June 2020

the magazine of finchley progressive synagogue

When Faiths Unite From the Editor... darren beach

Almost three months other with quizzes, have become the highlight into lockdown, what of the week. And for the elderly and vulnerable, has changed the it can be a lifesaver from a morale point of most? It’s arguable view, reminding them that their relatives are that one of the there at the other end. Many of us know how biggest challenges amazing staff at care homes have been, not has been the way we only with health issues but also with helping communicate. With their residents learn how to use modern ways of workplaces, pubs, communicating (it’s never too late). places of worship Here at FPS we all know the huge value for and even visiting your family being off limits, a community of staying in touch, of reaching everyone has been forced to adapt the way they out to everyone and of being inclusive. In this communicate with their friends, their relatives, Shofar we also look at communication of a their clients and their community. different type - of language, of culture and of It has also brought home the importance keeping Jewish life going in often precarious of real, genuine communication. In ‘normal circumstances. times’, we’re far too used to sending a quick The Covid-19 pandemic has left many of us “how are you doing, must catch up soon” text in difficult situations. The government (and I’m message, punching out a “have a great birthday not Emily Maitlis so I think I’m on safe ground xx” Facebook post or promising to “have a drink here) has not helped matters with their constant some time” with an old friend. Now, with so mixed messaging depending on the angle many of us stuck at home - many of us entirely ministers have been ordered to spin that day. alone - we appreciate more and more the value So we are left to be our own communications of connection, of hearing someone laugh at your management team, reaching out to those joke, of seeing familiar faces. Zoom calls with we love and those in need, and helping us all old buddies, whether to chinwag or to test each remain positive. Take care everyone.

Cover: At the Queens Crescent Community Oak and Imam Bodrul from Baitul Copy deadline is the 10th Centre handing out food for increasing Atman Mosque. photo credit: of each month. Please numbers in need. Made for Ramadan but www.jewishnews.timesofisrael.com email all content to not just for Muslims. FPS Rabbi Rebecca [email protected] with Mother Carol from St Martin’s Gospel

2 From the Rabbi rabbi rebecca birk

I have been reading the letters of Vita Sackville- West and Virginia Woolf during lockdown. It’s strange what one reaches for when things are quieter. These letters are amazing. They talk of writing and travel and food and plans, loads and loads of plans. The efficiency of the postal service meant they had several times a day to receive a letter and adjust their plans. Almost as immediate as our email and WhatsApp. I loved this one: That’s why I still insist on ‘thank you’ letters Thursday 10 December 1925 so the art is not completely lost on them. I still insist they write not reluctantly, but they don’t - 52 Tavistock Square whip out the envelopes with alacrity. Letters My dear Vita are the equivalent of slow cooking. Maybe we Would Tuesday afternoon suit you? can appreciate it better, especially now the Post Office queues are slowing down! Should I stay till Friday or Saturday? I’m loving communicating with you all. Should Leonard come and fetch me back? Don’t stop telling me how you are. Many are Should you mind if I only brought one dressing gown? frantic about returning to normality. And I certainly know how Should I be a nuisance if I had breakfast in bed? excruciatingly tough it has been for some. The mention of ‘dressing gown’ - so charming But I do wonder if we, - aren’t we all relishing more comfortable clothes, who have been safe, if not dressing gowns themselves? Aren’t we might miss some of benefiting from easy communication, knowing this. people are at home and being able to contact them? The art of letter-writing is something I synagogue opening I am so sorry that we used to love. I still have all the letters I received have no clarity yet on how and when our whilst at University and studying in Israel or Hutton Grove building will open again. Please Boston. They’re precious. It’s so intimate and know we are in constant communication with descriptive: writing on a page and sending to Liberal Judaism and other congregations, the recipient only. and of course are considering governmental We know how precious good communication advice constantly. There is a great chance our can be. I watch regretfully as my children HHD services will be different this year and we communicate only through a keyboard, or a will communicate with you every step of our phone. Never knowing what it is to experience planning. those pale blue, tissue-thin airmail letters.

3 From the Chair cathy burnstone

So much has been written and said about the thanks to the hard work suffering and hardship people have had to and input of our Rabbis, endure with the Coronavirus and the lockdown Liberal Judaism Team with good reason. As a corollary to this, there and lay members. We are some unexpected joys too. Personally I as a Liberal Judaism have enjoyed walking and running in the park movement are well every day at 6.30 am and seeing the march of and truly on the map spring, as well as meeting some new people of Jewish life, with in and hearing their stories. excess of 1000 Biennial As an FPS member, like many of us I have participants. found myself attending many more services Seeing the success than usual. I’m particularly grateful for the of streaming all these services, study sessions morning meditation and Shacharit service as it and meetings, I imagine this is going to bring enables me to have a positive start to the day, changes to the way in which our communities meditate with the Shacharit community and operate and interact in the future. enjoy Dean’s beautiful music. As Chair I also As always I want to thank Rabbi Rebecca for have never attended so many Liberal Judaism her great commitment to us and all of the extra meetings from the comfort of my sofa! opportunities she has given us for engaging The Biennial was a wonderful occasion with each other at FPS.

did you know? did you know? Where is South Finchley? We all know tube Who are the world’s best Jewish tennis players? stations at West and East, and a big Got to be Americans, right? Wrong. As bus station at North. But what about of the lockdown-enforced break, the ‘South’? Well, until the early 1900s world’s leading Jewish male player the area just east of Finchley Road is Argentina’s Diego Schwartzmann and north of Golders Green had that at number 13, while women’s world moniker, until Henrietta Barnett number 5 Elena stepped in and renamed it - you’ve Svitolina of Ukraine guessed - Hampstead Garden Suburb. is of Jewish stock.

4 Communication: Mother Tongues darren beach

The recent popularity of the Netflix series Unorthodox has probably raised the profile of the Yiddish language beyond anything seen worldwide since Fiddler On The Roof was topping box office charts in the 1960s. Based on the 2012 memoir by Deborah Feldman about a young woman who had taken the momentous decision to leave the Hasidic Satmar sect, the TV series became a surprise hit in spite of having plenty of dialogue in Yiddish. Ah, Yiddish - the language of Jewish Grandma jokes, of ‘loan words’ like chutzpah and meshuga that have entered into English usage and of course the language of the Shtetl that could temporarily give its inhabitants some freedom of expression. Fast forward to the 21st century, where Prior to the Second World War it is estimated there has long been a trend towards the desire that there were 11-13 million Yiddish speakers. to keep historic languages - and the culture that 85 per cent of Jews who were murdered in the surrounds them - alive before the pace of modern Shoah spoke Yiddish, around five million in global communication overcomes them. Welsh total. However, the aftermath of the War led has gone from being a pariah language in Britain to steep and continued decline, as Yiddish was to a thriving official second language. Cornish is either prohibited in the Soviet Union or, in the protected by an EU directive. case of the So how many Yiddish speakers are there nascent State now? Estimates vary - the 2011 census in the of Israel, new USA found that around 160,000 people spoke arrivals were Yiddish at home, though the real worldwide encouraged figure is more likely to be closer to half a million to speak only if not more when you include the former Soviet in Hebrew Union. Besides the popularity of Unorthodox, in order to one other major fillip for Yiddish has been a New help foster a York production of Fiddler On The Roof in Yiddish new national (A Fidler Afn Dakh), directed by Joel Grey, which identity. The had a successful run between February and June end result 2019. It’s clear that Yiddish isn’t going anywhere was that the yet. The Joy of Yiddish has a long way to go. overwhelming majority of Yiddish speakers left worldwide were the ultra-orthodox members of the Jewish community, the ones least likely to assimilate.

5 Notice Board: How You Can Help

6 Beit Tefillah services at fps

services – june / sivan leading into tamuz At the time of writing, FPS services are being held via Zoom video conferencing. Links to access them will be included in FPS emails.

Friday 5 June 6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday 6 June 11.00am Shabbat B’Yachad led by Ivriah community joined by Birmingham Progressive Friday 12 June 6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday 13 June 11.00am Shabbat Service, when Rebecca Nathan will read Torah to mark her Bat Mitzvah Friday 19 June 6.30pm Shabbat Resouled Saturday 20 June 11.00am Shabbat Service Friday 26 June 6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service Saturday 27 June 11.00am Shabbat Service, joining Brighton & Hove Progressive Synagogue (as we can’t visit in person and picnic on the beach …) a connected weekend / liberal judaism biennial Valerie Joseph - I have always enjoyed the LJ with everyone on Saturday morning. The keynote Biennial. Howard and I have only missed one speakers were excellent, as were the panels and since 1991 and I was a member of the organising discussions. I was left with a lot to think about. Committee of 3 Biennials. It is a chance to feel I felt really emotional when it all ended. I was part of our National Movement and this year’s leaving friends. The only consolation was that I Biennial certainly delivered. It wasn’t possible didn’t have the drive home. to have the usual hugs and kisses but in all other respects I felt as connected to LJ as if I was there Myrna Lazarus, first timer - The Biennial was in the hotel. We watched via YouTube on the TV both a joy and an inspiration! My intention had and spent the whole weekend dipping in and been to dip in and out but by Saturday I was out (mostly in) of sessions. The Lily’s Legacies a willing captive, scarcely able to drag myself podcasts which were broadcast between events away from my little screen! It wasn’t just the were fascinating. beauty of the singing, lovely though it was. For I can’t pick out one talk or service that was me it was the experience of watching humane, my highlight as the whole event was a highlight intelligent, dedicated people debating the of this lockdown period. It was so special to have so easily forgettable values of social justice, all these people coming into our home. The integral to Liberal Judaism. Especially refreshing Services were amazing. I loved doing Kiddush in these troubled times.

7 Beit Knesset community events, all welcome!

At the time of writing, all FPS activities are pilates being held via Zoom video conferencing. Our excellent instructor Tali Swart teaches Links to access will be included in FPS emails. several classes a week on Zoom, all levels. For bridge group schedule and payment information, contact Closed during lockdown [email protected] rosh chodesh tamuz cafe ivriah Monthly celebration of the New Moon by Sunday @ 10.00-11.00am, running on Zoom. women who enjoy meeting, sharing and All welcome to join for a friendly chat and learning. Rosh Chodesh Tamuz Wednesday 24 topical discussion (bring your own coffee!) June @ 8.00pm: ‘Conversations with friends Suggestions for discussion topics are welcome and other bits of nostalgia: Grace Paley’s short to Adrian on [email protected] story Mother’ with Rabbi Rebecca. Contact 14 June: Wendy Lobatto on “What is our Wika Dorosz on [email protected] for more Judaism for? - an exploration of the meanings, information and Zoom link hopes and practices of Café Ivriah members” book club 21 June: Rabbi Rebecca Birk “Torah Wednesday 10 June @ 8.00pm conversation” - next week’s Portion Chukkat Book Club meetings are held on the second & onwards Wednesday of each month. Contact Sheila King Lassman [email protected] or Edgar Jacobsberg [email protected] delving into judaism Wednesdays 7.00pm. Adult class with Rabbi Rebecca exploring the building blocks of Judaism plus Hebrew classes. 17 June - Prayer 24 June - Eternal Life 1 July - Torah learn Thursdays @ 1.00pm An hour’s learning with Rabbi Rebecca – with or without your own lunch. 11 June: Shelach Lecha - Facing the Fear and Doing it Anyway (The Book of Numbers and Erica Jong) 18 June: Pinchas - Societal Change & Moving On; Female Inheritance 25 June: Chukkat - Praying Sincerely in Modern Times

8 Beit Midrash coming up at fps

4, 11 & 18 June 7.00-9.00pm: Rabbi Danny Rich will be running a three-part course entitled Resilience and Recovery: Jewish Texts for Comfort and Inspiration and will explore ancient, medieval, 19th century and modern texts to get a perspective on our responses to the current pandemic. Links to course materials and some questions will be included in FPS emails.

25 June: 7.30-9.00pm New series entitled Justice begins with Jeremy Dein QC speaking on Criminal Justice Locked Down. The series continues in July.

people mazeltov to Rebecca Nathan who reads Torah to mark her Bat Mitzvah on 13 June. condolences To Lyn Karstadt and Philip, Elliott, Jonathan and Lauren on the death of Lyn’s mother Harriet Hartill. Rabbi Frank Hellner on the death of his nephew Sid Sobrower. happy birthday to the following members celebrating milestone birthdays in June: Amelia Mendel, our most senior member, who will be 104; Harold Ross; Gillian Jay; Janet Hart; Roy Balint-Kurti. happy anniversary to Sharon and David Michael celebrating their 20th this month.

9 Notice Board

thanks are delighted that we feel confident to go it angela & paul wharton have been long alone from here on! time pillars of FPS. Angela has also supported greetings from tracie coggin, director, the office for a long time, kindly coming out principal security services ltd of retirement two years ago to share with “Hi all, I just wanted to say hi to all of you, Pauline again and at the end of March she and say that I’m seeing everything you’re completed that role. We are so grateful for her doing online, and it’s amazing. Totally dedication, vast knowledge of the community unprofessional, but I miss you all so much. I and kindness to all she has worked with. These miss the peace and tranquility of the Shul, and have been strange days to mark any endings seeing all your lovely faces. I hope you are all and beginnings but we thank Angela for all she staying safe and well, and I look forward to has given to the running of our office. Looking seeing you all very soon. Tracie x” forward to Shabbat mornings when we once more gather in our building when Angela can be “another poem about 97th birthday and a congregant again. With much gratitude and coronavirus” affection for her and Paul from the whole FPS My mother, Sadie Westbury, is a member of community. the congregation and enjoyed the recent Shofar very much. She recently had her 97th birthday for which she wrote a poem (she writes one for all family occasions!) - Peter Westbury

Now that I’m 97 I must be nearer to going to heaven But before I’m ready to go I want my children and family to know How much I love them all so I thank them for being so good to me And wish I could stay ‘til I’m a hundred and three

Today is my 97th birthday gideon sassoon But there won’t be any celebration We want to say a huge thank you to Gideon, our That’s because of Coronavirus fantastic tech support. He has been so kind and Which has affected the whole of the nation so meticulous in helping us move our wonderful Health service have been wonderful community online. He helped the office and And had to work so hard individual members get online, kept our online My children have been to see me though spaces safe, and helped when stuff went wrong. And I hope that by this time next year We really appreciate his help and support and This country will be virus-free

10 10 Social Action & Social Justice During Lockdown

north london school support phones that are not being used please contact & technology drop: me at [email protected] - thank you. A few words from the donor at home point of Susanna Kester view: My contribution is nothing out of the ordinary, but to encourage others I’d like to finchley food bank & food bank aid explain how easy it is, and beneficial for all We are self-isolating for lockdown so we were concerned! disappointed not to be able to go shopping 1. Tech equipment for families without the with FPS donations for Finchley Food Bank, or means to communicate online – we found we to deliver goods people had donated. We have had a couple of clapped-out old laptops. Don’t recently been lucky to get online shopping worry about whether they work or what’s on slots, and have been adding items for the Food them – a reliable professional firm will wipe Bank to our list. This weekend we were very and restore them. Phones too. proud to make the first FPS delivery to our 2. Arts & crafts, puzzles, and books for schools new partner, Food Bank Aid. They collect and – we found we had a drawer full of coloured distribute food and household goods to over card, felt tips, stickers etc, that my teenage 10 food banks across North London, including son has outgrown. Who doesn’t have at least something at the back of a cupboard? If you haven’t touched it for years you probably don’t need it. It’s a win-win – you get to declutter, and someone will really value and make use of your stuff. Moreover, if you are self- isolating yourself, it’s one thing you can do to help in the current situation, because we have a team of willing drivers who will pick up a box from outside your door and take it to where it’s needed. So come on people! Do get in touch via the links on this page. Adrian Lister technology drop Thank you so much to those that have already donated their spare laptops, tablets and Finchley Food Bank and the new food bank at phones. The most needy families in Barnet will St. Barnabas Church in North Finchley. In fact, be benefiting from them very soon and they we were so pleased to introduce Food Bank Aid have completed the first part of their journey! to St. Barnabas, it is wonderful to be able to The old tech has been safely delivered to Janet make a difference to a food bank so local to our and Pete from Young Barnet Foundation who synagogue and many of our members. will be taking it to Social Box to be cleared of Alison Rees & Peggy Sherwood data and then redistributed. They are desperate for more. So if you have any laptops/tablets/ Continued on page 12

11 Social Action & Social Justice During Lockdown

lipsmacking lockdown bake-along We were so delighted to bring seven households together to test out a recipe’s claim of ‘the best cookies in the world’. I would have to do lots more research (yum!) to confirm or deny that matter, but they are certainly the best social action cookies in the world! All our baking is going to staff at 25 local NHS hospitals and ambulance crews. We’re working with an organisation called You Donate We Deliver to make this happen. You Donate We Deliver are pausing their donations to NHS hospitals – good news, our NHS staff are now feeling less overwhelmed. We’re looking at new partners and recipients of baked goods, do you know of an organisation we should speak to? Plenty of people are keen to join our Lipsmacking Lockdown bake-alongs, which will be every week on Mondays – join in to try new recipes, or make your own favourites. Let us know you’re baking so we can arrange a Margot Katz’s Lipsmaking Lockdown cookies fantastic delivery hero to collect them from your doorstep and take them to the NHS drop off spot. Zoe Jacobs

12 Torquay to Tel Aviv / part two (of 3) braham fredman

The year is 1978. Last month, Braham told us how he Exodus landed in 1947, with 4,500 survivors of had sold his interest in the Devonshire family furniture the Holocaust. The next day we hitched up our business and embarked on a trip around Europe with his wife, seeing old friends, before going to Israel. We rejoin caravan and set off for the Kinneret, which is them as they finally head for the Holy Land. the lowest freshwater lake on Earth. We found a pleasant camping ground between Tiberias and e boarded a ferry for France, drove down to W Capernaum and explored the area. We enjoyed the south, then through to the Italian Riviera. buying St. Peter fish in the market at Tiberias We were heading for Ancona on the East coast and barbecuing them – delicious! Whilst at of Italy, to catch our ferry to Haifa. The crossing the Kinneret my lovely (now late) mother-in- was overnight and took several hours and law joined us for a couple of days and always finally we arrived in Haifa! Getting through made us smile with her ‘Spoonerisms’ e.g. we Israeli Custom Control was ‘fun’. We were were having a falafel whilst sitting by the lake. interviewed by two very serious female Customs Writing home to her sister she wrote ‘we are officers with the usual questions and then they having a ‘kerfuffle at the Knesset’! We were examined our transport. When they checked now in May and the weather was fantastic - the caravan interior, they changed from being not too hot, YET!! We visited the Synagogue rather officious to excited interest – ‘look at this in Capernaum where we were informed it was oven, fridge and sleeping arrangements’ they where Jesus used to pray. No doubt the scholars said to each other with big smiles. amongst you may disagree? We couldn’t leave This was our first visit to Israel and having this area without driving up a very winding road been brought up with various projects by my to the top of the Golan Heights. Stupendous Cheder to raise money for trees and with the views almost to Akko, and well worth the effort. JNF Blue Box always visible in our home and We left the following day, stopping in Safed, one that of our relations, it was quite an emotional of Israel’s oldest holy cities with cobbled streets moment setting foot in ‘The Promised Land’. We and artist colonies. On to Megiddo to visit the then drove to Nahariya which is situated close museum featuring Armageddon that depicts a to the Lebanon border, found the campsite and battle between good and evil leading to the end checked in. Within minutes we were surrounded of the world. Scary stuff! Onwards to Caesarea‘s by Israelis telling us where and how to park!!! magnificent amphitheatre built by the Romans You will have to remember, I was brought up in under Herod the Great, following the coast down Torbay where there were very few Jewish people, to the lovely old port of Jaffa/Yaffo. Unhitched I was very Anglicised and unused to this direct the caravan and went into Tel Aviv – not going approach which rather put my back up. My first to add anything as I’m sure most of you who culture shock!! have visited Israel will have been there. We left The next day we set off (without caravan) Tel Aviv the following day and headed to Ramat visiting the ancient port of Akko and then on to Rachel Kibbutz on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Haifa. A beautiful City situated at the foot of the In next month’s final part: Braham heads into the Carmel Hills with the fascinating Baha’i Gardens. desert, to some areas we definitely can’t visit now, and The sea front featured a memorial where the SS completes his year of travelling. Look out for that!

13 Discovery of My Big Jewish Family

project report from our twinned community keshet in mogilev, belarus This ambitious FPS-supported project started of different ages was great. In the evening the in June 2019 and operated for 10 months, with group from Mogilev took part in the opening the participation of 26 children/young adults ceremony of the exhibition for the International and their families. In the first phase classes Holocaust Memorial Day in the Palace of the and activities took place mainly on Sundays Republic in Minsk, and later the Shabbaton in the community office. During the summer, continued at a resort outside Minsk. some classes were held outdoors, giving an Children and adults had time for informal opportunity for more informal sessions and age-appropriate classes and for time together: interaction between participants of different they prayed together, watched and discussed generations. Following a request from parents, a special movie and took part in an interactive classes on Jewish knowledge (prior to Kabbalat class. The trip itself and the excitement of Shabbat) were added to the programme in a shared inter-generational experience has September. brought the community together and inspired The highlight of the project was the January more active involvement. Shabbaton, a ‘learning together’ experience for children, teenagers and adults. The participants were invited by the Minsk Beit Simcha Center to experience the dynamic of Jewish life in a big city and to take part in the event organised by the Progressive community in Minsk for International Holocaust Memorial Day. For Keshet it was the first ‘Shabbaton on wheels’. The coach left Mogilev very early in the morning and headed west. The group visited Iv’e (Grodno region) and its museum of religions. They learned about the history of the Shtetl and attended a class in the newly opened Jewish section of the museum. Families had a tour around the place that still has the structure of the pre-WWII Shtetl, visited “the circle of history” in the area of the old Jewish cemetery and the Holocaust Memorial. The next stop was Volozhin, home of the famous Yeshiva ‘Em haYeshivot’. Every stop was an interesting place to visit and learn about, but the participants also shared what they had learned at home before the trip. The interaction between people

14 Discovery of My Big Jewish Family

Feedback from participants: we went to the recreation center, we had the Recently I attended the Shabbaton Project opportunity to wish a participant of our seminar ‘Discovery of My Big Jewish Family’ with the a Happy Birthday, and then to summarise Keshet community of the city of Mogilev. The the results of a busy day in a warm, friendly participants were of different ages, but this did atmosphere. The next day began with Shacharit not stop us spending time not only interestingly followed by lectures on different Jewish topics. but also with benefit. In a short period of time Then we had a tour of the Jewish places of Minsk, we visited several cities and learned a lot about saw where the first Zionist conference in Russia Belorussian Jewish history and had an unforgettable experience. The first city we visited was Iv’e. For many it was a surprise that in Belarus there is such a city. We visited the Iv’e Museum of National Cultures and had the opportunity to see the Belarusian Jews exhibition. The museum cherishes the memory of the culture of the Jewish people, and in that place we had the opportunity to conduct a very memorable service. We also visited the World War II exhibition, where took place, visited memorials and had time for we touched on one of the greatest tragedies of questions. humanity, the Holocaust. At the end, we saw a There are not enough words to describe the wonderful performance of battles. From this city emotions of these days. They were very rich, we got indescribable memories and emotions. there was a lot of information, but you do not After that we visited the world-famous feel tired, you feel happiness and joy for the Volozhin Yeshiva and learned the interesting opportunity to be in such a place. The Keshet history of this place and its students. We read community is incredibly grateful to Finchley a poem written by Nahman Bialik, who was Progressive Synagogue for the opportunity a student at the Yeshivah and learned about to participate in such a project. Thank you for its other famous students. The adventure did making it possible! Lera Haimova not end there - awaiting us was the incredible opening of the exhibition in the city of Minsk in the Palace of the Republic: we will remember this moment for a long time. We are grateful for the opportunity to take part in this. And after Continued on page 16

15 keshet project report / cont. from p. 15 An interactive lesson and the documentary film ‘Discovery of My Big Jewish Family’ provides “Triumph of the Spirit” were very powerful and special opportunities for our community in the gave all of us, people of different generations, Jewish world. Weekly lectures and classes in time to discuss the topics that were close to different age groups from summer 2019 - a lot of us including the value of human life and the new information. The Shabbaton was amazing! real value of helping each other. Madrichim We were housed in the recreational center in led informal sessions for youth and adults. Zhdanovichi (Minsk district), as one big family. Religious services were very special for us. Before we returned to Mogilev, we had an unforgettable tour around the Jewish quarter in Minsk. Late at night when the bus took our group to Minsk, we knew that these few days together made us a stronger community and made us into a big Jewish family. We are very grateful to Finchley Progressive Synagogue for giving us a unique opportunity t o l e a r n a n d e x p e r i e n c e a l o t . Lena Kuznetsova

16 What have some of our youngest members been up to during lockdown? lily pepper: turning six with a cake Things feel strange and to be learning at home is silly. I miss everybody at school because they make good games. I had my 6th birthday in lockdown which was fun because mummy and daddy let me throw confetti. I had a map to find all my presents around the home, and my favourite present was a camera. I get to do lots of sofa stands (which is standing upside down on the sofa), and get to play lots with my sister, Eloise. annabel levy: busier than ever Annabel has been very busy during the lockdown: baking, making and story-telling. Her favourite thing to bake is bread. She loves making different shaped rolls as well of course as Challah bread! We’ve eaten mermaid, swan and teddy bear shaped rolls! She’s also made chocolate cake dinosaurs and shortbread biscuits. She’s done lots of arts and crafts including making dinosaur handprint pictures, butterflies out of tissue paper and cakes out of play dough. She’s made a large pirate ship out of card and paper with Matt. She loves acting out stories with Matt and me and her dolls. These often involve princesses and princes. We’ve done lots of local walks too and had caterpillars which we watched transform into butterflies and then released. Annabel looks forward to Shabbatots every Friday. Francesca Levy & Matt & Annabel

17 Contacts fps website: www.fps.org

finchley progressive synagogue Life President: Sheila King Lassman 54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR Vice Presidents: Renzo Fantoni, Josie Kinchin, 020 8446 4063 www.fps.org Alex Kinchin-Smith, Laura Lassman, Lionel King facebook.com/finchleyprog Lassman, John Lewis, Paul Silver-Myer, Andrea Rabbi Rebecca Birk – [email protected] Rappoport, Joan Shopper Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner contacts Board of Deputies Reps: Janet Tresman, Community Development Manager: Stanley Volk Zoe Jacobs – [email protected] Beit Midrash (Adult Education): Adrian Lister Musicians in Residence: Franklyn Gellnick, [email protected] Dean Staker Beit Tefillah (Rites & Practices): Valerie Joseph Synagogue Manager: Pauline Gusack [email protected] [email protected] Keep In Touch Team (contacting members): executive 2020 reached via Pauline in FPS office Chair: Cathy Burnstone, [email protected] Website Editor: Philip Karstadt Vice-Chair: Anjanette Pavell, [email protected] [email protected] Shofar Editor: Darren Beach Treasurer: Chris Nash, [email protected] [email protected] Honorary Secretary: Tamara Joseph, Shofar Team: Sarah Rosen-Webb, Deb Hermer [email protected] FPS Office: [email protected] board members The Finchley Progressive Synagogue is a company limited by Sam King, [email protected] guarantee (Company No 9365956) and a registered charity Phillip Raphael, [email protected] (Charity No 1167285) whose registered office is 54 Hutton Ann Pelham, [email protected] Grove, Finchley, London N12 8DR Roy Balint-Kurti, [email protected] President: Alan Banes

ashley page janet tresman insurance brokers mediator & collaborative family law solicitor Commerce House Altermans Solicitors 2a Litchfield Grove 239 Regents Park Road, London N3 3LF London N3 2TN Office phone: 0208 346 1777 Tel. 020 8349 5100 Email: [email protected]

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