A Newcomer's Guide to the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation
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March 2017 A Newcomer’s Guide to the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation We are delighted to welcome you to the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation. We hope you will find this guide a useful introduction to our town and to our Congregation. Introduction to Bournemouth Bournemouth, a vibrant, modern town of about 185,000 inhabitants, is the largest town in Dorset. Nestled between Christchurch to the east and the historic town of Poole to the west, Bournemouth forms part of the South East Dorset conurbation, which has a total population of over 400,000. Due to its location on the south coast, Bournemouth has a temperate climate with moderate variation in annual and daily temperatures. Average annual rainfall in Bournemouth is around 800 mm (31 inches), much lower than the national average of 1,126 mm (44 inches). The town is well served by road, rail and air transport links and is less than 2 hours away from London by rail or road; Hurn Airport provides flights to many popular holiday destinations. Bournemouth is justly proud of its vibrant cultural scene. The Bournemouth Symphony orchestra is world famous and performs regularly in the town, including open air concerts during the summer months. There are numerous theatres such as the Pavilion, and of course the Bournemouth International Centre attracts many world-class concerts and other cultural events. Bournemouth University, located between Poole and Bournemouth, is a flourishing university with an excellent reputation especially in the field of media studies. It has 17,000 students many from other parts of the UK and even from overseas. Our congregation supports and hosts the Jewish students at the university. Over the years, various Limmud events have been held at the Bournemouth University premises. Bournemouth Pier during the Air Festival Bournemouth is well served by some of the best beaches in the country. They extend all the way from Boscombe Pier to Bournemouth Pier and continue to Sandbanks in Poole, a total of 7km of beaches with golden sand. The promenade along the beach is very popular with locals and visitors alike and provides many restaurants, pubs and other attractions. 1 March 2017 Jewish Bournemouth Bournemouth has an estimated Jewish population of around 2500. The town is served by an Orthodox Shul and a Reform Shul; it has a Chabad Centre, and other Jewish denominations are also represented. Bournemouth attracts a lot of Jewish visitors from around the UK and abroad throughout the year. Especially during the Jewish High Holidays and during the school holidays the town’s Jewish population can double. There are two Jewish publications in town, Ruach and Wessex Jewish News. Ruach, edited by Corinne Rein, is published three times a year and is delivered free as part of your BHC subscription. It can also be found electronically on the BHC website. Wessex Jewish News, edited by Andrew Sanger, is published 4 times a year. To have all 4 editions delivered to your home just send a cheque for £10, made payable to Wessex Jewish News, to WJN, 60 Keverstone Court, Bournemouth BH1 3BY. Introduction to Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation (BHC) The centre of the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation is the Wootton Gardens Synagogue. In 2005 we celebrated our 100th anniversary on this site. Over the years the original Synagogue building has been extended and new facilities added. The Prayer Hall can accommodate 455 male and 400 female worshippers and gets pretty full on high holidays such as Rosh Ha’Shana (the New Year) and Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement). More information about the history of our synagogue can be found on our Shul website www.bhcshul.co.uk. Our Synagogue building is a multi-function building. At the heart of the building is our beautiful Prayer Hall which is used for daily prayers by congregants and visitors alike. The building also contains a Torah study room (Beit Ha’Midrash), a ritual bath (Mikveh), a library, two function halls, kosher kitchens, classrooms, a kosher food shop and the administrative offices. The Prayer Hall The Synagogue building forms a focal point for communal activities; adult education lectures, table tennis, flower arranging, Meet N’ Munch, modern Hebrew classes and Israeli dancing to name a few. The BHC has around 600 members, a number of whom are non-resident members. 2 March 2017 Our Rabbi and Rebbitzen Rabbi Adrian Jesner and Rebbitzen Pamela Jesner have been leading our congregation since 2008. Rabbi Jesner, who is originally from Glasgow, was the minister of the Reading Jewish Community before becoming the rabbi of the BHC. Rabbi Jesner is well known for his compassion and tireless hard work for the community. Rabbi and Rebbitzen Jesner Rebbitzen Pamela Jesner hails from Cardiff and has been involved in Jewish communal concerns continuously since her teens. Her areas of involvement in Bournemouth include shomering, Chevra Kadisha and Mikveh – plus whatever comes along. Rabbi Jesner can be contacted by email: [email protected] or by phone: 07932 723811 The Executive The BHC Annual General Meeting is held every February during which the President, Vice President and other honorary officers are elected. As of February 2017 the Executive members are as follows: President Brian Lassman Vice President Mahir Ozdamar Wardens & Religious Affairs Bernie Dexter, Richard Saunders Education Tony Rose Functions & Shabbat UK Angela Sklan Fund Raising Harvey Lipsith House, Health and Safety Anne Ozdamar Kashrut Brian Lassman New Members & Shul Aid Lorraine Stein Publicity Michael Freedland 3 March 2017 Shul Shop Tony Miller Welfare Jane Victor Trustees Geoffrey Feld, Ivor Weintroub, Stephen H. White Life Presidents John Kasmir, Ivor Weintroub Religious Services Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation is possibly one of the few provincial Congregations in the UK which provides Shaharit, Mincha and Maariv services throughout the year ensuring that any Jewish person who needs to say Kaddish can do so. A core of diehard Minyan men, supplemented by visitors, ensures that a Minyan is almost always available. Rabbi Jesner, the Assistant Minister Rev. Barry Sklan and the Executive Committee members ensure that all members and visitors receive a warm welcome. The Shabbat morning services and the services during Jewish holidays are well attended and lively. After most Shabbat morning services the congregation is treated to a Kiddush. The Shul has a male choir which sings on Shabbat Mevarhin and other special occasions. If you wish to be considered for the choir please contact Frank Morris. Community members are encouraged to play an active part in the services in whatever capacity they are able to. Visiting Chazans are often invited to take the service in order to bring new colour and interest to the services. In addition, Sephardi services are held on some Shabbat mornings and on Festivals. Member Facilities The following facilities are available to the BHC members. Mikveh The Mikveh is available to members and visitors by appointment only. For an appointment please call the Synagogue Office on 01202 557433. Menorah Suite The Menorah Suite is an ideal venue for a party or event, seating 300 people in theatre style and up to 170 people for catered meals. The venue comes with a fully equipped kitchen. This spacious and very attractive hall can accommodate events of various sizes to suit all needs. For further information concerning availability, hire, catering, supervision and related matters please contact the Synagogue Office on 01202 557433. Sponsoring a Kiddush The Menorah Suite is available for sponsoring a Kiddush for your special occasion. You can find more information about the charges from the Shul website or by contacting the Shul Office. 4 March 2017 Please contact Thelma Cowan on 01202 290798 of the date and other details of your Kiddush so that she may organise the Ladies Guild or if you have any queries or problems. Welfare Drop-in Clinic Is usually held on Thursdays between 10.00-12.00 by appointment only. If you require assistance or would like to volunteer your services please get in touch with the Shul Office. Please call the Synagogue Office on 01202 557433. Shabbat Children’s Service Our Warden, Bernie Dexter has been holding the Shabbat morning children’s services for the past 25 years. Your children and grandchildren are guaranteed to have fun and learn in the process. No appointment required; Just turn up. Shop@the Shul Our kosher shop, Shop@theShul, has been serving Bournemouth’s Jewish community and the many visitors to our town since 2010. Run by community volunteers, Shop@theShul carries an extensive range of traditional Jewish foods including ready-made and home-made (in the Shul Kitchen) meals. The range of home-made meals includes Cholent, Roast Chicken, Chicken Schnitzels, Fried Fish, Soups, Quiches, Latkes and more. Shop@theShul Wide Range of Kosher Food Fresh challah, bread and cakes are available on Thursdays and Fridays. Fresh kosher milk is available throughout the week. Fresh meat is delivered weekly and the Shop aims to keep a full range in stock. You can email your orders to the Shul Shop using the following address: [email protected] Alternatively you can call Jane Victor on 07854 698802 or 01202 557433 option 1. Supermarkets in the Bournemouth area stocking kosher food The following local supermarkets carry a limited and unpredictable selection of kosher food. Tesco Tesco Poole Road Riverside Avenue Branksome, Off Castle Lane East, Poole Bournemouth BH12 1AU BH7 7DY 5 March 2017 ASDA Sainsbury St Paul’s Road 637- 641 Christchurch 4 Alder Park, Alder Rd, near the Railway Station, Road, Boscombe Poole Bournemouth Bournemouth BH12 4BA BH8 8DL BH1 4AP The Social Scene Bournemouth Jewry in general and the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation in particular has a vibrant and busy social calendar.