and Rabban Gamli’el. The
Chachamim were never shy of
flexing their muscles when they saw
fit. So Rabban Gamli’el, having
established himself at the top of the
Sanhedrin and the Nessi’oot, now
faced a challenge to his authority.
There were a few incidents
between the Nassi and the
Chachamim that passed peacefully.
But one event was a bridge too far.
The Chachamim rebelled and
Act 1
Rabban Gamli’el was removed from
The Gemarah in Berachot tells us
his office and replaced by the young,
of a Tana’ic story. A pupil came to
but brilliant Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaria.
Rabbi Joshua and asked him if
This is the traditional historical
Tefillat-Arvit (evening prayer) is
background to the events that led to
optional or obligatory. Rabbi Joshua
our case. I say traditional because
said optional. The pupil then went to
modern researchers will dispute
Rabban Gamli’el who said
few points that I have mentioned.
obligatory. But the pupil then said:
IT WAS THE DREAM OF EVERY JEWISH
MOTHER TO HAVE A SON-IN-LAW LIKE
RABBI ELAZAR BEN AZARIA
For instance, they claim that
Rabban Gamli’el was not a Nassi.
The great historian Yosef Ben
Matityahu, better known as Titus
Flavius Josephus, never mentioned
Rabban Gamli’el as the Nassi.
However, since we are dealing now
with the Talmud and not pure
history, I will ignore the other
historians and deal only with the
Talmudic case. I will start with
the Bavli.
“Rabbi Joshua said optional”.
A person like Rabban Gamli’el
would not tolerate such an opposing
opinion. He immediately drew the
battle lines and staged the
showdown. “Wait for tomorrow,” he
said. “When the Baale Terisin will
come to the Beit Hamidrash, ask
this question again.” (Terisin, in
Greek, is a shield – he meant, when
the warriors, the Chachamim, will
come). So, when they all came in,
Photo by Guy
Shapir
Rabbis
the pupil asked again the same
question. This time, Rabbi Joshua,
wanting to avoid an argument with
Rabban Gamli’el, replied: Obligatory.
Rabban Gamli’el, looking for
confrontation, said: “But I was told
that yesterday you said optional!
Joshua! Stand up!” Rabbi Joshua
stood up on his feet (the equivalent
of being told by a teacher to stand in
the corner), while Rabban Gamli’el
was sitting and carried on lecturing
and expounding. The Chachamim
did not like this insult at all. Soon a
murmur broke the silence and it
grew into a protest. “Stop!” they
shouted to the translator, and the
session came to abrupt end.
Now the revolt gathered
momentum. The Chachamim asked:
“How long is he going to hurt him and
get away with it?” Apparently, it was
not the first time that Rabban
Gamli’el had behaved in this way.
Rabban Gamli’el was known also to
have insulted some of the great
Chachamim like Rabbi Eliezer,
Rabbi Akiva and the old Rabbi Tarfon.
He told them: “All that you say
is questionable”.
Act 2 – coup d’etat
The coup d’etat seemed now to take
shape. They removed Rabban
Gamli’el from his office and
nominated, after a long debate, Rabbi
Elazar ben Azaria. It was the dream of
every Jewish mother to have a
son-in-law like him. He was very
bright. At the young age of 18 he was
already a Chacham – let us say, a
PhD Professor, in today’s terms. He
was rich and the Chachamim fell for
him. As in any revolution, some
changes immediately took place. The
doorman was removed and anyone
who wanted to come in was
welcomed. Rabban Gamli’el always
insisted that only select pupils would
be allowed in. The change was
significant. Between 400 and 500
benches were added.
GGS Memorial Board
We are now able to offer a commemorative plaque
on the Memorial Board in the vestibule of the Shul.
The cost is £400 per plaque.
Should you wish to take up this offer,
please contact the Shul office.
Act 3 - repentance and
restoration
Rabban Gamli’el now pondered his
plight and decided that he must
have been wrong. The only way to
restore his position was to ask
Rabbi Joshua for forgiveness. So he
tried. With his lack of tact, he made
a comment as to the way that Rabbi
Joshua lived (Rabbi Joshua was a
very poor man). This did not help.
When he asked for forgiveness and
was ignored, he started to grovel:
“For my father’s sake, be
appeased!”
Rabbi Joshua obliged. He sent a
messenger to the Beit Hamidrash
with the message of his forgiveness.
But the Chachamim thought that
the messenger was from Rabban
Gamli’el. So, Rabbi Akiva said:
“Lock the doors, so that he will not
come in”. Rabbi Joshua decided to
go to the Beit Hamidrash by himself.
Rabban Gamli’el was reinstated.
The pupil who asked the question
was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.
The Yerushalmi basically repeats
the same story with small
differences. It is more aggressive
toward Rabban Gamli’el and more
critical. It is more politically
orientated. The yichus plays a great
part in the nomination. The Bavli
moves the focus from the political
parameter to the ideological. In this
ideological parameter, personal
behaviour is the all-important
virtue. This is the main message of
the story. It tells us that he who
behaved harshly, beyond reason,
was removed and had to grovel and
plead forgiveness and
reinstatement. His yichus did not
shield him from demotion.
The story proves that the popular
approach was far superior to
Rabban Gamli’el’s elitist tendencies.
The demotion also raises the
question as to whether someone
like Rabbi Elazar who does not
belong to the president’s dynasty,
can replace Rabban Gamli’el as a
Nassi. The preference of Rabbi
Elazar to Rabbi Akiva as Resh
Mesivta (Rosh Yeshiva) expresses
the yichus effect, but the real yichus
that counts belongs to the Rabban
Gamli’el dynasty. The power of the
Chachamim was great but up to that
extent. And they knew it. According
to commentators, the Bavli is
probably the originator of this story.
I found this research riveting. I
hope that I managed to pass to you
some of its flavour.
Avraham Shapir
GGS Journal | 19
greetings
Chag Kasher V’Sameach
Pesach greetings from the members of Golders Green Synagogue
MARCUS: Joanne and Sam wish everyone in Golders Green Shul a chag kasher v’sameach
BOWMAN: Simon and Penina wish all their family and friends a Happy and Kosher Pesach
MORLAND: Chag Sameach from Claire, Paul, Sonia, Juliet and Adam Morland
CHAIN: Benny and Julia wish everyone Chag Pesach kasher v’Sameach
SANDLER: Happy Pesach from Jon, Jenny, Theo, Amelie and Olivia Sandler
CLARK: Wishing everyone in the community a happy Pesach. Rachel, Joel, Annie and Jonah
SHAPIR: Chag sameach from Ann and Avram
DAVIES: Jonathan wishes everyone a Happy Pesach
SHAW: Chag Kasher Ve’Sameach! From Fabia and Stephen, Gideon and Atoosa, Gaby, Sam, Saadya and
Hadassah, Aaron and Sarah, and Rachy Shaw
FRANKS: Julia, Julian, Ella, Isaac, Gabriel and Michael wish the whole community a wonderful Pesach
WOOLICH: Pesach sameach v’kasher from the Woolich family: Sara, Anthony, Rebecca and Helena
FREIBERGER: Wishing you a good Yomtov and a Happy Pesach. Susan, Brian, Andrew, Anna and Lee
ZINKIN: Wishing you all a happy and kasher Pesach. Love from all the Zinkins
FREIBERGER: Wishing everyone in the community a kosher v’sameach Pesach. Eve, Phil, Avi and Ben, Yossi, Alon and Tamar
GINSBURG: Wishing everyone a happy, kosher Pesach. Chag sameach. Dina, Rob, Avi, Elisheva and Aaron
GLATMAN: Sydney and Ruth wish everyone in our community all the best for Pesach. May the Seder services in our homes be happy
and meaningful, and as this week is different from all other weeks, let us all enjoy it with our own particular family traditions
GOODMAN: Wishing everyone at Dunstan Road a chag kosher v’sameach. Have a wonderful Pesach
wherever you are spending it. Lots of love Sara, Philip, Avi, Yoram and ShevI
HABIB: Best wishes to everyone in our very special community and hoping that we will all go from strength to strength. Eveleen
HOCHHAUSER: Wishing everyone Chag Sameach, from Jo, Daniel, Dina, David and Rachel
When words seem meaningless,
here are three that will help
“Chai Cancer Care”
KAUFMAN: Corinne, Jeremy, Hannah, SAM and Emma would like to wish the community a happy and kosher Pesach
KELLY: Say goodbye to kitniot – from the Kelly Klan
LEWIS: Happy Pesach - Vivienne and Jeffery
MALINSKY: Passover is a time of reflection and joy, when we emerge from doubt and slavery to Fly freely on the wings of
faith. Wishing all the members of our wonderful congregation a Hag Pessah Kasher VeSameach. Meir and Yarona Malinsky
If you know someone affected by cancer,
tell them about Chai Cancer Care.
Call our freephone 0808 808 4567 or visit www.chaicancercare.org
Chai Lifeline Cancer Care Registered Charity No. 1078956
MANUEL: Don’t sit on the Afikomen or your Seder will last all night! Happy Pesach. Love from the Manuels
20
Chai_PesachAds_11_Golders_Green_Shul's_Pesach Magazine.indd 1
| 21
GGS19/02/2014
Journal 11:30
announcements
Mazel
tov to…
. Dena and Fred Barasi, on the birth of a son, Amitai Idris
. Dan and Sarah Berelowitz, on the birth of a son, Buzz Harry
. Anna and Jeremy Bokobza, on the birth of a son, Micah
Abraham Charlie
. Sharon and Simon Cohen, on the birth of a son, Yishai Yosef
. Karen and David Prevezer, on the birth of a son, Harry Jack
. Jenny and Jon Sandler, on the birth of twin daughters, Amelie
Davina and Olivia Esther
. Gabriel and Aura Vaisbrot, on the birth of a son, Dan Shlomo
. Adam and Romy Gordon, on the birth of a daughter
. Stephen and Fabia Shaw on the birth of a granddaughter, Ita,
daughter of Aaron and Sarah
. Donald and Diana Franklin on the birth of twin granddaughters,
Maayan Sophie and Amelie Ruth, daughters of Naomi and Gabriel
. Guido Rauch on the birth of a granddaughter, Afik Adanah,
daughter of Sara-Jenny and Assaye Grima
. Jacqui and Peter Zinkin, on the birth of a grandson, Rafael
Nachum, son of Ed and Judy
. Yaffa Friedman, on the birth of a granddaughter, Mika Jaye,
daughter of Gabriel and Naomi
. Brian Beckman, on the birth of a granddaughter, Tova,
daughter of Joshua and Gila
. Helena Woolich, daughter of Sara and Anthony, on her Batmitzvah
. Stephen and Fabia Shaw on the engagement of their son
Gideon to Atoosa, daughter of Sohrab and Roya Khodabakhsh of
Long Island, New York
Brian and Miriam Baderman, on the engagement of their
daughter Hanna to Herzl Amouyal
.
. Derek and Liora Diamond, on their marriage
. Michael Patterson and Denise Green, on their marriage
. Julian and Judy Goodkin, on the marriage of Zoe to Julian Bohm
. Susan and Brian Freiberger, on the marriage of Anna to Lee Rhodes
. Eveleen Habib, on her 70th birthday
. Emma Mays, on her Aliyah
From left: Derek and
Liora Diamond, Lee
and Anna Rhodes (nee
Freiberger), and Julian
and Zoe Bohm (nee
Goodkin)
22
deaths
Sending condolences to all those who have lost a family member
. Josephine Dutch
. Betty Gerrard
. Gertrude Goldman
. Rabbi David Katanka
. Siggy Prais
. Kitty Silver
. Vera Sprei
. Chawa Wolanski
. Essie Van Der Molen
. Peter Bendor, father of David Bendor
. Michael Bronzite, brother-in-law of Ingrid Posen
. Samuel Cohen, father of Esther Freedman
. Denzil Jacobs, father of Julia Chain
. Marga Lewis, mother of Ellen Bernstein
. Avraham Malinksy, father of Meir Malinksy
Welcome
to new members
. Yonni and Angela Abramson
. Anita Bamberger
. Fred and Dena Barasi
. Adam and Andrea Berlin
. Ashley and Rachel Blake
. Harry Blumenthal
. James and Gemma Dunitz
. Maurice Epstein
. Daniel and Joanne Hart
. James and Karina Kaufman
. Alexandra Kohansky
. Benjamin and Jennifer Lauffer
. Richard Leigh
. Robert and Karen Levy
. Benjamin and Avigail Levy
. Mikhael and Michele Liberman
. Benjamin and Naomi Mark
. Keith and Jane Myers
. Noah Nathan
. David and Lisa Scott
. Daniel and Rachel Shababo
. Simon and Yana Shaer
. Anthony and Ruth Silverberg
. Daniel and Sara Silverman
. James and Tanya Summers
. Max and Jean Sussman
. Joseph and Suzanne Tager
. Joel and Joanna Vertes
Golders Green Synagogue
41 Dunstan Road, London NW11 8AE
Tel: 0208 455 2460 office@ggshul.org.uk
Rabbi Dr Harvey Belovski
0208 458 8824 rabbi@ggshul.org.uk
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