Newsletter 15 December 2013

Services

The following services have been arranged: Friday 20 December Erev Shabbat Service with Rabbi Andrew Goldstein Friday 27 December Erev Shabbat Service Friday 3 January Erev Shabbat Service (Prog) Saturday 4 January Shabbat Service (Trad) Friday 10 January Shabbat Service Saturday 11 January Shabbat Service (Prog) Friday 17 January Tu biShvat family-friendly service at 6pm Friday 24 January Erev Shabbat Service (Trad) Saturday 25 January Shabbat Service (Prog) Friday 31 January Erev Shabbat Service Saturday 1 February Shabbat Service (Trad)

Services Services are normally at 10.30am on Saturdays and 6.45pm on Fridays, except for the Tu biShvat service on 17 January. You will see that more services have been planned than usual. This is in the nature of an experiment, which will be reviewed by the committee. We are very grateful to our service leaders who are offering an additional commitment to take more services this month. Please support them by coming along and sharing in the spiritual development of the community. Some services are labelled Traditional or Progressive to give an indication of the type of service. However, we try to make all services as inclusive as possible, and there will be variations in the way services are conducted. For some, it may not be possible to define which label to give. On Friday 20 December, we welcome Rabbi Andrew Goldstein, who is President of Liberal , to take the service. On Friday 17 January, we will start at 6pm. This will be an informal, child- friendly, music service to celebrate Tu biShvat. Tu biShvat was defined by the rabbis as the New Year for Trees - in order to calculate how old a tree was when tithing produce. It has since become a (very early) spring festival to celebrate planting trees and our connections with the natural world. Please bring food to share afterwards.

Exeter Synagogue Newsletter 15 December 2013 Page 1 Cheder Nitzanim/Dreidl Dribblers Reminder - January 17th at the synagogue - a service and a party. Children aged 5 to 15 are welcome with their parents to join our classes. Many thanks to David Coven, who has agreed to take on the organisation. Classes should restart soon. The under-fives, with parents and grandparents are meeting monthly on Saturdays. For more information, please contact Emma and Gaby at [email protected]

Holocaust Memorial Day Actually two days this year - January 27 and 28. We need stewards for the two days in the Guildhall and for the faith - walk of reflection which will pass the synagogue. (times as below). It would also be good if we can have some members at the discussion on Tuesday at 5pm (see below) Offers to Jane Warner [email protected] Monday 27th January 2014 at The Guildhall, High St, Exeter 10.30am: Opening ceremony 11.00am-3.30pm: Free Exhibition on the Holocaust and other genocides 11.00am, 1.00pm, 2.00pm: Showings of the Film: Porajmos: untold story of the Gypsy Holocaust 11.00am, 1.00pm, 2.00pm: Guided reflective walks around central Exeter 3.30pm: Closing ceremony, Moments of Reflection & Lighting of Candles at Southernhay URC Church, Southernhay East, Exeter: 10.00am-1.30pm: Presentations of poetry, poems, prayers and stories from students from schools 4.30-5.45pm: “A Survivor’s Story”: Tuesday 28th January 2014 at The Guildhall, High St, Exeter 10.00am-4.00pm: Free Exhibition on the Holocaust and other genocides 12.00, 1.00pm: Showings of the Film: Porajmos: untold story of the Gypsy Holocaust 11.00am, 1.00pm, 2.00pm: Guided reflective walks around central Exeter 5.00- 6.30pm: “Understanding Genocide- personal journeys”; a discussion forum All events are free and open to the public

Somerset Jewish Social and Cultural Group Sunday 2nd February - a daytime event somewhere near Taunton Details from Jane Warner [email protected]

Family History Next meeting on 6 February We will be looking at ways we can pool our experience and help others with reasearching their family histories. So if you are an 'expert' or a beginner, consider coming along. - details from Sue Wright mailto:[email protected]

Exeter Synagogue Newsletter 15 December 2013 Page 2 AJEX Remembrance Parade - 2013 There is an undoubted element of the surreal standing with over 1000 others – fellow Jews - at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in the AJEX parade - just one week after the national Remembrance Day event lead by Her Majesty and attended by the deeply-moving legions of heavily be-medalled ex-service veterans from all those familiar and less familiar units and campaigns – a panorama of the battles of WWII and later conflicts in which British and Commonwealth service men and women have served, fought and died. We have to – we will remember them – not in the glorification of war but with gratitude to them and their families. We proudly to wear a red poppy for them once a year but never forget them. So, standing on this same spot just one week later is indeed moving – and a privilege. We assemble - a loose definition – on Horse Guards Parade where the Jewish Lads & Girls Brigade in their smart red capes and uniforms round us up like border collies into our appointed places in the various columns – no mean feat with Jews greeting their friends from all over. But we are finally penned in, in ranks four deep – four not five or three (which row are you in sir/mad?) and ready to march off under the Horse Guards Arch on to Whitehall. We, the Board of Deputies contingent, a creditable 30 souls are sandwiched between Manchester and the League of Jewish Women. An order is given - or at least perceived - to Right Turn and march off, and we keep satisfyingly in step for a few paces ‘til the RAF band in the lead disappears under the arches and we hear only the echo of the drum beat. We are required (unsure why) to give an Eyes Left ‘salute’ to the posse of the Queen’s Life Guard formed up under the arches who tactfully keep straight faces at this strange ‘marching’ body. Then we wheel on to Whitehall past the two horses who do not turn hair, having doubtless seen it all. Now marching down Whitehall we begin to feel the sense of occasion – and the need to give an impression of marching – long since forgotten - as a body. I am at least in step with my nearest neighbours and someone assists with a furtive Left-Right-Left … which confuses those less well adapted to distinguishing their left foot from their right. Then a second eyes left salute to the memorial for the Women of WWII (I confess I didn’t know there was one). We are getting better so that our third salute as we pass the Cenotaph, and in front of an awesome crowd on both sides of Whitehall, does us credit. We pass the VIP and the VVIP stand awaiting the arrival of Prince Michael of Kent, the Princess and Lord Sterling as President of AJEX, then wheel back on the opposite side and come to rest facing the Cenotaph, massed AJEX banners and the RAF band and bugler. Suddenly we are a part of something bigger – in the presence of the spirit of Jewish servicemen whose devotion to King, Queen and country was beyond doubt but who were also all too keenly imbued with the additional ingredient of Jewish survival. Quiet descended apart from Elgar’s Nimrod from the Band. Then Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, assisted by Rabbis Harry Jacobi and Reuben Livingstone began the short commemorative service and the Hebrew of the Mourners’ Kaddish echoed off the walls of the Foreign Office and Whitehall; and at the going down of the sun … we remembered them – all those whom we had come to remember. Wreaths were laid alongside those laid on behalf of the nation the previous week. Then a beautifully rendered Last Post by the single RAF Bugler – penetratingly clear and ending poignantly as ever, as if unfinished, on its raised note. And we stood in silence. Zachor.. Then Whitehall echoed with our voices – audible enough if not lusty – as we sang Adon Olam prior to marching back to Horse Guards and becoming more aware of the applauding crowds on the pavements – to whom we felt now sufficiently uninhibited – relief tinged with pride –to smile and wave back. So back under the arches past the two black imperturbable horses and the drawn up sentries of the Queen’s Life Guard to march past Prince Michael of Kent with a now smart Eyes Right. Surreal it may have been but beyond doubt it was a humbling privilege just to be there a part of the Anglo-Jewish community past and present. See you next year in Whitehall. Paul Newgass Deputy, Exeter Hebrew Congregation Nov 2013

Exeter Synagogue Newsletter 15 December 2013 Page 3 Welfare of our community and its members To members and friends of Exeter Synagogue, The committee has named Robin Kanarek as its Welfare Officer. Robin has been a member for 12 years and has led school and adult visits, taken services, sat on Devon SACRE and been one of the Exeter University Jewish chaplains. Recently, Robin has been designed ‘Honorary Jewish chaplain’ at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital which will mean she can visit hospital day and night. Bill Boam performed this mitzvah for very many years and is pleased this will continue. We are a small but scattered community and in the past have relied on each other for ‘acts of loving kindness’. We can be proud of this but as we grow we need a more structured approach. We can support members when needed and reach out to others who might welcome some personal contact. This role of Welfare Officer is just a beginning and we invite suggestions, ideas and offers of help from near and far flung friends. We have always performed service as volunteers rather than as paid professionals. Some expected ideas are:  visiting the sick and elderly in hospital and at home  arranging lifts to the synagogue  marking birthdays, special occasions and yahrzeit  a possible telephone tree, if needed  keeping a news column with births, deaths, marriages, get well, and other items of note from members Of course, community care is the responsibility of each of us without interference. A small team of volunteers would be welcome from our geographical spread. The idea of a welfare officer is challenging for any volunteer but we are all of us learning all the time to keep our community alert, alive and in good health. Please phone or email Robin with feedback and offers of help. Robin Kanarek 01395 263667 [email protected]

This newsletter is produced by Tony Reese for members and friends of Exeter Hebrew Congregation, Exeter Synagogue, Mary Arches Street Exeter EX4 3BA 01392 251529

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