A selection of news items and features from in an around the community
- My Experience as a SPY leader
- SPS Commitment to the FSU
- 60 Years of the Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation
- An Evening With ... Julian Romain
- FPJ 40th Anniversary Tea
My Experience as a SPY leader
I have been a member of SPY since I was 7 years old. Because I enjoyed it so much, as I grew older I decided that I wanted to become a leader. As I became more involved with SPY, I was gradually given responsibility by leaders and youth workers. I have built friendships that will last me a lifetime and I have learnt so much from others who have set me such fine examples.
When I first became a leader, I was very nervous, as I had never been given such responsibility before. Coming to SPY every week does not seem like work to me in the slightest. I look forward to seeing the people I have grown up with and looking after the participants, ensuring that they enjoy their evening.
When I became 14, I was made a 'trainee leader' and for a year I was taught child protection and security. I feel that this year of training has helped me feel comfortable with looking after the participants and making sure that they are enjoying the session.
Apart from enjoying SPY so much, my other main reason for becoming a leader was because I wanted to give back to other children, the experience I have received from SPY. I have made such amazing friends and gained a lot of knowledge in doing so.
Katie Hart
back to top
I have been a member of SPY since I was 7 years old. Because I enjoyed it so much, as I grew older I decided that I wanted to become a leader. As I became more involved with SPY, I was gradually given responsibility by leaders and youth workers. I have built friendships that will last me a lifetime and I have learnt so much from others who have set me such fine examples.
When I first became a leader, I was very nervous, as I had never been given such responsibility before. Coming to SPY every week does not seem like work to me in the slightest. I look forward to seeing the people I have grown up with and looking after the participants, ensuring that they enjoy their evening.
When I became 14, I was made a 'trainee leader' and for a year I was taught child protection and security. I feel that this year of training has helped me feel comfortable with looking after the participants and making sure that they are enjoying the session.
Apart from enjoying SPY so much, my other main reason for becoming a leader was because I wanted to give back to other children, the experience I have received from SPY. I have made such amazing friends and gained a lot of knowledge in doing so.
Katie Hart
back to top
SPS Commitment to the FSU (Former Soviet Union)
Imagine living under Communism, Stalinism! Imagine not being allowed to practise Judaism or even to call yourself a Jew in public!
Now think of the 21st century and living in the FSU. A new regime, a new freedom! Think of the joy of being able to practise your faith with others in a community committed to Liberal Judaism – its ethics, practises and beliefs – BUT not to have Jewish resources, artefacts or even prayer books because so many precious things have been lost or destroyed. Those who heard Ukrainian Rabbi Misha Kaputsin’s sermon at our shul were certainly enlightened.
The Social Action Group (SAG) has been actively working to develop contacts with the Ukraine to enable us to give practical and informative help.
SAG is now affiliated to the FPJ and Exodus groups and two members, Lyn and Kate, met with Alex Dukovney, the Chief Rabbi for Liberal Judaism in the FSU, whilst he was on a visit to England.
If you are interested in supporting this cause and/or joining SAG, please contact Lyn Davis or the shul.
Lastly, a big thank you to all who contributed so generously to this cause at the Chanukah Chaverah.
Lyn Davis
back to top
Imagine living under Communism, Stalinism! Imagine not being allowed to practise Judaism or even to call yourself a Jew in public!
Now think of the 21st century and living in the FSU. A new regime, a new freedom! Think of the joy of being able to practise your faith with others in a community committed to Liberal Judaism – its ethics, practises and beliefs – BUT not to have Jewish resources, artefacts or even prayer books because so many precious things have been lost or destroyed. Those who heard Ukrainian Rabbi Misha Kaputsin’s sermon at our shul were certainly enlightened.
The Social Action Group (SAG) has been actively working to develop contacts with the Ukraine to enable us to give practical and informative help.
SAG is now affiliated to the FPJ and Exodus groups and two members, Lyn and Kate, met with Alex Dukovney, the Chief Rabbi for Liberal Judaism in the FSU, whilst he was on a visit to England.
If you are interested in supporting this cause and/or joining SAG, please contact Lyn Davis or the shul.
Lastly, a big thank you to all who contributed so generously to this cause at the Chanukah Chaverah.
Lyn Davis
back to top
60 Years of the Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation)
When Tina and I saw that Liberal Judaism were organising a trip to Dublin to join in the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Progressive synagogue, we immediately decided to go, because Dublin was a place that we had always wanted to visit but never got round to going there. When we obtained the programme of the weekend, we saw that there along with the organised events, there was a certain amount of free time and, although we did not know any of the other visitors from the UK, we thought it looked interesting and worth while participating.
We had to arrange our own flights, so we booked an early morning flight on Friday and an early evening flight on the following Monday. Worried about traffic problems to reach Stanstead in time to check in and pass through security (recent warnings of horrendous queues in our minds) we left home at 6am to find that we had parked, checked in and been searched thoroughly by 7am for the flight due to depart at 9.30am.
Travelling by Ryanair is not enjoyable, but for the hour long flight is bearable. We checked in at the hotel arranged by LJ, (the excellent Bewleys Hotel in Ballsbridge, a smart suburb of Dublin), and we went into the centre of the city to have a look around. It is a very busy place on Friday afternoon.
We met up with the other 14 people on the trip in the early evening and we travelled by minibus to the synagogue where we were warmly welcomed by the Dublin community who laid on a sumptuous buffet supper. The visitors from the UK were representing various communities – Northwood and Pinner, the LJS, Finchley, Southgate, Kingston, Birmingham and there was another party of 10 from Cardiff. At various times of the weekend there were 6 Rabbis present. (What is the collective noun for Rabbis? A glut (or glatt), a rabble or maybe a reverence?)
The Erev Shabbat Service was led by Rabbi Charles Middleburgh, who splits his time between Cardiff Reform Synagogue and Dublin. He delivered an excellent sermon about the Dublin community. The service was followed by tea, coffee and cake – food was never far away throughout the weekend.
On Shabbat morning, the Service was again beautifully led by Rabbi Middleburgh. The choir has four members; three women and one man. The music was wonderful. It proved that it is not necessary to have a large choir. The service was attended by civic dignitaries, leaders of other faiths, the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland, shul members and visitors. I found it very moving when a local Church leader went up to the bimah and read a prayer for the membership and community of the synagogue. This is the real meaning of inter-faith.
After Kiddush and an extended Kiddush for the “special guests”, we had a free afternoon, so Tina and I went on a tour of Trinity College and an exhibition there. In the evening, 14 of us went to the famous Abbey Theatre to see “Doubt” which was a thought-provoking play about the possible abuse of a schoolboy by a Catholic priest.
On Sunday, our friendly and amusing driver, Tom, took us to the Irish Jewish Museum. This is housed in two small terraced houses which were knocked into one and provided a stiebl for about 150 people. There was a decline in the Jewish population of Dublin in the 1950’s and the shul closed in the early 1970’s. It reopened as a museum in 1985 and contains many interesting artefacts and memorabilia. Upstairs, the original synagogue with all its ritual fittings is on view.
Tom then took us out into the country and we visited a lake and the Wicklow mountains. The scenery was beautiful, in spite of the cold wind and some rain.
In the evening, the congregation held a formal dinner to celebrate its anniversary. Tina and I sat on a table with four people from Dublin, two from Cardiff and Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger, who came especially for the dinner.
On Monday morning, we visited the National Gallery before our journey home. The flight took 55 minutes, but thanks to an accident on the N.Circular Road, it took us 110 minutes from Stanstead to home!
We returned tired, but we agreed that it had been a great weekend. We met many wonderful people from other congregations and the Dublin community are so welcoming and hospitable – you can’t lose weight there!
The trip was organised by Rabbi Dr Andrew and Sharon Goldstein, who had everything under control at all times and this contributed to the success of the weekend. They almost succeeded in converting Tom, the bus driver, to Judaism!!
Barry Mathiason
back to top
When Tina and I saw that Liberal Judaism were organising a trip to Dublin to join in the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Progressive synagogue, we immediately decided to go, because Dublin was a place that we had always wanted to visit but never got round to going there. When we obtained the programme of the weekend, we saw that there along with the organised events, there was a certain amount of free time and, although we did not know any of the other visitors from the UK, we thought it looked interesting and worth while participating.
We had to arrange our own flights, so we booked an early morning flight on Friday and an early evening flight on the following Monday. Worried about traffic problems to reach Stanstead in time to check in and pass through security (recent warnings of horrendous queues in our minds) we left home at 6am to find that we had parked, checked in and been searched thoroughly by 7am for the flight due to depart at 9.30am.
Travelling by Ryanair is not enjoyable, but for the hour long flight is bearable. We checked in at the hotel arranged by LJ, (the excellent Bewleys Hotel in Ballsbridge, a smart suburb of Dublin), and we went into the centre of the city to have a look around. It is a very busy place on Friday afternoon.
We met up with the other 14 people on the trip in the early evening and we travelled by minibus to the synagogue where we were warmly welcomed by the Dublin community who laid on a sumptuous buffet supper. The visitors from the UK were representing various communities – Northwood and Pinner, the LJS, Finchley, Southgate, Kingston, Birmingham and there was another party of 10 from Cardiff. At various times of the weekend there were 6 Rabbis present. (What is the collective noun for Rabbis? A glut (or glatt), a rabble or maybe a reverence?)
The Erev Shabbat Service was led by Rabbi Charles Middleburgh, who splits his time between Cardiff Reform Synagogue and Dublin. He delivered an excellent sermon about the Dublin community. The service was followed by tea, coffee and cake – food was never far away throughout the weekend.
On Shabbat morning, the Service was again beautifully led by Rabbi Middleburgh. The choir has four members; three women and one man. The music was wonderful. It proved that it is not necessary to have a large choir. The service was attended by civic dignitaries, leaders of other faiths, the Israeli Ambassador to Ireland, shul members and visitors. I found it very moving when a local Church leader went up to the bimah and read a prayer for the membership and community of the synagogue. This is the real meaning of inter-faith.
After Kiddush and an extended Kiddush for the “special guests”, we had a free afternoon, so Tina and I went on a tour of Trinity College and an exhibition there. In the evening, 14 of us went to the famous Abbey Theatre to see “Doubt” which was a thought-provoking play about the possible abuse of a schoolboy by a Catholic priest.
On Sunday, our friendly and amusing driver, Tom, took us to the Irish Jewish Museum. This is housed in two small terraced houses which were knocked into one and provided a stiebl for about 150 people. There was a decline in the Jewish population of Dublin in the 1950’s and the shul closed in the early 1970’s. It reopened as a museum in 1985 and contains many interesting artefacts and memorabilia. Upstairs, the original synagogue with all its ritual fittings is on view.
Tom then took us out into the country and we visited a lake and the Wicklow mountains. The scenery was beautiful, in spite of the cold wind and some rain.
In the evening, the congregation held a formal dinner to celebrate its anniversary. Tina and I sat on a table with four people from Dublin, two from Cardiff and Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger, who came especially for the dinner.
On Monday morning, we visited the National Gallery before our journey home. The flight took 55 minutes, but thanks to an accident on the N.Circular Road, it took us 110 minutes from Stanstead to home!
We returned tired, but we agreed that it had been a great weekend. We met many wonderful people from other congregations and the Dublin community are so welcoming and hospitable – you can’t lose weight there!
The trip was organised by Rabbi Dr Andrew and Sharon Goldstein, who had everything under control at all times and this contributed to the success of the weekend. They almost succeeded in converting Tom, the bus driver, to Judaism!!
Barry Mathiason
back to top
An Evening With ... Julian Romain
Firstly, I would like to thank the members of the audience who patiently waited for the talk to begin. Also, I would like to thank Barbara Martin who dispensed the refreshments with her usual cheerfulness and, finally, Rabbi Howard for installing the audio visual equipment and all the support he gave Mr Romain.
Although we did not learn too much about Rembrandt, we did appreciate how Julian Romain interpreted the paintings he showed. We learned to recognise what various symbols meant and how to understand the backgrounds of the people in the paintings.
Due to circumstances, Mr Romain arrived a little late but this gave people the opportunity to chat with each other and, I think, regardless of any problems with the evening, proved to be a great social success.
Betty Wess
back to top
Firstly, I would like to thank the members of the audience who patiently waited for the talk to begin. Also, I would like to thank Barbara Martin who dispensed the refreshments with her usual cheerfulness and, finally, Rabbi Howard for installing the audio visual equipment and all the support he gave Mr Romain.
Although we did not learn too much about Rembrandt, we did appreciate how Julian Romain interpreted the paintings he showed. We learned to recognise what various symbols meant and how to understand the backgrounds of the people in the paintings.
Due to circumstances, Mr Romain arrived a little late but this gave people the opportunity to chat with each other and, I think, regardless of any problems with the evening, proved to be a great social success.
Betty Wess
back to top
FPJ 40th Anniversary Tea
FPJ (Friends of Progressive Judaism) celebrated 40 years of fund raising for progressive communities in Israel, Europe and the FSU, with a special tea, held at Edgware and District reform Synagogue on 5th November. You might be asking yourselves why it was that we went to Edgware instead of SPS for this celebration. Well it was in that synagogue, 40 years ago, that a very small committee organised the first fund raising dinner to raise awareness and money solely for Progressive Jewish causes. We became known as “The Friends of Progressive Judaism in Israel, Europe and the FSU” quite a mouthful, which is why last year we decided to go modern and call ourselves FPJ!
We welcomed some very charismatic speakers. Rabbi David Soetendorp, whose late father was a speaker at the first fund raising dinner 40 years ago, spoke with great passion about issues surrounding the Jews in the FSU. Rabbi Bob Samuels flew in that lunchtime to speak about the work at the Leo Baeck Education Center Haifa, and the importance of fund raising for progressive communities in Israel.
A wonderful tea was served and there was plenty of time for old acquaintances to reunite and discuss their past adventures together.
Jane Greenfield
back to top
FPJ (Friends of Progressive Judaism) celebrated 40 years of fund raising for progressive communities in Israel, Europe and the FSU, with a special tea, held at Edgware and District reform Synagogue on 5th November. You might be asking yourselves why it was that we went to Edgware instead of SPS for this celebration. Well it was in that synagogue, 40 years ago, that a very small committee organised the first fund raising dinner to raise awareness and money solely for Progressive Jewish causes. We became known as “The Friends of Progressive Judaism in Israel, Europe and the FSU” quite a mouthful, which is why last year we decided to go modern and call ourselves FPJ!
We welcomed some very charismatic speakers. Rabbi David Soetendorp, whose late father was a speaker at the first fund raising dinner 40 years ago, spoke with great passion about issues surrounding the Jews in the FSU. Rabbi Bob Samuels flew in that lunchtime to speak about the work at the Leo Baeck Education Center Haifa, and the importance of fund raising for progressive communities in Israel.
A wonderful tea was served and there was plenty of time for old acquaintances to reunite and discuss their past adventures together.
Jane Greenfield
back to top