Our Synagogue Is Re-Opening in Time for the Yamim Nora’Im
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GAZETTE SEPTEMBER 2020 The Synagogue is Ready—Are We? by Joe Burchell - Chairman seating has been arranged, and the Management has agreed to remain Bima covered to keep anybody on it in place until we are able to hold safe. our AGM. We already had a vacancy on the Board after the Unfortunately, in my personal resignation of Sharona Joshua and opinion we will remain in this I am pleased to advise you that unprecedented situation for some Carole Abrahams has agreed to fill time to come, certainly until a the vacancy. It is very vaccine against Covid-19 is disappointing that Phyl produced. As such, my advice to Tomlinson, our excellent you all is to take care without Administrator, has resigned from I assume that the Synagogue and putting yourself at any her post for personal reasons as most of the country will still be unnecessary risk. you will have seen from her letter. enduring some level of lockdown when you read this. I am delighted to The Synagogue is still being Marilyn and I wish you and your tell you that our Synagogue will soon managed by a few of us and the families a Shanah Tovah be open again and can assure you that Trustees are meeting regularly by Umetukah. 5780 will certainly be a the building itself is ready for use. Zoom to discuss our current year that we will never forget. Let Fully sanitised, socially distanced position. The Board of us hope 5781 will bring the good and sweet year that we wish for. Our Synagogue is re-opening in time for the Yamim Nora’im The Synagogue has been prepared following government and United Synagogue guidelines Services will be adjusted as necessary to ensure compliance Shabbat services will commence on Friday evening 11 September Correspondence will be sent to all members explaining the ‘new normal‘ in shul Pre-booking essential 1 Preparing for the High Holy Days by Joan Goldberg We’ll Meet Again by Joe and Jacob Kat As we all reflect on the past year we many years. In honour of the may consider what we did, what we importance of the day, all the It will come as no surprise to hear didn’t do, what we planned and what covers of the Sifrei Torah are there is not much to report from club. we achieved, and then what we expect dressed in their white covers, and We carried on meeting on Sundays and wish for during the coming year. the curtains in front of the Aron until lockdown and the last time was It may also be time to reflect on the Kodesh (the Ark) are also changed in mid-March (with lots of hand- physical effort sometimes needed to to white, as are the covers on the washing). It was desperately sad to keep our Shul fit for purpose, Bima. On Yom Tov itself, Rev. have to cancel Summer Project but especially at Yom Tov. Rome will also be dressed in white we are living in unprecedented times. whilst conducting the services. We can't wait until it's safe for all of This year, as we all know, if our us to meet up again. Shul is open, all will be very different. Meanwhile, please take care, everyone, and stay safe. Wishing Obeying government rules, we you all a happy and healthy New will only be able to accommodate Year. approximately 30 people at a time, and we must all observe safe Birthdays at the distancing. With this in mind, Joe Friendship Club Lest we forget and Colin Raeburn have by Rowena Rosenfeld reconsidered the layout of the Shul Many of our festivals are and put measures into place to Until the outbreak of Covid 19 the celebrated at home as well as in help participants stay safe but still Friendship Club was in full swing as Shul. There are always special feel the importance of the days. normal. The last celebration that we foods to prepare and, sometimes, all enjoyed was Marie’s 99th whole homes to be cleaned and The Bima has been birthday, which was a great success. inspected. We don’t always think We also celebrated the birthdays of about the preparations necessary encased in Perspex Doreen Maizels, Doreen Curzon and for the Shul at these times. Brian Greenberg before the virus The Bima will be moved forwards, forced us to temporarily cease our On the High Holy Days the Shul but not the benches and the regular meetings. takes on a completely different partitions will stay shut. The Bima atmosphere, needing to has been encased in Perspex on At these times we have to reflect accommodate all our members three sides and the seating has on our memories and hope for a and their families. There is much been marked so that participants brighter future. On that note we work to do. Firstly a band of will know where it is safe to sit. would like to wish all members of volunteers is needed to move our There is also a one-way system to the Friendship Club and the wider unbelievably heavy Bima to the support safe distancing. I think the community a very happy, healthy rear of the Shul. The ‘permanent’ biggest change for our Shul is the and safe New Year. benches are repositioned and need to control the number of secured. Next, the partitions those present so as not to exceed Ladies Society between the Shul and the hall are the 30 people allowed at any by Wendy Isaacs removed – they roll up now at the gathering. flick of a switch to create an Since our last entry in the Gazette enlarged ladies section. The Our Shul has always been back in March, the Synagogue has original heavy shutters had to be welcoming, and the rules which been closed due to the lockdown. unlatched and carried into the are now necessarily in place When services resume there will annexe. They will not be missed. during this pandemic go unfortunately be no kiddushim due to Well done Joe! completely against all that the social distancing, but we are ever Catford and Bromley community hopeful things will change in 2021. On the ‘lighter’ side, there is the stands for. However, if we do not housekeeping. Wanting our place do our best to keep our Shul Benita and all the Ladies Society of worship to be at its best for its functioning, especially at Yom wish the congregation, Rev. David purpose, all the silverware is Tov, we may not have a Shul to go Rome and his family a very polished, a duty fulfilled by the to when all this upheaval is over. healthy and happy New Year. late Freda Goodman for many, 2 The Chief Rabbi’s Rosh Hashanah Message 5781 My heart goes out to the many whose health, whether physical or mental, has been affected and to those who are facing severe financial hardship or crises in their personal relationships. The restrictions on social interaction, abrupt changes to our routine and the grip of deep uncertainty have dramatically impacted the fabric of all of our lives in ways that we could never have imagined. In the years to come, while many will admiringly recall our resilience and forbearance during these most trying of times, ultimately the success of our response to this pandemic will be judged not by how we felt, but by how we acted. The Torah portion of Nitzavim, which is always read immediately prior to Rosh Hashanah, commences with these words: “You are all standing this day before the Lord your God; your heads, your tribes (shivtechem), your elders and your officers”. In this list of national leaders, ‘tribes’ appears to be out of place. Mindful of the fact that ‘shevet’ also means ‘staff’ or ‘sceptre’, our commentators explain that the leaders of our people are being referred to according to the item that they carried that symbolised their role. In the same way as ‘the Crown’ refers to the monarch and ‘First Violin’ refers to an orchestra’s lead musician, a person who leads is known by the instrument of that leadership. The message that emerges is extremely powerful. You are defined by what you do. The essence of a person is measured according to what they have achieved. For this reason, we call community leaders ‘machers’ (makers). ‘Macher’ is a role that conveys respect, because the people who change the world are not the dreamers and thinkers; the people who change the world are the ‘doers’. On Yom Kippur, we read the book of Jonah, in which the prophet informs the inhabitants of Nineveh of their impending doom. In response, they fast and repent for their evil ways. The text captures that epic event in just a few words: “God saw their deeds”. Their words of apology and their fasting were merely steps towards a life-changing moment. What concerned God was not their protestations, but their actions. This year, without any preparation whatsoever, every one of our communities was plunged into a crisis of unprecedented proportions. Your response has been simply magnificent. With our Shuls closed, our communities redoubled their creativity and their altruism. We have never known such an outpouring of compassion, such acts of selfless care for the vulnerable and such generosity in charitable giving. I have no doubt that such action will remain at the heart of our Covid-19 response for as long as it takes us to overcome the dangers it presents to all of humankind. As we commence 5781, may Hashem inscribe and seal each and every one of us in the Book of Life, good health, peace and fulfilment.