קהילה. Mitzvah Day Sunday 19 November. Kehillah The Community Newssheet of Sha arei Tsedek

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1 קהילה Kehillah The Community Newssheet of Sha arei Tsedek י ב בחשון תשע ח November 2017 / 5778 Mitzvah Day Sunday 19 November Ladies Indulgence & Gift Evening How I learned Hebrew by Justine Khedoory Introducing Religion School team Plus Cirque du Soliel Theatre Trip Days of Awe Charity Appeal musings from our Chair of Council, Richard Woolf In this issue November at a glance p.2 Upcoming Events p.3 November in Focus p4,5 & 6 Editor: Lorraine Feldman Sub Editor: Lara Pront Proof-reader: Estelle Gilston

2 November at a glance Weds 1 Thurs 2 Fri 3 Shabbat 4 Sun 5 Mon 6 Tues 7 Weds 8 Thurs 9 Fri 10 Shabbat 11 Sun 12 Mon 13 Tues 14 Weds 15 Thurs 16 Bridge Club Introduction to Judaism Tai Chi Mishpacha Erev Shabbat B nei Mitzvah Class Erev Shabbat Service Shabbat Morning Service Torah Brunch Religion School Tae Kwon Do Over 50 s Exercise Class Adult Learning Programme Dementia Club UK Pilates / Baby & Toddler Group / Messy Play / Super Soccer Stars Midweek Group Bridge Club Introduction to Judaism Tai Chi Indulgence & Gift Evening B nei Mitzvah Class Erev Shabbat Service Shabbat Morning Service Religion School Tae Kwon Do AJR Film Club Over 50 s Exercise Class Adult Learning Programme Book Club launch Pilates / Baby & Toddler Group / Messy Play / Super Soccer Stars / Writing Group / Ivrit Conversation Art Course / Bridge Club Introduction to Judaism Council Meeting Tai Chi Fri 17 Shabbat 18 Sun 19 Mon 20 Tues 21 Weds 22 Thurs 23 Fri 24 Shabbat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tues 28 Weds 29 Thurs 30 B nei Mitzvah Class Erev Shabbat Service Mishpacha Shabbat Shabbat Morning Service Religion School Mitzvah Day Kvutza Youth Club Over 50 s Exercise Class Adult Learning Programme Pilates / Baby & Toddler Group / Messy Play / Super Soccer Stars Midweek Group / Bridge Club / Art Course / Introduction to Judaism Tai Chi B nei Mitzvah Class Family Shabbaton & Koleinu Erev Shabbat Service with Kollot Rocks Family Shabbaton & Torah Brunch 2 Religion School AGM Tae Kwon Do Over 50 s Exercise Class Adult Learning Programme Lunch & Chat Pilates / Baby & Toddler Group / Messy Play / Super Soccer Stars / Writing Group / Ivrit Conversation Packing Group Art Course / Bridge Club Introduction to Judaism AJR Tai Chi

3 3 Upcoming Events Monday 4 December Night Shelter Volunteer Training Session, 7.30 pm Would you like to get involved with our annual Night Shelter initiative? Come along to our Volunteer Training Session to learn about what s involved and how you can make a difference. For more information about Volunteer roles and /or the Training Session please contact Ilana on E: nightshelter@shaarei-tsedek.org.uk or M: Monday 11 December Book Club, 7.30 pm Join us for our second meeting. We will be discussing A Horse Walks in to a Bar, by David Grossman. Members and non-members welcome. Cost: 2.00 pp / session including refreshments. Sunday 17 December Community Chanukah celebration, 4.00 pm Please join us on the 6th night of Chanukah for arts & crafts, youth activities, candle lighting and refreshments. We will be joined by The Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Brian Salinger, The Mayoress Mrs Kate Salinger and Councillor Lisa Rutter, Founder of Dementia Club UK. Tuesday 23 January 2018 Theatre Trip Cirque du Soleil OVO Cirque du Soleil returns to the iconic Royal Albert Hall in 2018 with its never before seen in the UK show, OVO! A colourful carnival of crazy crickets, amazing ants and flexible fleas. Cost: per person including coach journey. For tickets please contact: E: karen.dozio@shaarei-tsedek.org.uk Sunday 4 February 2018 Annual Supper Quiz, 7.15 pm for 8.00 pm start Our popular Quiz Evening is back. Tickets: pp / Early bird ticket pp. Offer ends 12 January Tables of eight. For more information please contact the Office on E: info@shaarei-tsedek.org.uk or visit W: Full details of all events and activities can be found at

4 November in focus 4 Wednesday 1 Bridge Club, 2.00 pm 4.00 pm Also on 8, 15, 22 & 29 November Introduction to Judaism Course, 7.30 pm Over the coming weeks we will be covering topics including Tsedekah; God; Snapshots of historical Jewish characters; and Reform origins and development. For more information please contact: steve.levenson@shaarei-tsedek.org.uk Thursday 2 Tai Chi, 2.00 pm 3.00 pm Also on 9, 16, 23 & 30 November Friday 3 Erev Mishpacha Shabbat, 4.00 pm 4.45 pm Especially for the youngest members of our community, come along to welcome in Shabbat with songs and games for under 5s. Shabbat 4 Shabbat Morning Service, am followed by Torah Brunch During our Torah Brunch we will be focussing on Parashat Va-yeira, looking at and discussing texts. Sunday 5 Tae Kwon Do, 1.00 pm 2.00 pm Open to children aged 5 13 yrs. Just turn up in joggers, t-shirt and bring a drink. Cost is 3.00 pp/session. All welcome. Also 12 & 26 November. Monday 6 Over 50 s Exercise Class, am pm A basic aerobic class designed to meet the needs of people wanting to get active or stay fit, low impact, combines aerobics with upper body or standing ab routine. Open to members and non-members 6.00 pp/session. No need to book, just turn up. Dementia Club UK, 2.00 pm 4.00 pm

5 5 November in focus Monday 6 Adult Learning Monday Afternoon Sessions, 1.00 pm Mamas & Divas: Jewish Women in Popular Music. This Monday we will focus on Barbra Streisand. Monday 13 the last session of Mamas & Divas will focus on Sophie Tucker. Cost 5.00 pp/session suggested donation. Also on 13, 20 & 27 November. Thursday 9 Ladies Indulgence and Gift Evening, 6.30 pm Complimentary glass of bubbly with every ticket. Join us for an evening of beauty treatments including reflexology, mini manicures/pedicures, back and neck massage and shop for beautiful gifts including artisan Kosher chocolates, jewellery and wellness products. Great raffle prizes on offer too don t delay, book your tickets NOW at or by scanning the QR code. Tickets: 6.00 in advance / 8.00 on the door. To book treatments call Emma ( ) or Talya ( ). Monday 13 Book Club launch, 7.30 pm Join us for the launch of our new Book Club when we will be discussing I have no secrets by Penny Joelson. We are delighted that Penny Joelson, Author and Sha arei Tsedek member, will be joining us for the launch. Members and non-members welcome. Cost: 2.00 pp/session including refreshments. Wednesday 15 Art Course Fully booked Our 4 week Art Course begins this week and will run on 22 & 29 November and 6 December. Details of courses in 2018 will be publicised in due course. Shabbat 18 Mishpacha Shabbat Morning Service, am am Shabbat activity aimed at our youngest members with singing, reading from our special Torah scroll, craft activities, games and a yummy Kiddush.

6 November in focus 6 Sunday 19, am 12 noon Mitzvah Day On Mitzvah Day we will be collecting, sorting and packing pre-loved children s shoes. Members are invited to come along and help Religion School pupils and teachers during the morning. Donated shoes should be tied together in pairs and a 1 coin taped to the bottom of each pair. Please note we are NOT collecting shoes in advance of Mitzvah Day so please do NOT drop off any shoes to the synagogue. For more information please contact Roz Levenson on roz.levenson@shaarei-tsedek.org.uk or call the Office on We are also collecting toiletries and non-perishable food for the homeless in Barnet (Homeless Action in Barnet). Please bring any items to the synagogue from November 1st and leave them in the boxes in the foyer. Kvutza Youth Club, pm 2.00 pm Our theme this week is Under The Sea. Come and explore the depths of the deep blue sea, meeting new creatures and playing games while we swim through the Great Barrier Reef! Friday 24 and Shabbat 25 Family Shabbaton Weekend Our weekend will begin with a Koleinu Erev Shabbat led by Rabbi Judith Levitt and teenage members of our community. Musical accompaniment from Koleinu Band and first performance from our Youth band, Kollot Rocks. Our Shabbat Morning Service will be followed by a Torah Brunch and interactive and dynamic family learning sessions led by Rabbi Levitt, Charley Katan and Deborah Woolf. Event is aimed at families with children attending Primary School. Members of the community are welcome to attend all services and activities over the Shabbaton Weekend. Sunday 26 AGM, am All synagogue members are invited to attend the AGM, and have their say how the Community is run over the coming year. Members of the Synagogue Council are formally elected at the AGM. If you are interested in joining the Synagogue Council and would like to know more about what is involved please feel free to contact: Full details of all the above mentioned events and activities can be found at

7 7 Community Pages The annual Days of Awe Appeal is our opportunity to make a real difference to charitable causes in the wider community Read about our personal connections to our 2018 charities Max s Foundation and The Separated Child Foundation Many of us knew Max Schiller. Max and his family, parents David and Shira along with sister Molly joined our community in Max was a vibrant, energetic and happy ten year old, I always think of him running into Religion School on a Sunday morning with a big smile on his face. n January 2015 his life was cut tragically short when he passed away I suddenly and without warning from an undetected heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited disease of the heart muscle, where the muscle wall of the heart becomes thickened making it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body. This condition is very difficult to detect in young children and there are generally few, if any, symptoms. However, a minority of young people will experience significant symptoms and, like Max, are at risk of sudden death. amie Robothan and Noah Bruck knew Max well. Below they J describe, in their own words, their memories of Max and why they support Max s Foundation.

8 Community Pages 8 Jamie Robotham: Noah and I both became good friends with Max as soon as we met him here at Sha'arei Tsedek Religion School when we were six. Max never have a bad bone in his body and always meant well. We enjoyed lots of the same things together including Doctor Who and, like many other geniuses, he supported Arsenal. In January 2015, we were 10 years old, all looking forward to going to secondary school together, as well as starting Bar Mitzvah classes. Noah Bruck: For quite a long time Max hadn't been feeling well but it was shocking when his parents, after putting him to bed, looked in on him two hours later to find that he had passed away. They later found out that he had a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is very difficult to detect, particularly in children. That's why we want to help Max's Foundation which in partnership with the Centre for Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases at Great Ormond Street Hospital, funds research into heart conditions in children and supports those affected by it as well as helping their families. Jamie: Max's Foundation's first project was funding a Research Nurse at the Centre on a three-year contract. The charity has pledged to buy equipment needed for operating theatres where young children undergo difficult cardiac surgery. They hope to buy a specialist defibrillator and two infra-red spectroscopy machines which measures oxygen levels in a child s brain during surgery. Noah: We miss Max being part of our crowd, but he is definitely not forgotten. You may have seen the coloured bench outside which Religion School fundraised for in his memory soon after he died. Jamie: It was especially sad not celebrating our Bar Mitzvahs with him this year. Both Noah and I have organised charity events to support the charity two weeks ago, I climbed Scaffel Pike, the highest mountain in England and raised 815 for Max's Foundation. Noah: A bit before Jamie did his climb, my family and I did the colour run in Wembley. We raised 1,400 for the Foundation.

9 9 Community Pages he Separated Child Foundation was set up in memory of Ester Gluck T who passed away in 2006 at the age of 24. Compassionate and creative, Ester was deeply committed to working for the benefit of refugees and people seeking asylum. In particular, she cared about the needs of young refugees, especially those who have become separated from their parents and close family. ster was the daughter of Angela Gluck, with whom I studied at E Melton many years ago. She grew up in London and was involved in many social action projects. hrough significant experiences as play-leader on a student-led T project for refugee children, she developed an increasing commitment to refugees and people seeking asylum. Ester volunteered for several organisations, including the Refugee Council and 'Detention Action', where she was later appointed to a permanent position. magine being a child or young person having to flee your homeland I because of war, terror or persecution. Without having your parents with you because they were killed before you left or were unable to leave. Imagine arriving in a strange country, seeking asylum, alone, with absolutely nothing. he Separated Child Foundation offers emotional, social, financial and T physical support to separated children and young people in Britain up to the age of 21. They do this through a number of ways, for example Arrival Packs: a duffle bag crammed full with toiletries and a towel, underwear, items of warm and waterproof clothing and other essentials that make a simple but important difference to everyday life. The Arrival Packs help with lifting spirits, they are assembled so that opening one is like receiving a gift-wrapped present.

10 Community Pages 10 nother example is Sleep Packs, a pouch containing: a night shirt, a A plug-in night light, a lavender bag and other items, helping restore to restful and refreshing sleep, with a regular sleep-wake rhythm. The Separated Child Foundation is the only charity in the UK that exclusively supports lone refugee youth, who are particularly vulnerable both as children and as refugees. Projects such as the ones I have described make a simple but significant difference to the lives of separated children. e hope that you will continue to give generously to our Days of Awe Appeal. W Extract from Richard Woolf s speech given on Yom Kippur, 30 September 2017 To donate to our Days of Awe Appeal 2018 Online at By cheque payable to Sha arei Tsedek North London Reform Synagogue By scanning the QR code

11 11 Community Pages Becoming Kallat Bereishit Read Justine Khedoory s inspiring journey to learn Hebrew in under four months Q What was your level of Hebrew reading/understanding before accepting the role of Kallat Bereishit? JK My level of Hebrew reading/understanding was absolutely zero. I literally could not read a single Hebrew letter! Q How did you feel initially when you were asked to be Kallat Bereishit? JK I felt terrified and thought it would be impossible to learn Hebrew, especially at my age as it s always harder to study as you get older. Also, I m learning Sign Language and the thought of learning two languages, both without a single English letter in them, seemed unachievable.

12 Community Pages 12 Q How hard is it to learn Hebrew? JK For me, once I got over the shock, I found it relatively easy. Q What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about learning Hebrew? JK Do it! It s an amazing achievement, even if I say so myself. I m very proud of myself which isn t something I feel very often. But you have to be dedicated and determined and never give up. My advice, to anyone who is thinking about learning Hebrew, is that you need to practice every single day. Also, now when I attend services, the fact that I can follow the service in Hebrew instead of phonetically, makes a real difference. It makes me feel more Jewish. Q What are the most difficult words and phrases? JK That is so hard to answer. Once you know and recognise all the letters and the vowels, you decode each word and work out how to say it. However, it was a totally different story when I started learning my portion without the vowels, after I had learnt it with the vowels. When you read from the Torah scroll many, many words look exactly the same without the vowels, but you say them all differently. You have to somehow memorise these words. It was a real challenge to learn to read them all correctly without the vowels in such a huge portion. Q Please explain what steps you ve taken to learning Hebrew? JK At first, I visited my friend Andrea Laurence two-three times a week. Andrea used to teach at Religion School, Then I would meet her once a week and then every couple of weeks. I would study each paragraph/day at a time. Once I was proficient with the first day/paragraph, I went on to the next. I studied 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening. As I had more and more to practice each week, I increased my studying time. However, as I got better and better, it became easier. There are 7 days in total (the 7 days of Creation). I would literally, painfully, decode every word, one letter at a time. Andrea would record herself saying the paragraph, as it should be said, in to my phone. Then at home, I would read the paragraph, at first one word at a time by myself, and then listen to her saying it. Gradually, I got more fluent and my speed improved and eventually, I didn t have to listen to her at all. I carried my portion around with me in my handbag every day and even took it on holiday with me.

13 13 Community Pages I also had an App on my phone called Pocket Torah which included my portion so I could look at this too. Q Is there anything you would have done differently? JK No. Q How do you feel now about being Kallat Bereishit? JK Amazing! Very proud and honoured. Bereishit is about new beginnings. This was something new for me and I have proved to myself that it is possible to learn or do something new and to never give up. A quote I love is if you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. I feel that I have achieved this. Simchat Torah a brief explanation by Rabbi James Baaden Simchat Torah is unusual in that it isn't an ancient festival with its origins in the Tanakh. In fact it was invented by Jews in the Middle Ages, who felt that the whole season of festivals in the autumn needed to be marked by one further final day of chag, festival. Plus they thought it important to mark the point when we complete the reading of the Torah with the end of the fifth book, Deuteronomy, and return to the beginning of the very first book, Genesis - literally the beginning of everything. It became customary to honour certain men with call-ups and a role in reading the last text of the Torah and the very first one. In Reform Judaism we maintain the spirit and content of this tradition, honouring male and female members of our communities equally. A woman called up to do the reading of either the final or first Torah verses is referred to as the Kallah - or bride - and a man who is so honoured is therefore the Chatan, or bridegroom. The word 'Torah' in the title of the bride or bridegroom relates to the final verses of Deuteronomy, the end of the Torah - whilst Bereishit, meaning 'in the beginning', quotes the very first verse, indeed the very first word, of Genesis. We hope you enjoyed reading this article. If you would like to share your story please contact editor@stnl.rs or call

14 Community Announcements Mazeltov to: Joseph Morris and Talia Myers on their recent wedding. Mazel Tov to Caroline and Steven Morris. Condolences to: Jayne, Lynne and Vicky Bernstein and Sheila Matthews on the loss of their mother and sister, Wendy Bernstein. 14 Your letters From Doreen Feldman About a year or so ago I was invited to join a monthly Dementia Club that was being set up by Gilda and Lynda. Initially I was a little hesitant as I really knew nothing about this condition and how it affects those living with it and their carers. One year on and my knowledge and experience has grown and I have learned to understand the condition better. This new found knowledge has enabled me to help more with activities and get to know some of the loveliest people that I could wish to meet. The Club meets on the first Monday of every month. Guests and carers of all denominations are greeted with tea, coffee and cake. In addition to refreshments the other main ingredients, that are always present, are laughter and music. Our group is lucky enough to have a regular entertainer, James le Bec. He comes along to play music for everyone to sing along and dance to. It s a pleasure to see the amount of fun that everyone derives from this activity. Every time I volunteer at the Club I am always struck by the variety of activities going on around me it s quite unbelievable. There can be people playing cards in one corner, and others playing skittles, table tennis or golf putting in another. Everything is always mixed with the sound of relaxed conversation and laughter. It is one of my favourite afternoons. The most important thing I ve learned, however, during this past year is that you are never too old to help. There are many other worthwhile volunteering opportunities at Sha arei Tsedek, so do consider becoming more involved whatever your age. It s been a wonderful experience for me and I m so pleased I was invited to be a part of this amazing provision.

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16 Useful contacts at Sha arei Tsedek Alonim Kindergarten Roz Levenson E: B nei Mitzvah Programme Steve Levenson E: Dementia Club UK Lynda Staal or Gilda Rabin E: T: Finance/Accounts E: Five-A-Side Football Neil Woolfson E: M: Kollot Rocks, Youth Band Louise Katin E: Kvutza, Youth Club Charley Katan E: M: Lunch & Chat Janet Renton or Susan Strudwick via the Synagogue Office. E: or Mishpacha, Families with young children E: Office E: Packing Group E: / Synagogue Manager E: Volunteering E: SHOUT IT OUT LOUD WE LOVE SHA AREI TSEDEK Please review us, like us and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Keep up-todate with everything that s going on around your community Sha arei Tsedek North London Reform Synagogue 120 Oakleigh Road North, Whetstone, London N20 9EZ T: E: info@shaarei-tsedek.org.uk W: