Obadiah the Proselyte 20 Marriage Blessing David Barnet & Safa Choudhury on 19Th August (In Italy) a Mediaeval Synagogue 21

ESTMINSTER UARTERLY Volume X No.1 January 2019

Henry Layard's image of Nineveh

Nineveh - That Great City Inside Rwanda The Khazars Israel Zangwill

Lifecycle events

Westminster Welcomes its New Members Inside this issue Bryan & Lorraine Lewis

Nicola Cohen

Sarah-Lou Morris

Olivia Leland & Van Chappell From the Rabbi 3 Ronda Fogel Esther Leon Nineveh - That Great City 4 Sam Feller & Andrea Carta Samuel & Nina Wisnia Sayings of the Rabbis 5 Robert Emdin Inside Rwanda 6 Charles & Maria Samek Denisa & Michael Sofaer Jobs People Do 7 Daniel & Manizeh Rimer The Khazars 8 Avital Mashian Danny Strauss & Sunny Iyer Hebrew Corner 9 Dalya Rothschild

Jewish War Heroine 10 Births Jewish Genealogical Society 11 Raphael - a son for Michele & Roberta Raba on 1st November

Israel Zangwill 12 Infant Blessings

Sasha, Jake & Emilia Hammerson on 15th September The Legacy of the Psalms 14 Theo Lawrence on 8th December

Poetry Page 15 B’nei Mitzvah

Visiting Sinai 16 Max Peel on 29th September Daniel Orton on 6th October Moses: A Man for All Seasons 18 Alex de Kare-Silver on 13th October

th Book Review 19 Sofia Stalbow on 17 November

Obadiah the Proselyte 20 Marriage Blessing David Barnet & Safa Choudhury on 19th August (in Italy) A Mediaeval Synagogue 21

Amusement Arcade 21 Death Justine (Joy) Bryer on 11th November

Editorial 22 Condolences Letters to the Editor 22 We offer sincere condolences to Education Report 23 Alan & Daniel Weiner on the death of their mother Nora Ohrenstein on the death of her aunt Lesley King-Lewis and Lisa Villiers and their families on the death of their mother and grandmother 2

From the Rabbi

exploring Ashamnu was interesting in a prescriptive and dismissive assertion several ways. Rich, sensitive research that ‘this is not the true Orthodox way’.

into its meanings and context was Essentially being a progressive Jew is

shared. Views changed. We decided that taken to be a fixed identity which the experiencing of an act is part of the necessarily entails ruling certain things process, and so we all did the Ashamnu out (many portions of Torah, our sacred

together in our Services, and then we canon and many rituals, both personal

gathered feedback. and collective, become anathema).

The community has also explored On the other hand, the one that I changes through more streamlined unashamedly care about, is a Judaism processes. Last year we initiated pre- that embraces certain values which bring A man walks by a dark alleyway in Service gatherings on a Saturday with them red lines; those values which Belfast. As he is approaching, a voice morning to get to know the Service - and are gender egalitarianism (equal says sharply from the alleyway: ‘Are you each other - better, and to consider ways religious rights for men and women), Protestant or Catholic?’ ‘Have mercy on in which our services could be ever more education and participation (we regularly a poor Jew’, the man tremulously participatory and meaningful. In one of invite people to own their own Judaism responds. ‘Hmm, Jewish! - but are you a the first gatherings, somebody asked, rather than surrendering authority to a Protestant Jew or a Catholic Jew?!’ ‘Well if the Amidah is a standing prayer Rabbinic or priestly caste) and we now In the Jewish world too, there is why do we not stand for it?’. Finding no recognise that part of the pursuit of sometimes a tribal and divisive obsession compelling answer, the group in the meaning, of education and participation, with denominational labels. ‘Yes, but room decided to try standing for all of it is the experience and not just the what sort of a community are you really? (or at least almost all of it) and we have discussion of aspects of Judaism. This Are you Reform independent or are you done so since. A community wanting to form of progressive Judaism embraces a Orthodox independent?’ make changes, based on informed plurality of practice and opinions, of conversation, experience and occasional cultural Jews and committed We sometimes put others or ourselves in experimentation, is a proud model of daily religious Jews - providing that the a denominational box, explaining that we progressive Judaism. values of egalitarianism, education and do not do or believe something because participation are not being attacked. we are a particular sort of Jew. I believe We have discovered that Reform and our conversations, and indeed our Liberal Judaism have developed. In Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was Judaism, will be more interesting if we exploring the Ashamnu, we found that born into a learned, elite Chasidic family. openly explore substantive commitments almost every prayer book in the world, He experienced a range of settings in and values, rather than using vague from Liberal to Orthodox, now includes which he did not fit into the box - a general identities as an assumed it. For those who identify as progressive traditional yeshiva education, the shorthand for unclear, frozen points of Jews, being progressive entails being University of Berlin, and the view. able to change, and that sometimes Wissenschaft, the faculty of the Reform means returning to elements that were Rabbinical School, HUC, for five years, The foundations of our evolving once discarded. Reform Judaism is not and then JTS, the Conservative independent identity are our diversity Reformed Judaism: it is an ongoing verb, Seminary. The question of Torah min and our welcoming, non-judgmental an exploration, rather than a complacent, Hashamayim, Torah from heaven, had approach. Our founding principles, laid complete assertion. Indeed, Liberal and long been used as a divisive issue, to ask down in 1961, strikingly begin with ‘Our Reform Judaism, both in the UK and in people if they believed unequivocally in aim is to create a Synagogue which will America, have returned to some the divine giving of Torah or not, to put be an instrument for the pursuit of important traditional elements over the them in a box. Rabbi Heschel taught us religious truth’. Our independent last decade: there is more Hebrew - and that before we argue and exclude people identity has given us an exciting ability to there is a more open exploration of ritual over whether Torah comes from heaven focus on the pursuit of truth, rather than and mitzvot. or not (whatever that means) we need to on its presumption. We are explorers, first experience Shamayim min Our Community, as an independent willing to change and try out new things. ha’Torah, heaven from the Torah. synagogue engaged in the ongoing At our last Yom Kippur Service, we tried pursuit of truth, could stand out as a out the Ashamnu confession, a short great example of a certain form of open alphabetic expression of attitudinal and Judaism. There are two contradictory behavioural errors. It is not yet in our versions of progressive Judaism that are prayer book, so we used an insert card, competing right now in the world. One and after an overwhelmingly positive states that ‘As a Liberal/Reform Jew we feedback, it will now be included in our do x and we most certainly do not do y’- Rabbi Benji Stanley final version of the book. The process of which could be seen as just the reverse of

3

Around the World ‘in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, of canals bringing water down from the Nineveh - did Sennacherib, King of Assyria, come hills (it was from one of these that Jonah That Great City up against the fenced cities of Judah and took up his vantage point) and an took them.’ The Assyrian king’s greatest aqueduct took the water around the city achievement in his capital was the to wherever it was needed. More than a magnificent palace he built within the hundred thousand people lived within the walls of the city. Its plans have been walls (the Book of Jonah mentions recovered in the course of the 120,000), and some scholars believe that Sennacherib archaeological excavations that have the so-called Hanging Gardens of King of Assyria taken place over many years on the site. Babylon were actually part of 705-681 BCE It was of a vast size, built on a foundation Sennacherib’s Nineveh - no evidence of limestone, with eighty rooms. The shows exactly where they were. enclosed area had more than 100,000 inhabitants (maybe closer to 150,000), a vast sprawling about twice as many as Babylon at the time, placing it among the largest metropolis, the wonder settlements worldwide. The Reading the Book of Jonah on Yom of the Middle Eastern documentation includes many pictorial Kippur, we are reminded of a great and records, accounting for every step in the world wonderful city, the capital of the kingdom construction, including the carving of of Assyria, Nineveh. The city’s size, and statues - one huge statue needed forty- When Ashurbanipal inherited the by implication its splendour, is four men to tow it into place. On the Assyrian throne, the Empire began to mentioned three times in the story, and walls of the palace were depictions of decline, though he was in fact a great but indeed it was a wonder of the Middle battle scenes, and the spoils of war, cruel fighter. In 616 BCE Nineveh was East, featuring in many accounts of the retribution against prisoners, of which attacked by an alliance of Assyria’s vassal kingdom, and in many illustrations, both Sennacherib wrote concerning his states including those of Babylon, contemporary and of a later time. conquest of Babylon, ‘Its inhabitants, Chaldea, Persia and Medea. After bitter Nineveh was situated on the Tigris, in young and old, I did not spare and with fighting the city was sacked and most of it present day Iraq, not far from the modern their corpses I filled the streets of the destroyed; its people were either killed or city of Mosul, where the ruins of the city’. escaped from the area into the mighty palace can still be seen. This was surrounding countryside. The ruins of an excellent position, at the important Nineveh were left to disintegrate, to junction of commercial routes between become centuries later a fruitful source of the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, archaeological discoveries. where the West met the East, and where According to Genesis (10:11) Nineveh was the city could benefit from the wealth of founded by a man named Ashur, Noah’s most of the known world. It was indeed grandson, after the Great Flood, who then ‘that great city’, one of the oldest and went on to found other important cities in richest known to ancient man. the region. The name Assyria may derive In the time of the old Assyrian Empire, from Ashur, or perhaps from the ancient Nineveh was an important centre of One of the ancient gates of deity of that name. Certain of the Dead Nineveh worship of the goddess Ishtar, attracting Sea Scrolls seem to confirm Nineveh’s pilgrims from near and far, and in the He describes his confrontation with original foundation. fourteenth century BCE the King sent a Hezekiah at Lachish, ‘And Hezekiah of The Book of the prophet Nahum is largely statue of the goddess to the Pharaoh Judah who had not submitted to my yoke devoted to an account of the destruction Amenhotep III. Gradually each Assyrian … him I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal of Nineveh. He denounces the evil doing monarch built extensively in the city city, like a caged bird. Earthworks I of its inhabitants, and recounts God’s turning it from a provincial township into threw up against him, and anyone coming revenge on Assyria’s pride. His language a vast sprawling metropolis, the wonder out of his city gate I made pay for his is colourful and uninhibited, ‘Woe to the of the Middle Eastern world. crime’. Sennacherib is believed to have bloody city! It is all full of lies and been murdered by his two sons in his It was however Sennacherib, son of robbery . . . the noise of the rattling of the great capital city. Many of the discoveries Sargon II, who in about 700 BCE made wheels and of the prancing horses and of found on the site are now in the British Nineveh his capital, building a new the jumping chariots. There is a Museum. palace, extending and beautifying the multitude of slain and a great number of city, and erecting inner and outer city With fifteen great gates set into the walls, carcasses; and there is no end of their walls that still stand. Sennacherib figures Nineveh covered an area of nearly three corpses, they stumble upon their corpses’. prominently in the Old Testament, when square miles; it had an elaborate system The Book of Tobit is also set in Nineveh

4

European and American museums, to

the wonder of those who came to see Sayings of

them. The British Museum – the the Rabbis Assyrian Room – shows some of the finds from the rooms and courtyards of

the Neo-Assyrian Southwest Palace of King Sennacherib decorated with a series of detailed carved stone panels.

The panels depict a variety of scenes,

including the transport of huge Sir Austen Henry Layard sculptures of human-headed winged (1817-1894) bulls (lamassu) that weigh up to thirty If a word spoken in its time is worth one tons and were intended for the main piece of money, silence in its time is entrances to the palace. These where Tobias lives, the young man who is worth two. illustrations provide an insight into helped by an angel to drive away the devil. ancient quarrying and transport It was in 1847 that the distinguished techniques, as well as Sennacherib’s archaeologist Henry Layard, then a young keen interest in his building projects. man, began to excavate the area where the Other panels on display depict the great city had once stood. He soon found King’s military campaigns. the first traces of Sennacherib’s vast Near the North -western corner of the palace with its colossal bas-reliefs. He Teach thy tongue to say, ‘I do not know’. great walls were found 300 prism discovered the fabulous library of fragments which turned out to be the Ashurbanipal with its 22,000 cuneiform royal records of Sennacherib, his sons clay tablets, which when deciphered laid Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal. The work open much of the way of life and religion is continuing today. The University of of the ancient Assyrians. California, Berkeley, is engaged in

Following the defeat in 612 BCE, the site excavations in the area - though the war in was largely unoccupied for centuries and Iraq, around Mosul, is hampering the dig. the ruins remained almost intact during The Mosul dam, too, is in disrepair and Thy friend has a friend, and thy friend's Achaemenid rule, though the library of could endanger the whole operation friend has a friend; be discreet. Ashurbanipal may still have been in use around the ruins of the ancient city. But it until around the time of Alexander the is the ISIS forces in the area which are Great. The city is mentioned again in the perhaps Nineveh’s greatest danger. They Battle of Nineveh in 627 CE, which was have threatened to destroy whatever fought between the Eastern Roman remains of the old city, including some Empire and the Sassanian Empire of artefacts in the Mosul museum, and have Persia near the ancient city. From the menaced the archaeologists working at the Arab Islamic Conquest in 637 CE until the The place honours not the man, ‘tis the site. At least two of the ancient gates of modern period, the city of Mosul on the man who gives honour to the place. the city which were still standing have opposite bank of the Tigris became the now been destroyed. successor of ancient Nineveh. Christian religious groups in Iraq – Copts, Further archaeological investigations Eastern Catholics, Syriacs and Assyrians – took place in subsequent years, with the still mourn the loss of Nineveh, rather as remarkable finds taken back to the Jews do their lost Temple, and fast for three days in early spring; this fast is Few are they who see their own faults. known as Nineveh’s Prayer. Many of the present day inhabitants of Mosul consider themselves descendants of the people of ancient Nineveh.

Philippa Bernard Two pieces of coin in one bag make more

noise than a hundred. Carved stone panel from the Palace of Sennacherib 5

Around the World

Inside Rwanda support and hope to millions of Jews across lived through great trauma to become the world. JDC Entwine is the young healthy, self-sufficient and engaged in the professional branch of the organisation; rebuilding of their nation. which coordinates a variety of trips Every year, four of the most deprived throughout the year introducing the Jewish children from each region in Rwanda are world to young Jewish professionals. chosen to join the village. They are placed Our base was Agahozo-Shalom Youth in a family of around twenty students, led Village (ASYV), an amazing residential by a Mama who has often lost her own community in rural Rwanda outside Kigali. children and family during the genocide - a The 144-acre site is home to over 500 perfect pairing between children who lack children who were orphaned during the parents/family and Mamas who are looking 1994 genocide. Modelled after Yemen Orde to love and care for a child again.

and the Israeli youth villages that served Students take part in English-speaking children who had lost their parents during Louisa and Marius school, sport, community service and the Holocaust, ASYV was founded as a enrichment programmes throughout the special project of JDC, built in partnership I recently took part in Inside Rwanda - a school year. For many this is the first time with the village founder, Anne Heyman. ten-day trip for twelve young professionals they have had three nutritious meals a day Today, JDC continues to offer logistical from the USA, Canada, UK and Germany. and a support system. Given the support, and places year-long Jewish It provided an immersive experience into opportunity to flourish, by the time the Service Corps and multiple-year fellows in the culture, history, food and community of young students leave the village they have the village. the landlocked Central African country. great expectations, are able to articulate During the 100-day genocide in 1994, It is incredibly hard to explain the village to their thoughts and have dreams of nearly one million people were killed and someone who has never visited. As soon as changing both Rwanda and the rest of the even more displaced. Today, Rwanda is you arrive you feel a wealth of love, hope world. slowly rebuilding but is still feeling the and peace (Shalom); a true sanctuary. The I was so impressed by the students; they impact of the genocide; it has the world’s village is designed to care for, protect and were incredibly hardworking, resilient and highest per capita orphan population. nurture the most deprived young people had this insatiable passion to make the across all regions of Rwanda. ASYV not The trip was organised by The American most of the opportunity of being part of only offers the young people a fantastic Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, (the ASYV. On this trip I met Marius Bischoff – education in English but a community built JDC - a Jewish relief organisation based in also a member of Westminster Synagogue - on Jewish core values and, most New York City) and the Agahozo-Shalom who works in the Board of Deputies importantly, Tikun Olam (Hebrew for Youth Village (the ASYV) which is a non- International Division. He and I found the Repairing the World). These values provide profit outfit for healing and educating Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village to be an comfort to the children, none of whom are vulnerable and orphaned youth in Rwanda. extremely positive and uplifting Jewish. Within Agahozo-Shalom’s I didn’t expect that my first experience with experience. Like the Jews, the Rwandans supportive and structured community, the JDC would be in such a place. Often known have also had to overcome a genocide in rhythm of life is restored, with the ultimate as the ‘best kept secret’ within the Jewish the twentieth century. ASYV is a place goal of equipping young people who have community, this work has provided where love could start to repair a troubled history and demonstrates how our Jewish upbringing, experiences and resources can be used to help a non-Jewish community. It is important to continue the impressive work of ASYV. Marius and I are hoping that others will be inspired by our experience and help us to raise £1,500 to support the village. Donations can be made via the following link: https:// fundraise.asyv.org/fundraiser/1661002 For more information about ASYV please refer to their website - www.asyv.org/ Louisa Golden Louisa is Westminster Synagogue’s under 35s observer on the Board of Deputies. Young Jewish professionals with the Youth Village community

6 Jobs People Do

Consultant Although the volume of work is requiring surgery and we can monitor enormous and increasing all the time, I abnormalities with sequential scans, for Diagnostic feel privileged to be part of this amazing example in patients on chemotherapy for Radiologist facility. Our patients are grateful to be in cancer. a specialised environment and my I have never regretted a minute of the colleagues are all of a high calibre, due to hard work I have put into my career over the reputation of the hospital. the past thirty-seven years, and despite I grew up in Wembley, North London still working full time and being on call, I and was encouraged to pursue medicine love it all. The work is challenging, by my mother Dr Eve Hammer Moskovic sometimes sad, but also uplifting, and who was an anaesthetist. She qualified in always worthwhile. It makes you reassess 1948 and had a successful career but your own life daily and be grateful for

always felt held back by being female and your health and happiness. We tend to she struggled to cope with raising a forget how lucky we are in all the frantic family plus working. In those early days, chaos of modern life.

women doctors were paid fifty per cent of I am particularly blessed in having a that of male salaries and in response to really supportive husband, Meirion this, she helped to found the Medical Thomas, who has encouraged me every Women’s Federation. Eve always pushed step of the way. I like to think I am a me to achieve the best for myself and I positive role model not only for our really owe all my success to her. She was daughter Dorabella but also for other thrilled when I passed my postgraduate young women thinking of taking on exams and of course so proud when I got challenging careers. my position at the Marsden.

For anyone prepared to work hard, I After qualifying at the Royal Free I have been a Consultant Diagnostic thoroughly recommend hospital Hospital, I worked in general medicine in Radiologist at the Royal Marsden medicine and particularly radiology as a various London hospitals but soon came Hospital for the past twenty-four years. I career, which has kept my interest after to realise that most decision-making specialise in the diagnosis of breast all these years. regarding patient care was made in the cancer, cross-sectional imaging, general X-ray department. I felt stimulated by the and interventional ultrasound, new technology that was rapidly coming gynaecological cancer and soft-tissue Eleanor Moskovic through. The advent of routine cross- sarcoma. I joined The Royal Marsden as a MBBS FRCP FRCR sectional (multiplanar) imaging was very junior in 1989 before becoming a exciting as we could now see ‘inside’ the consultant in 1994. I spend my days body in wonderful detail. The specialty of reporting CT scans, MRI and undertaking Radiology used to be limited to plain ultrasound and guided biopsies. films (X-rays of chest, bones and joints) When I qualified as a doctor in 1981, and barium studies for the bowel, but imaging was in its infancy. There were was rapidly replaced by CT scanning, just seven CT scanners in the whole of the ultrasound and MRI. UK and MRI had not been invented! Ultrasound was incredibly primitive and cumbersome. Over the past decades the complexity of diagnostic technology has changed human anatomy and beyond all belief. Where we used to report in dark rooms with X-ray film, we our ability to diagnose now sit in front of high-resolution tiny abnormalities with workstations, with digital archiving and modern equipment. use rapid voice recognition software for dictation. The quality of the imaging is astounding, and the variety of techniques and machinery changes all the time. I am still fascinated by the complexity of human anatomy and our ability to RMH is Britain’s premier NHS cancer diagnose tiny abnormalities with modern institution and we are lucky to use state- equipment. We can take samples from of-the-art equipment and to have a lesions deep inside the body without beautiful modern X-ray department.

7 Jewish History Jews migrated to Poland and there the Certainly there was a Jewish community The Khazars Polish Kings protected them, having in Hungary in the tenth century because invited them, from around the eleventh Hasdai ibn Shaprut thought of using

century, to develop trade. They came in them as a conduit for the delivery of his great numbers both from Germany and letter to the Khazar King. Khazars were Hungary. Their protection was assured an important and significant feature in

by the Polish Kings but this ended with the development of Judaism, showing Stone found in the death of King Wladyslaw IV in 1648 the welcoming spirit of Judaism and Sarkel and tragically gave licence to the cruelty accepting many as equals. of the Chmielnicky Cossacks attacking There has been a great deal written and killing some 100,000 Jews. about the Khazars and their conversion The Khazars were a civilized, semi- to Judaism and indeed there is an nomadic Turkish-speaking people who extensive website devoted to the history founded an independent kingdom in of the Khazars, developed by Kevin Alan about the year 652 in southern Russia Brook. There is also an idea that the

near the Caspian Sea. Their territory Khazars may have belonged to the In 1976 Arthur Koestler published his spread out to both the Black and the empire of the Huns (fifth century CE). In book on the history of the Khazars called Caspian Seas. Their wealth was said to the time of Procopius (sixth century) the The Thirteenth Tribe. It caused both a have been derived from collecting region immediately north of the sensation and considerable payments from traders who were keen to Caucasus was held by the Sabirs, who consternation. His book claimed that the do business between East and West and may have been the Khazars as in Turkish Jews of Eastern Europe were the they lay in the middle of the Christian they are called Sabirs. Whilst there is descendants of the Khazars; the theory and Muslim lands. They were historic data about this nation its precise has also extended to the idea that the instrumental in stopping the Muslim racial origin is unknown. Khazars have merged with the Magyars onslaught against Byzantium, the Norman Golb ascribes much greater to form modern Hungary. Thus the belief Eastern jaw of the gigantic pincer weight to the correspondence between that the origins of the Jewish people lay movement that in the West swept across Hasdai ibn Shaprut, a well-known figure in the Middle East was in ruins and those northern Africa and into Spain. in Muslim Spain in the tenth century, who were anti-Semitic from the start Thereafter the Khazars found themselves and Joseph, King of the Khazars. thought this theory was a fabrication out in a precarious position between the two to upset them and claim that for example major world powers: the Eastern Roman The practice of Judaism in Khazaria is the Hungarians were of Jewish descent Empire in Byzantium and the demonstrated by the document in the in view of their Khazar origin. triumphant followers of Mohammed. As Cairo Genizah collection of an autograph Koestler points out, the Khazars were the letter (T-S 12.122) of the Khazarian Koestler’s theory has been blown apart Third World of their day. They chose a Jewish Community of Kiev, the town by many, as sadly he did not provide surprising method of resisting both the which is in the Westernmost part of the much evidence. For example, the former Western pressure to become Christian Khazar State. This letter was probably Head of the Rabbinic College in and the Eastern to adopt Islam. written around 930 CE and it refers to a Budapest, the late Rabbi Professor Rejecting both, they converted to captive who was redeemed by the Jewish Alexander Scheiber, dismissed the Judaism. community of Kiev. thought that Magyar and Kabor migration blazed the trail of the growing I accept Koestler’s theory as to why the According to Joseph’s letter, a settlement of Jews in Poland. Whilst no Khazars chose to covert to Judaism; this descendant of Bulan named Obadiah, one can argue that the Khazar tribes was that, as the Jews had no land or king later ‘renewed the kingship and accompanied the Magyars on their they were not beholden to anyone - truly strengthened the religion as was fit and expeditions of conquest, Scheiber, a an independent people -an idea which proper’. He built synagogues and specialist in Hungarian Jewish history, must have been appealing to the Khazar schools, brought together Israelite has pointed out that the Kabors were a King and his people. However his claim scholars, and gave them silver and gold. rebel Khazar tribe, and that it is unlikely that the Khazars could not have just Apart from a Longer and Shorter version that the leaders of this group of Khazars, disappeared but that they were absorbed of the letter, there is further evidence rebelling against the king, actually in what is now the Soviet Union, with from the work Kol Mevasser of Isaac professed Judaism and would thus others in Hungary and Poland, was an Akrish in or after 1577, and moreover themselves be Jews. There were however unrealistic assumption. For example there are two letters published by the also positive reviews of Koestler’s book Jews had lived in Eastern Europe since younger Buxtorf in his edition of the and theory, such as that of Grace Halsell Roman times and indeed in Hungary book Cosri (Kuzari) of Judah Halevi in reviewing the book in June 1991 in the where several Jewish graves were found 1660. Although it is not known what Washington Report. supporting this view. manuscript sources were used by Isaac

8

Akrish, Buxtorf depended on Kol ‘Philologist’ because of his extensive הבּרוּ קוֹרנר Mevasser. The only known manuscript of knowledge of Greek grammar and his the correspondence as a whole, containing ability to comment upon the Gospels in the Letter of Hasdai and the Reply of their original Greek. He probably also Hebrew Corner Joseph was in the library of Christ had some understanding of Hebrew. The The stork, chasida in Hebrew, is Church, Oxford but is now part of the traditional date given for the mentioned in the Bible six times. Here are Cambridge Geniza collection, which was composition of this work is 864. two examples: in the book of Zecharia the made possible by the generosity of the In addition there were many others who prophet says: ‘I lifted up my eyes and saw Littman Foundation and the support of wrote about the Khazars, for example two women going out and wind in their the Littman family. This manuscript is Ahmad ibn Fadlan in his travelogue wings which resemble the wings of a very similar to the printed text, which, it (c. 922): ‘The Khazars and their King are chasida.’ Jeremiah complains that the has been suggested, is a transcript. There all Jews’. Ibn al-Faqih (c. 930): ‘All of the chasida in the sky knows the fixed times appear to be no special grounds for this Khazars are Jews. But they have been of year when she has to leave her country - opinion, though the manuscript, which is Judaized recently’. Abd al-Jabbar ibn the stork’s dwelling is in the northern undated, has no claims to great antiquity. Muhammad al-Hamdani, in The countries - and comes back for her Nothing is sure about its provenance, but Establishment of Proofs for the survival. But his own people do not it is thought to have belonged originally to Prophethood of Our Master Muhammad observe God’s laws to help them survive. the celebrated Dr. Fell (1625-1686) (c. 1009-1010) writes: ‘One of the Jews In the Latin translation of the Bible, the undertook the conversion of the Khazars, Vulgate, the bird appears three times but who are composed of many peoples, and is given names of other birds. The debate The Thirteenth they were converted by him and joined his over the identity of the biblical chasida Tribe religion. This happened recently in the was studied in Rabbincal literature. In the by days of the Abbasids… For this was a man Talmud Rabbi Yehuda asks, ‘why was she Arthur Koestler who came single-handedly to a King of 1976 called chasida?’ His explanation is that great rank and to a very spirited people, the bird was charitable. Rashi linked the and they were converted by him without biblical bird with the identity of the stork any recourse to violence and the sword. Hutchinson and the word chasida was adopted. Today And they took upon themselves the the stork has a good reputation, not only difficult obligations enjoined by the law of in our culture but in others too. The conversion of the Khazars was the Torah, such as circumcision, the ritual However, in the book of Deuteronomy the known to the monk Druthmar of ablutions, washing after a discharge of the chasida is mentioned among ten other Aquitaine, writing in Westphalia in 864: semen, the prohibition of work on the birds which we are forbidden to eat. Is the ‘At the present time we know of no Sabbath and during the feasts, the chasida that is mentioned in the Bible the nation under the heavens where prohibition of eating the flesh of same one known to us today? Christians do not live. For Christians are forbidden animals according to this even found in the lands of Gog and religion, and so on’. A note by Abraham The word and its meaning have been Magog -- who are a Hunnic race and are ibn Daud of Toledo, Spain, in The Book of adopted as Rashi predicted, although the called Gazari (Khazars)... circumcised Tradition (1161) reads: ‘You will find the stork did not have a good reputation in and observing all the laws of Judaism. communities of Israel spread abroad... as the Bible, and we are forbidden to eat it. The Bulgars, however, who are of the far as Dailam and the river Itil where From the root of the word - chet, samech, same seven tribes as the Khazars, are Khazars live, peoples who became dalet - a Jewish sect called Chasidim was now becoming baptised into proselytes’. Ibn al Athir tells how in the named. A Chasid performs chesed, a Christianity’. It is important to note that days of Harun, the Emperor of Byzantium Jewish value that is one of the most the monk was a historical figure. His forced the Jews to emigrate. They came to important building blocks of our religion. name was Christian of Stavelot. He is the Khazar country, where they found an In general, we never know if the biblical sometimes (possibly incorrectly) referred intelligent but untutored race and offered words that were adopted mean the same to as Christian Druthmar or Druthmar of them their religion. The inhabitants found today. In Hebrew there is a strong link Aquitaine. Christian was a noted it better than their own and accepted it. between the word and the meaning, aided grammarian, a biblical commentator, by the root system. Although the chasida There is an extensive body of literature and eschatologist. He was born in did not have a good reputation in the written about the Khazars but Aquitaine in the early ninth century CE, Bible she became a symbol of goodness as unfortunately we still do not know exactly and became a monk at the Benedictine Rabbi Yehuda and Rashi had asserted. who they were and why they converted, monastery. At some point he was sent to There is therefore a linguistic and a but of their existence there is no doubt the Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy in Liège characteristic link between the bird whatsoever. to teach Bible to the monks there. It is chasida , the word chesed and the sect of unknown whether he died at Stavelot, or Thomas Salamon the Chasidim. returned to Corbie or was ultimately sent Ilana Alexander elsewhere. Christian was called the

9 Jewish War Heroine Muriel Byck explained in early selection interviews: dinner at a restaurant much frequented they would have to work hard both by by Germans. She was terrified and (1918-1944) day and by night; life would be wanted to leave at once, but her strenuous, lonely, and precarious, and companions insisted that she should get they would always have to be alert to used to the presence of the enemy all danger; if captured, they could face around her. Her transmissions were brutal interrogation, imprisonment, and kept as short as possible and her sending probably death. Nevertheless, women points changed frequently. She acted as

like Muriel were willing to make this courier between the different sabotage sacrifice and, secretly, few expected to teams, keeping London informed at all return alive. She was chosen by Major times. On one occasion she was

Philippe de Vomécourt to be his transmitting from a junk yard beside a assistant. Vomécourt led the garage used by the German military. Ventriloquist circuit in France, one of the Suddenly she noticed an eye looking in

small networks of resistance workers, through a hole in the woodwork. It was a and it was Muriel’s job to train other soldier examining the inside of the shack. operators, keep London informed and Immediately she packed up her

ensure that they were given codenames. equipment, threw dust over the table Her own were first Violette and later where she had been sitting, and told her Michèle. colleagues what was going on. The

Germans arrived in force but could find Muriel’s first drop into French territory no evidence of ‘a pretty girl with a was delayed for three days because of transmitter’ and the poor soldier was Luba and Jacques Byck had come bad weather, but eventually she and duly punished. originally from Russia, but lived for three other male agents parachuted into many years in France and considered France near Orléans. She had insisted on Re-established in a safer spot where she themselves French Jews. However, they taking with her a powder compact given could resume her work at night, she let it moved to London where their daughter to her by her fiancé, an American agent be known that she had come to the Muriel was born in Ealing in 1918. She she had met while in training, but when countryside from Paris to recuperate went to the Lycée Français in her leader, de Vomécourt, saw it he told from an illness and needed to get up Kensington, speaking of course perfect her to leave it behind as no such article several times in the night to take her French, some Russian and a little could be found in France. She insisted, medication. This was not far from the English. She took the Baccalaureat and so he rubbed it with ammonia to make it truth as she had always been a little then went to the University of Lille. look old. She looked too young and delicate. Knowledge of this prejudiced pretty to be overlooked in personnel her chances of survival. It was decided Returning to London, Muriel took searches by the Germans, and she was that the British agents together with the secretarial jobs until she became given instructions on make-up and local French maquis should bomb an Assistant Stage Manager at The Gate ageing. ammunition dump at Michenon, and Theatre in Notting Hill. When war broke Muriel duly received a message from out and her parents divorced, her mother London that the raid was on. It was a remarried and went to live in Torquay She was terrified and success but the explosion affected her with her daughter. Always anxious to ‘do badly and she was taken in by a friend to her bit’, Muriel became an Air Raid wanted to leave at once, recover. When de Vomécourt found out Warden, joined the Red Cross and then but her companions how ill she was he insisted on her enlisted in the Women’s Royal Air Force. boarding a plane shortly to leave for It wasn’t long before the Special Forces insisted that she should England. But she was by now too ill to Executive realised Muriel’s potential as a get used to the presence travel and a doctor was called. He fluent French speaker, and she was of the enemy diagnosed another bout of meningitis - recruited into SOE in July 1943. She she had experienced one as a child - and started her training in Cranleigh, Surrey he insisted that she be taken to hospital. moving to Scotland for paramilitary This was a dangerous move as all instruction and to Oxfordshire where she hospital admissions were closely learnt to be a wireless operator. She was One of Muriel’s tasks was to establish monitored by the Germans. De described in her file as ‘a quiet attractive post boxes for transmissions to London Vomécourt went with her, calling himself girl, keen, enthusiastic and intelligent’, and she was instructed in codes and her uncle from Paris. though it was noted that she was passwords, for use if her base was ignorant of exactly what her work would An operation to save her was compromised. Her inexperience was entail and generally guileless. The risks unsuccessful and she died in his arms. evident when her leader took her to of the agents’ work were clearly

10 Community

He took care of all the funeral magazines from other societies across the arrangements, refusing to let her friends The world. The Society’s own magazine – attend in case the Gestapo grew Jewish Shemot – is published quarterly, offering suspicious. He himself only just escaped. an interesting range of articles, book She was interred in a temporary grave in Genealogical reviews, material and information of Romorantin, where she had died, but she Society practical use from international sources. was later reburied in a Commonwealth Many Jews living in England are anxious War Graves Commission cemetery at to trace their families back to their roots; Pornic, near St. Nazaire. The tombstone The Society was formed in 1992 to help its they may find that they are halted in their bears a Magen David. Muriel Byck never members, both beginners and more research when they need to access forgot her Jewish ancestry, though she experienced researchers, to learn about material from, say, Eastern Europe. This wore a gold cross around her neck given genealogy with particular reference to is where the Society can be of vital to her by a Resistance colleague. The their Jewish ancestry. It is a member assistance. German records are relatively grave is often visited by those looking for society of the International Association of easy to find, as the Germans are known to Resistance memorials, and Muriel was Jewish Genealogical Societies. keep immaculate papers on families who mentioned in despatches. have lived in the country. As members of For those wishing to trace their family Westminster Synagogue will know, the background, or with a general interest in scrolls that came to Kent House from the genealogy, it is an essential tool for the Czech Republic were accompanied by lists work, offering education and help in of the towns and cities they came from, setting about the task, as well as enabling those concerned with the promoting the indexing, collating and research into their origins to identify them preservation of early documents. The from their original homes, and later to Society offers a wide programme of link them with the new recipients where workshops, training, discussion groups – they presently rest. But other nations – both live and online – and the help of dealing of course with a minority race, experienced researchers. There is an usually poor and sometimes illiterate – excellent library with more than a paid little attention to records or papers, if thousand books relating to family history, indeed such records were preserved at all. Jewish databases and other computer facilities. It has its own large collection of maps and leaflets, and the largest ...the largest collection collection of Yiskor (memorial books) in the country. of Yiskor (memorial) books in the country Within the Society are smaller groups specialising in genealogical material from

Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and The Society however, has done much work the Ukraine, as well as German, Dutch in identifying sources of these records, and Sephardi and Anglo-Jewish. There is Muriel’s tombstone in the Pornic and is often able to help with finding also much information about sources, war cemetery them, translating and dealing with the libraries, archives and other useful aids to governments and owners involved. It can genealogical research. For those outside There are several memorials to Muriel also often find a researcher familiar with London there are several regional groups, Byck in France as well as in England. In these problems who for a fee can handle including the Chilterns and Home St. Paul’s Church Knightsbridge is one to much of the groundwork involved. It can Counties Group, East of London, Leeds, members of SOE who lost their lives; in also provide a lecturer to visit Jewish Manchester, Midland Group, North Herts, Valencay in France is another and in groups to talk about the work of the South East Essex and South West London, Torquay is a plaque in memory of the Society, genealogy in general and Jewish all of whom hold their own meetings and Byck family who lived there, as well as genealogy in particular. The Society’s specialise in research relating to their own one on Torquay promenade. The Jewish website is informative and helpful as is its areas. Military Museum, now housed at the staff, and the annual subscription is very London Jewish Museum, remembers her Among the facilities offered by the Society reasonable. too. are Federation Burial Records, Marriage

Records, United Synagogue history and,

in the Library, family trees already PB researched by other Jewish families.

There is also a collection of genealogical

11 Jewish Writers an Honours Degree in French, English In the novel, Zangwill describes the Israel Zangwill and Moral Sciences. He remained at the family of Esther, the bright and (1864-1926) school as an articled teacher. intelligent oldest child, charged with caring for her family from the age of Israel’s relationship with the school twelve. All the traditions of deteriorated and he left to take up impoverished Jewish life are there: the journalism, founding and editing Ariel, shadchan trying to arrange a marriage the London Puck and submitting articles for Esther, the sweatshop of her father to the national press. A novel, written in Moses, the shame of accepting charity collaboration with a fellow teacher, Louis even from her co-religionists, the Cowen, was published as The Premier Rothschilds. But Esther is not too proud and the Painter, under the pseudonym J. to visit the soup kitchen. ‘There was Freeman Bell. He became known as ‘the quite a crowd of applicants outside the Dickens of the ghetto’. Several other stable-like doors of the kitchen when novels followed, together with a volume Esther arrived, a few with well-lined of short stories, and the London Star stomachs perhaps, but the majority published in 1891, in serial form, a famished and shivering. The feminine thriller titled The Big Bow Mystery, element swamped the rest, but there believed to be the first ‘locked room were about a dozen men and a few mystery’ of detective stories. children among the group, most of the

At about this time Moses Zangwill, a men scarce taller than the children, Two generations ago Israel Zangwill’s Hebrew reader in the synagogue, left strange, stunted, swarthy, hairy vivid stories of immigrant Jews in the London to live in Jerusalem. Israel creatures, with muddy complexions East End were out of favour with Jews supported him financially. He himself illumined by black twinkling eyes … but who no longer considered themselves rejected Orthodox Judaism, writing an for the most part it was a collection of incomers, but home grown Englishmen article published in Jewish Quarterly crones, prematurely aged with weird, and women. Perhaps they felt wary of Review, ‘English Judaism: a Criticism wan, old-world features, slipshod and their roots, even ashamed. But now and Classification’. He was at the same draggle-tailed, their heads bare, or those stories are welcomed and enjoyed time unwilling to adhere to Reform covered in dingy shawls in lieu of as they reveal a wealth of colour and Judaism, referring to ‘something bonnets.’ The author’s gift for warmth, of families from Russia and touching and sublime in the common description runs through the book and Eastern Europe striving to better belief of a people in an apparent the reader finds himself back in the themselves in their new land and to hold impossibility in the ultimate return of its ghetto of his ancestors, a part of the on to their traditions inherited from the national hero, in the recovery of its history of the Jewish people. The Jewish shtetls of Poland, Lithuania and the golden glories, something pathetic in its Chronicle’s review when the book first Ukraine in the face of poverty and simple faith and credulous hope’. He appeared said, ‘Mr. Zangwill has a ignorance. was then commissioned by the new mastery over Jewish life in all its Jewish Publication Society of America to crannies and ramifications. He has Israel Zangwill was born in London in write a novel about Jews. This turned insight into the ideal, and an eye for the 1864. His father, Moses, had come to out to be Children of the Ghetto, one of mean and the tawdry, a sigh for its England from Latvia at the age of twelve the most graphic and moving depictions pathos and a smile for its joy; he can sing and earned a meagre living as an of the life of Jews in the East End of its psalms in admirable verse; he can itinerant pedlar and glazier. He was a London in Victorian England. idealize its spirit, laugh at its humours keen student of rabbinics and of Jewish with a richness of irony and wit worthy of learning, an observant and pious young Heine, and all this he does, not merely man. He married Ellen Hannah Marks, a with observation but with real and deep Polish woman, less religious than her knowledge.’ husband, but very independent and the dominant force in the home. Several more novels about life in the

ghetto followed, creating for Zangwill an The family - there were by now several unassailable position as the spokesman more children - moved first to Plymouth (in fictional form) of immigrant Jewish then to Bristol, where at school Israel life in London. showed considerable promise. In 1873 the Zangwills moved back to London and In 1903 Israel Zangwill married Edith Israel was enrolled in the Jews Free Ayrton. She was the daughter of the School. He did well, studying in the electrical engineer William Ayrton and evenings at London University, receiving his first wife Matilda Chaplin, a cousin.

12

She was one of the first women doctors in including in 1946 The Verdict, directed by England but died when her daughter was Don Siegel. only eight. Ayrton married again, this Towards the end of his life Zangwill was time to Hertha Marks (see Westminster virtually an invalid, cared for by his wife in Quarterly, July 2018), a Jewish scientist their Sussex home. He had been a striking who brought Edith up as her own. Edith figure, tall and thin, with a mop of black attended Bedford College and hair and spectacles. He was a fine and subsequently wrote several novels. She witty public speaker. Although he was not and Zangwill were married in a Register a practising Jew he always recalled his Office wedding and had three children. Jewish roots and upbringing. He Apart from being a feminist and a pacifist, translated the Hebrew liturgy into English. Israel Zangwill became closely involved He died from pneumonia on 1st August with Zionism, though he did not envisage 1926 and was cremated at Willesden; his Israel as the destination for a Jewish ashes are held at the Willesden Liberal homeland. He became close friends with Cemetery. The funeral service was Theodor Herzl (he gave the eulogy at conducted by the Rabbi of the Liberal Herzl’s funeral) but set his sights on the Jewish Synagogue and the eulogy was vision of the Jewish home in East Africa or given by Rabbi Stephen Wise, the leading Canada, or even the United States, the Progressive minister, visiting from ideal of many American Jews. As a fervent America. Territorialist, he wanted only to provide safety for Jews fleeing persecution in ‘A Child of the Ghetto’- - Zangwill as caricatured by Russia and Eastern Europe, and eventually Walter Sickert in Vanity Fair, Philippa Bernard broke away from the Zionist cause. He February 1897. had originally believed that Palestine was a country peopled by a few Arabs of Australia, Mesopotamia, Uganda or limited civilisation – ‘an almost Cyrenaica. uninhabited forsaken and ruined Turkish territory’. Zangwill continued writing, novels, articles, poems and plays. His most famous play was perhaps The Melting Pot, As a fervent produced first in New York, where it was Territorialist, he seen by Theodore Roosevelt who shouted down to the stage, ‘That’s a great play, Mr. wanted only to provide Zangwill, that’s a great play.’ It tells the safety for Jews fleeing story of a Jew who emigrates from Russia persecution in Russia to America after his family is killed. He composes a great symphony and on meeting and falling in love with a beautiful

Russian girl finds that her father is the He came to realise that a considerable officer who killed the Jewish family. The Blue plaque on Zangwill’s house population was firmly ensconced in the father repents, the symphony is a great at 28 Old Ford Road, Old Ford, land, and at the time of the Balfour success and all ends well. But although London, E3 Declaration he felt that not enough the play was a hit, many critics deplored consideration was paid to the native Zangwill’s stance. He was called ‘a Jew peoples. At the time of the meeting of the who no longer wanted to be a Jew. His League of Nations he wrote to The Times, real hope was for a world in which the ‘What is now being concocted is a scheme entire lexicon of racial and religious under which a free-born Jew returning to difference is thrown away.’ Palestine would find himself under British Many of the plays had no Jewish military rule, aggravated by an Arab connection at all, and some were turned majority in civic affairs.’ Zangwill’s new into films, without a great deal of success. organisation was called the Jewish The Melting Pot is a lost 1915 silent film Territorialist Organisation, founded in drama based on the play of the same 1905 to create a homeland for the Jews name, and there were three commercial wherever it might be found, be it in film versions of The Big Bow Mystery,

13 Comment The Legacy of the nature to create an atmosphere of calm I would also mention Psalm six which can Psalms and serenity, for example using such be found in our Yom Kippur book and, of words as ‘flowing waters’, ‘green course, in the Bible. Man is miserable and pastures’, and ‘shepherd’. Through frightened, asking God’s forgiveness. The nature, human beings are nearer to God atmosphere is one of despair, fear,

because nature is His domain. Through remorse and death. My whole being is these images, the Psalm creates a picture stricken with terror...For in death there of rural perfection and an atmosphere of is no remembrance of thee: in the grave

pleasantness rather than one of fear and who shall give thee thanks? I am weary horror. with my groaning; all night make I my bed to swim. I drench my couch with my Another Psalm in a similar vein is number tears. The Psalm commences, O Lord, one hundred and fifty, which is frequently The Psalms which we read in the Bible, in rebuke me not in thine anger. The whole used at a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The subject the siddur on Shabbat, and on festivals, expresses in a beautiful way man’s matter also includes praise to God but have had an enormous influence on vulnerability and defencelessness and does not have images from nature. western civilization. What is the secret of how his need for God is great and urgent. Instead it has a special way of praising their success? God. It is full of music. It brings with it Rabbi Wittenberg had a conversation with the essence of a Simcha with the rhythm

a non-Jewish minister who mentioned the of its verses which are so adaptable to Psalms as ‘My Psalms’. Rabbi Wittenberg music and chanting. The verses glide from said to him ‘Don’t take my silver away’. one to another with the repetition of the

The Psalms have crossed traditions and main words, Praise the Lord, which cultures, inspiring ordinary people of all appear in various forms: Hallellujah, faiths including poets and composers - Hallelu El, Hallelu. All these words start

especially here in England. Our Bible was with the letter Hay dominating the verses not always accepted by the Christian adding to their fluency, thereby evoking world as the true word of God, but the happiness and joy. This Psalm uses the The Psalms are loved in our tradition Psalms were - especially Psalm twenty- word Hallellujah in an effective way. The because they are attributed to the young three. word appears nine times and in other David who used to play on his lyre to verses in other forms. It has a wonderful Let us take Psalm twenty-three; The Lord soothe King Saul who we now know ringing sound like that of a trumpet. It is is my shepherd, I shall not want. This suffered from depression. The Psalm as a easily uttered and is universally used in strikes a chord, not only amongst Jews medium of prayer is easy to read or sing speech and in song. but within the Christian faith too. This is and is attractive even to the non-believer. not surprising. Even in translation the The Psalms can all be read as poems. message is easily understood. The Psalm Their success lies in their literary style.

is about a serious subject which is The The verses in each Psalm are not valley of the shadow of death but the repetitive even if the subject matter is the reading of it is not threatening. On the same – that of the relationship between

contrary, it is comforting. The Psalm God and humans. The metaphors, which brings hope and respite at a time of are taken from nature and are familiar to adversity. Though I walk through the all, are beautifully crafted. They express

valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear emotions which are everlasting - fear, no evil, for thou art with me. From the worry, anxiety, joy – all feelings beginning, the Psalm is reassuring, and in universally experienced. The effects of

a gentle manner, metaphorically holds the the Psalms are due to the power of their reader’s hand before mentioning death. literary devices. Over the years, they have In this way, it helps one to bear death and influenced composers from Palestrina, We also have six instruments with which bad events. Monterverdi and Purcell to Stravinsky to express praise for God. They are the and Bernstein through their musical The Valley of the Shadow of Death is not harp, trumpet, lyre, cymbals, pipe and power. the main subject. The Psalm starts with timbrel. Praise is the quintessential The Lord is my shepherd ...He makes me nature of these Psalms. The theme of this Hallellujah! lie down in green pastures. The reader is one - and indeed of all of them - is that

led gently and with reassuring words to the main religious function of human the central message so as to lighten the beings is to offer praise to God and to Ilana Alexander coming of the end of life. Psalm twenty- proclaim His greatness throughout the three achieves this by images taken from world.

14 Poetry Page

Israel’s Rebirth

From Spanish auto-da-fé From Auschwitz’s sinister clouds From Europe’s ghettos From North Africa’s mellahs From countries’ blood-soaked earth There rose the very image of Jewish martyrdom As if that of a wound made of countless similar wounds That of a scar across the Jewish soul Motivating Jews to repossess their ancient land To rebuild it, to redefine it Their God-given stony country To raise the blue and white flag proudly The Star of David testifying to David’s city Reawakening a solidarity transcending time and space Strengthening their will to fight yet again Their readiness to die, yet not as victimised Jews Their determination to win as Israel’s justified fighters To win as Israel’s legendary heroes

Colette Littman

15 Around the World tourist bus, from Sharm el Sheikh, on Visiting Sinai good roads built during Israel’s brief

ownership of the land. At the moment, the flow of traffic from the north, from Eilat is greatly reduced because of security issues,

but tourists from Israel have started to return, and there has been a steady flow of Orthodox Christian pilgrims and other

visitors via Egypt, all made warmly welcome six mornings a week, apart from religious holidays. One can stay in St

Catherine’s village, at ‘Fox Camp’ or other places. Orthodox Christian visitors can stay within the monastery itself. But the

best arrangement for Western Christians and Jews is to stay in the monastery’s guest house, run by the Bedouin tribe

responsible for looking after the monks, St Catherine’s monastery in Sinai has architect had decided to locate the and they in turn receive the monks’ always welcomed visitors, throughout its monastery not on an inaccessible peak but protection. long history as the oldest continually on top of a water source at the head of a The Bedouins are Moslem, and it was functioning monastery in Christendom. It valley It is still a defensible position, as mainly out of respect for them that we is located amid the high hills at the time has proved, but it also enjoys a wore ‘modest attire’, Moslem style. The southern end of the Sinai peninsula, at the natural spring that continues to provide monks were less concerned, provided foot of what is thought to be Mount enough for all the monks’ and pilgrims’ basic respectability was maintained. Horeb, also known as Mount Sinai or needs, as well as irrigating a productive Jebel Mousa. As so often in Biblical garden for fruits, vegetables, olives and history and archaeology, there is nut trees. disagreement on whether Horeb and Sinai The association with Saint Catherine are the same mountain. One came when her relics were transported to interpretation of the double identity links the top of the neighbouring hill, Jebel the name Horeb, ‘glowing’, to the sun and Catarina, following her martyrdom the name Sinai, from ‘Sin’ - a Sumerian towards the end of the third century. She moon deity - to the moon. They may be was a remarkable lady, living in two faces of the mountain, or two peaks. Alexandria and highly educated in In addition, the location of both is philosophy, rhetoric, poetry, music, disputed. mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. In 330 CE the Empress Helena, mother of Rejecting all offers of marriage, she was It is a small community of twenty or so Emperor Constantine, identified the site converted to Christianity by a desert monks, some very old, some living far of the Burning Bush and raised a chapel hermit. Outspoken in her condemnation away in receipt of medical care. But their there, somehow intertwining the stories of of idol worship, she came to the attention numbers are easily made up by monks Moses at the bush and the Virgin Mary at of the Emperor who sent fifty rhetoricians visiting from elsewhere, and the daily the annunciation. Anchorite monks soon to argue with her, but they were services are maintained with due gathered round this holy place and the persuaded by her instead, and Catherine ceremony, starting at 4am, with the nine Emperor Justinian ordered the building was eventually put to death by means of offices arranged in three blocks through of a fortified monastery during the that famous instrument of torture and the day. We were welcome to join the troubled times of the mid-sixth century, execution, the breaking wheel, monks any time after 5am, and again for and that building, with its later additions, subsequently named after her and giving evensong. The mid-day service, and the remains as a stronghold in the Sinai its name to the firework, the Catherine first hour of the morning, were reserved desert. The best imperial architect was wheel. Moses and Elijah are also revered for their own prayers. sent to oversee the building, which has here and the place where Elijah certainly stood the test of time. But when encountered God is identified as one of Their rituals are far more ancient than the emperor heard about it, he ordered the rocky promontories on the ascent of those in use by the Catholic Church, the architect’s execution, for not putting Moses’ mountain. consisting of the chanting of psalms and the monastery on the top of the mountain, long multiple repetitions of Kyrie eleison The monastery is reached nowadays from as he had ordered. This was a dire (Lord have mercy on us) – but not Christe the south in a few hours by jeep, or even warning of the dangers of autocracy: the eleison, which made it easier for us to feel

16 part of the worship. The abundant use of early wanderings in the desert, even if The most valuable tomes are gradually incense was also reminiscent of (and of the mountain cannot be identified for being digitised and made available on the course modelled on) temple worship. As sure, and even if the ‘burning bush’ for Web. Conservation work on the in the Temple of old, the celebrant was which claims are made does not fit our manuscripts will soon begin in a new within the sanctuary, intoning prayers idea of that bush. wing presently under construction. while clouds of incense would rise There is certainly plenty of opportunity Our trips were organised as retreats by upwards. He then came out among the to sit quietly on one of the terraces and to our friend, Elizabeth Edmunds, in congregation (made up of a few monks contemplate what it means to be close to collaboration with the World Community and aspirants, a few pilgrims and our the divine, to be inspired, to renew one’s for Christian Meditation, and using the party), continuing to purify the commitment to an unseen, unknowable excellent professional services of Wind, atmosphere with incense – but of course power, source of all the wisdom that Sand and Stars travel agency, who have no sacrifices. guides us. It is also no wonder that the nurtured a close connection with the monks of St Catherine’s regard their South Sinai Bedouin whom they try to a unique collection of monastery as an ‘ark’, preserving for all support. peoples the heritage of the past. The new I could write many more pages on the over 3,000 ancient library has state-of-the-art storage for treasures of the library, but I shall end by manuscripts this priceless collection, fruits of trying to summarise the chief collaboration for the great Byzantium impressions that remain from our two exhibition held in New York and London visits - this year and last. The power of devotion expressed in these in 2004 – the first occasion on which rituals and the monks’ respect for guests material had travelled from St First and foremost what comes to mind is of other persuasions than their own Catherine’s to the outside world, a loan the human aspect, the kindness and made it very easy to share the rewarded with funding and expert generosity extended to us and the contemplative atmosphere they have advice. symbiosis that has grown up between established, and that was in fact what our Bedouins and Christians. Then there is A new museum has been built to house party had gone there for. We had the the natural grandeur of the setting, some of the icons and vessels, though additional benefit on this, our second tranquil for many hours of the day many still remain in the church. Unique visit, of being able to access the despite comings and goings of streams of among these are some of the earliest extraordinary library, now reconstructed visitors. The almond trees, pomegranates paintings showing late Roman realism in to the highest standards to house a and roses that grow in the guest-house portraiture – almost every other example unique collection of over 3,000 ancient gardens, blossoming delightfully in the was destroyed during the era of manuscripts. These are mainly in Greek spring, the light that reflects off the faces iconoclasm in the eighth and ninth or Arabic and of a religious nature. of the rock, changing with the passing centuries. There is also a patent of Needless to say I spent many happy hours of the day. But above all the drama protection signed in 623 CE by the hours poring over a selection of these of engagement with the land trodden by prophet Mohammed himself, extraordinary tomes: early Bible texts, our ancestors, where Moses encountered guaranteeing the safety of the monastery commentaries from the tenth century, the divine not once, but twice – possibly from religious persecution. theological works, and some exquisitely even three times if Horeb and Meribah beautiful copies of The Ladder of Divine are to be equated – and shaped the Ascent, a masterpiece of advice for those destiny of our people. who have chosen the monastic life, written by an abbot of the monastery in the sixth century, and valued ever since Valery Rees for its wisdom and insights. Particularly interesting to our party was a sixteenth century retelling of Bible stories with simple three-colour illustrations. Nothing was too much trouble for our host, the librarian, Father Justin, and for the other English speaking monk, Father Nilus. As for the library, it has yielded many I did not attempt to climb Mount Sinai treasures including the fourth century this year. But Chris and most of the party Codex Sinaiticus now in the British did, experiencing at the summit the Museum, and it continues to yield more special qualities of the mountain. One finds as old materials formerly tucked feels very close to Moses and to those away in obscure places are being sorted.

17 Jewish History speech, and of slow tongue. Maimonides communicative skills, he comes across as

Moses: A Man for All states this is evidence of Moses’ stammer. a reluctant hero, but a man who is Seasons Other rabbinic commentators regarded passionate about the suffering of his the reference to Moses’ speech as people. He could not fail to recognise What do you know about Moses? Most indicating verbal slowness and what Galbraith identifies as a defining people have an image of a man with a deliberateness. This interpretation characteristic of leadership, namely long beard, no not God, staff in hand, suggests what he uttered was weighty, responding to the ‘major anxiety’ of the leading a vast multitude through a profound: not glib. It is also possible that people. wilderness, bound for the Promised Land; Moses, if indeed he had a damaged During his prophetic career Moses and that is not to forget the crossing of tongue, lisped rather than stuttered. exhibited many attributes any successful the Red Sea, the waters of which were There is a famous midrash that gives an leader requires. He acted decisively when held back to allow the Israelites to cross explanation for Moses’ alleged disability. confronted with rebellion; he faced down dry-footed. This popular impression, Pharaoh took the baby Moses on his knee, Korach, culminating in the destruction of bolstered by the creative imagination and and to the horror of the court astrologers the rebel Levites. He listened to the advice wonder-works of Hollywood, is about the child grasped the king’s crown and of his wise father-in-law, Jethro, and what most lay-people can confidently placed it on his own head. The advisers established minor judges to relieve him of describe. ordered two braziers to be brought, one the enormous responsibility of In Torah we are given much detail of the filled with gold, the other with hot coals. adjudicating at so many disputes. The man and his deeds, and the Talmud and If Moses took the gold, then his fate many times the Hebrews were attacked in Midrashim amplify the critical moments would be sealed. The Archangel Gabriel the desert saw Moses, as supreme in the prophet’s life. In Parasha Shemot guided the baby’s hand to the glowing commander, organise his forces to beat we are given an account of the origins of coals, and Moses plucked out a burning off the enemy. So what distinguishes a Israel’s greatest prophet, how a child born coal and put it to his lips, and that is why leader like Moses from the many heroes to Amram and Jochebed became the he had a speech defect. The choice is depicted in history books? adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and yours as to which rabbinic exegesis you There is one essential that Galbraith does how on witnessing the desperate state of find most plausible. I am inclined to meld not mention, namely God. It was God’s the Hebrew slaves, became a fugitive after the two versions. A person who has support throughout the prophet’s killing an Egyptian taskmaster. The life of difficulty articulating his thoughts may ministry that brought the fledgling Moses is fascinating because on the face express views that are no less significant, Hebrew nation to Canaan. of it he appears totally unsuited to the and more often than not of greater role of leader. import, than his more loquacious peers. Judaism has its fair share of heroes, those This certainly seems to have been the case we venerate either because they are The Canadian economist, J. K. Galbraith, with Moses. champions of our cultural heritage, or who incidentally was an adviser to they are sages who have given inspiration President Kennedy, said of leadership: God tells Moses that Aaron will to the Jewish people; but these are ‘All great leaders have had one accompany him, stating: ‘Is there not mortals. They fulfil a destiny; they are characteristic in common: it was a Aaron thy brother the Levite? I know he instruments of the Divine Will; and willingness to confront unequivocally the can speak well’. So Aaron is the although Moses has a very special place in major anxiety of their people in their mouthpiece, the man with the ‘silvery the history of the Jewish people, he, too, time. This, and not much else, is the tongue’, but he is not the possessor of the was human. As a man he endured essence of leadership’. Perhaps, in our encounter with the Burning Bush or the criticism from those he led; he expressed recent history, the man who epitomises revelation at Sinai; it is Moses who doubt; anger; impatience; and hubris. It this important quality was Winston experiences something so profound that was the latter offence that robbed Moses Churchill. We know Churchill researched words are woefully inadequate in of entry to the Promised Land. He, in a and rehearsed his war-time speeches to communicating the ineffable. In moment of pique, became irritated with ensure they made the maximum impact Schoenberg’s unfinished opera Moses und God’s slowness to provide water at on raising the spirits of the British people, Aron the composer explores, both Meribah, and he was punished for that and equally they were designed to show musically and dramatically, the theme of momentary loss of faith. So the man who defiance in the face of Nazi aggression. Moses, the man of vision. The brothers was a reluctant hero, who rose to the Like Moses, Churchill suffered from a are contrasted; and Schoenberg sets up a challenge of leadership, and served both speech impediment, not unlike his dynamic between them by assigning a God and his people with devotion, fell father’s, a major liability in an aspiring speaking role to Moses, representing victim - like commanders of all orator, and he worked tirelessly to God’s absolutism, and Aaron, the generations - to vanity and loss of self- overcome this, becoming in the rhetorician, who sings his role, a device control; and it is these qualities, both judgement of many, an outstanding that enables him to weave fantasies that good and bad, that make Moses accessible public speaker. In the case of Moses there form the medium for sensuality - enter to us ordinary folk. is some doubt about how we should the Golden Calf. interpret the phrase in Exodus: slow of Peter Beyfus Whatever the truth of Moses’

18 Culture

Book Review London, Canterbury and Winchester were As well as influencing, religion has been resolved temporarily by William’s influenced by the dramatic events that recognition of the Christian significance occurred, particularly in the last two Mithras to of London. And then in 1095, the hundred and fifty years or so. Slavery, Mormon A Religious History of moment all Westminster Synagogue suffrage, revolution and riots are all seen London readers have been waiting for, Judaism through the perspective of religion and by poked its head above the parapet. the impact of war is also briefly touched upon. Philippa Bernard From the very first chapter, this book

reflects Philippa’s ability to convey Another important aspect of the book is Shepheard-Walwyn complexity in straightforward English. the categorisation of the different sects of 2018 London religion is chronicled in strict Christianity. As a Jew, my knowledge of date order and each chapter is broken up the State religion was extremely limited into very readable bite size pieces, where having always been excluded from every reader will have an ‘I knew that’ religious education at school, for a reason moment as well as a ‘well I never’ that now, I cannot quite fathom. I had Having been lucky enough to attend the moment. always assumed that there were Catholics, book launch of Philippa Bernard’s latest Anglicans, Baptists and Methodists, but book, Mithras to Mormon - A Religious In charting the development of religion in now I have a deeper understanding of the History of London, I knew it was going to our city, Philippa weaves in its impact on various sects within Christianity. I should be a good read. The launch took place at the social and economic history of also add that reading the section on the Charterhouse and not only did London, relations with Christian Muggletonians has given me a completely Philippa speak about the writing of the European counterparts and the different perspective on Harry Potter. book but we were all enthralled by an marginalisation and expulsion of the address, given by a resident, chronicling Jews. The middle section of the book will It would be difficult to imagine that the life of the Charterhouse from 1371 to please anyone with an interest in the anyone who reads this book will not have the present day. I am no historian and Kings and Queens of England and will be a greater understanding of the usually avoid reading history books but a godsend to any child sitting GCSE development of London and the having known Philippa for some time and history covering the Tudors, the important part that religion has played in read three of her other published works, I Reformation and the Stuarts. Although it. Religion has influenced, it still realised that it was going to be well worth this book is written as a continuum, it is influences, and it will continue to an investment of my time. just as easy to pick up and read chapters influence in the future. There is and sections out of sequence without something in this book for anyone who The author begins at the very beginning, losing the rationale of the book. has lived in, visited or read about London. (as Julie Andrews once sang) with It is such a jolly good read, so now go out reference to those most influential of and buy it. invaders, the Romans, who brought with Although it charts the them their pagan culture which seemed to hardly notice the passive Druid-Celt life of a city, that of Janet Mernane influence of the years previous. When the course is inextricably Romans finally left, London entered its Anglo-Saxon phase that seemed to linked with religion, the coincide with a mishmash of invasions influences have shaped from our European neighbours which secular life may well have been the impetus for the Brexit movement we know today, and

then in 597 St Augustine arrived and brought with him the earliest form of One of Philippa’s greatest writing skills is Christianity. The Viking invasions that being able to bring historic characters to followed brought a different flavour to life by linking them to influences, this early Christianity, but this was the geographical locations and events in a period when churches began to be built way that gives one’s imagination a very and those familiar names of St Clement clear picture of the people that they were. Danes and St Bride’s first became a It is also possible to read this book as, feature of our great city. simply, a history of London. Although it charts the life of a city, that of course is Norman London followed, William inextricably linked with religion, the having defeated us at Hastings and the influences have shaped secular life and little spats within the religious triarchy this too is superbly chronicled. (yes, I did just make that word up) of

19 Jewish History by Crusaders. We also know that he Obadiah the moved to Baghdad and lived in a hekdesh, Proselyte or alms-house, connected to the Synagogue. There he studied Hebrew, the Pentateuch and the Prophets. He also became aware of the desperate circumstances of the Baghdadi Jews. Judaism is not a proselytising religion. In The translators of the manuscripts have fact, many sections of the community make established that in the early part of the it as difficult as possible for non-Jews to twelfth century, Obadiah moved to Aleppo Opening of the Siddur text written convert. Why, therefore, did a Catholic where he was given a letter of by Obadiah priest in the eleventh century decide to recommendation from Rabbi Baruch ben the Church. The musical compositions are become a Jew? This question has taxed Isaac, head of the Yeshiva, confirming exceptional. They are the only known many fine minds since the discovery of details of his conversion. He instructed examples in all of Jewish history of Hebrew documents - fragments of a detailed Obadiah to carry this document with him prayers set to Gregorian chant! It is biographical chronicle - in the Cairo at all times in order to show it to anyone obvious therefore, that Obadiah was well genizah. who might question the validity of his acquainted with the musical traditions of conversion. These fragments, now known as the the Church and saw no reason why ‘Obadiah Scroll’, are written in biblical Gregorian chant should not be used for Hebrew. The Obadiah Memoir describes in Jewish liturgy. vivid detail the author’s life and travels. The name ‘Obadiah the Proselyte’ first He talks about his early times in the appeared in a 1901 collection of scientific Catholic Church, his conversion to and literary works compiled by Rabbi Judaism and his experience of the Solomon Aaron Wertheimer of Jerusalem. Crusades. One document contains the It has taken over half a century to build up following: ‘Obadiah the Norman Proselyte a full picture of Obadiah’s life and deeds. who entered the covenant of the God of During this time, the scholars of the Israel in the month of Elul, year 1413 of Cambridge University Genizah Collection, Documents which is 4862 of Creation’ and have been in collaboration with others - in continues ‘he, Obadiah the Proselyte, has the University of Chicago, the Bodleian written (this prayer-book) with his own Library and the Hebrew Union College of hand’. Cincinnati. Johannes Dreux was born in Oppido Lucan In April 1970, a narrow street in the in Italy, the son of an aristocrat. Like ancient town of Oppido Lucan was many of his co-religionists, he studied the dedicated to Giovanni-abdia il Normanno ברוך הגבר Bible and in so doing, he gradually became Prayer set to Gregorian – Musicista Oppidano del Secolo convinced that it was only the Jews who Chant by Obadiah Undicesimo. (Johannes-Obadiah the had faithfully followed the ways of the Norman, Musician of Oppido of the ancient Hebrews. His account of the Jews Eleventh Century) in a special ceremony heroically facing the murderous attacks of convened to honour this most unusual and the Crusaders has been deciphered The scholars of the genizah collection have gifted man. amongst the tattered manuscripts. painstakingly translated his words which give details of the daily lives of the Jewish Much more information is now available, The young man was also impressed by the communities amongst which he lived. We thanks to the Cambridge University story of the Italian archbishop Andreas of are now able to learn that in those days, Genizah Research Unit and they have Bari who had converted to Judaism and from Baghdad to Damascus, from Palestine published a link to the website containing had been forced to flee to Constantinople to Egypt, the new convert was invariably further details relevant to the life and to escape the anger of his fellow Catholics. welcomed by the local Jews who would writings of Obadiah the Proselyte. The anecdote inspired him to take on the give him food, shelter and religious http://johannes-obadiah.org Hebrew name of Obadiah and to go education, despite their own difficult It is fascinating. wandering among the Jewish communities circumstances. of the Middle East. He recounts that his conversion was inspired by a dream which Amongst Obadiah’s writings is a set of Claire Connick he had shortly after taking his Priestly liturgical poems which he had heard in the vows. He too went to Constantinople to synagogues and which he was able to begin his Jewish studies and was attacked inscribe in musical notation culled from

20

Anglo-Jewish History

oldest synagogue site in Britain and one of A Mediaeval the oldest in western Europe. These

remnants of a synagogue date back to Synagogue 1180.

The ancient Jewish house of prayer was probably part of a private house, which frequently contained a family synagogue *Some (similar discoveries have been made in the City of London), and the names of several wealthy Jewish merchants are known,

including that of Isaac of Southwark. The building was probably closed down in 1275 when the mother of King Edward I, For Jews Queen Eleanor of Provence, expelled the Jews from several English towns Architect John Boas working in including Guildford. Her son finally drove the discovered remains After the youngest out all the Jews of England in 1290. recites the four questions, the Guildford in Surrey is a very ancient It was first suggested that these remains township. It was established as a small might have been part of a Christian Fifth – when do we eat? town by Saxon settlers shortly after church, but they bear no resemblance to

Roman authority had been removed from conventional church architecture, and Britain. It was referred to in the will of such a church would have been at the Our youngest daughter,

King Alfred, and the remains of William front of the house, while a synagogue our most precious Jewel. Hence the Conqueror’s castle still overlook the would be located at the back. There is a town. bench running round the room, with two the name, Tiffany entrances, and traces of four columns, In 1995 excavations on a site in the High often found in mediaeval synagogues. Street uncovered a chamber with steps Within the site, coins and pottery shards ‘Love the stranger, for leading down from street level. It was have been found, indicating a possible ornately decorated with pattern designs. You were strangers in Egypt’ Jewish presence. In the east of the room is an alcove and a Can’t we just be friends? pillar where scorch marks demonstrate The account of the discovery in the Jewish that a light was often burning in this Chronicle of January 1995 indicates that it place. The assumption is that the steps was hoped to lay a glass ceiling over the Middle East peace talks… might have led to a women’s gallery, the remains, but unfortunately that never alcove was the Aron Kodesh and the burn happened. The site is now a shop, but one the parties reach agreement mark is left from a Ner Tamid. Evidence of the stones from the remains has been Falafel for lunch points to the likelihood that this room was presented to the modern Guildford an ancient synagogue. If so, then it is the Synagogue, built in 1979 in York Road.

Too much Seder wine… I dream of pyramids built with cubes of sugar

Today I am a man. Tomorrow I return to my school classroom

*from a book by David M. Bader An artist’s impression of the room

21 Editorial

Those of us whose membership of this community goes back to the early days will remember Debbie (Marta) Shelley who sang in our Services. They will also remember her daughter Carole who went on to become a talented actress of stage and screen.

We are sad to report that Carole died of cancer just after her 79th birthday in August last year. Glowing obituaries appeared in the international Press - including the Jewish Chronicle. In her career, she earned four Tony nominations and won the Award in 1979 for her performance as Mrs Kendal in The Elephant Man. She made her last Broadway appearance in 2015 in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. She was still performing in readings and workshops until a short while before her death. She started her acting career in London appearing in many shows and then, in 1964, she was spotted by Neil Simon and went to America to play on Broadway in The Odd Couple as one of the Pigeon Sisters. She made her home there and was in constant work, appearing in everything from Shakespeare to Showboat. She starred in film, television and of course on the stage. Carole remained close to Westminster Synagogue and regularly enjoyed reading the Westminster Quarterly. Rabbi Thomas and Renée Salamon visited her in New York, where she lived. A very warm, witty and extremely kind and generous person, she will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

We were delighted to learn of the British Museum’s new Judaica showcase. The Museum has always exhibited items of Jewish interest, particularly early texts and printed books (in the British Library), but now the Museum has devoted a special case to artefacts of Jewish historical value, such as a wedding ring (similar to the one at Westminster Synagogue) and a clover leaf-shaped havdalah spice-box. A case in its newly-reopened gallery 46, on post-mediaeval society, is now dedicated to artefacts that represent the Jewish presence in Britain. The feature is indirectly the result of the Museum’s new Islamic gallery, now open. That enabled Beverley Nenk, curator of medieval collections and Judaica, to bring together some of the Jewish exhibits which had previously been spread around the Museum. By a strange coincidence – Rabbi Thomas says there is no such thing! – just after we finished the article on page 4 of this magazine, the British Museum announced a new exhibition, which runs until 24th February, on King Ashurbanipal of Nineveh. A further extraordinary coincidence: the excellent evening at Kent House in November, of Conversation between Prof. Michael Baum & Dr. Sean Kingsley explored much of the story we have told about Nineveh and particularly about Lachish; we would encourage all our readers to set out on the trail of the ancient Syrian Empire. They will not be disappointed.

Ralph Ehrmann writes:- Having now had the pleasure of reading the Synagogue Quarterly for some years, I’d like to thank the writers and editors for producing a magazine which encompasses many of my interests and does so most elegantly. I have learnt much about Jewish History all of which is presented in a most readable style.

I am delighted to be able to write this letter of thanks and I hope it encourages your continued high standards. Thank you Ralph. Ed.

22

Community Matters

Education Report the executives at Motown-Tamla records, I hope that some of these thoughts may they baulked at releasing it, fearing be helpful as 2018 turns into 2019 and commercial suicide. The artist was our year 5779 continues to unfold. insistent, however, and as this was his Information on how we are marking the Nick seventh album he had sufficient clout to upcoming festivals, including our Purim Young get his way. The result is that many of Spiel (20th March), Pesach Seder (19th th these tracks are instantly recognisable April) and Shavuot study (8 June) will Head of today marked by social commentary of as appear on our website and in our printed Education much relevance and pathos in 2019 as publications in weeks to come. Please they were at the time. In fact, one can say save those dates, but also bear in mind that there is greater pathos today as we the wonderful opportunities presented

are facing many of the same issues as we each week on Shabbat. Friday night I was at a recent BBC Radio 6 event to were fifty years ago. Services at 6.30 pm always include a short teaching session based on the celebrate the concept of the album. The Our festivals, with Tu B’Shvat, Pesach week’s portion of the Torah. On Saturday singer Paloma Faith was in conversation and Purim coming in the next few mornings at 10.30 am we read from and and commented that- at least in terms of months, represent a beautiful reflect on the Torah itself, with further popular music - people don’t listen to opportunity. They may be thought of as, opportunities to learn about our prayers, music the way that they used to. Instead if not a track from a classic, definitive rituals and texts before and also after of placing vinyl on a turntable and album of music, then perhaps as a listening to side A before carefully Services. lovingly crafted hand-written note placed turning over the record to hear the into our palms. Of course we may choose Interestingly, the album What’s Going second side from start to finish, we now to read it, to put it to one side or to ignore On ends with a reprise of the main track, have the prevalence of what is known as it, but if we were to think of it in those so ending where it began - just as we do ‘shuffle culture’; in other words, any terms, surely we would be more likely to with our cycle of Jewish festivals. Rabbi track is available at the touch of a button unfold the paper, ponder the words and Michael Marmur refers to the Jewish and people collect playlists of hit tracks, the message scripted over centuries annual cycle as being a spiral. He says or personal favourites that are played in which - like classic and familiar art that is that with each passing year we seek to random order. As this is such an return to where we felt ourselves to be in overwhelming trend, the art is suffering moments that have passed. Each year, we as musicians are thinking less in terms of hope to merit the chance to come back to crafting entire coherent albums - records Each year, we hope to the same season or moment, as in years (in the literal sense, as in documents merit the chance to past; to appreciate its beauty and the relating to their thoughts, emotions and unique nature of what it might represent circumstances at the time), but are come back to the same although of course we are not the same as encouraged by record companies to season or moment we were in previous years. We have provide one-off, stand-alone throw away changed, evolved just like the world hits that will become shuffle fodder for around us but these festivals, these busy, impatient people. special Jewish moments, open our eyes An example of a great album that was timeless - resonates in some of the same, to the reality of where we are and of what released and became a monumental but also in different ways today. The best is around us. These moments are so success, despite the instincts of the opportunity however is always Shabbat, precious - like each track of a great record company who feared that it would which fortunately rolls around fifty-two album. times per year at the end of each week. In bomb, is Marvin Gaye’s 1971 work, I wish you, and us as a community, the words of the great philosopher What’s Going On. The story of the album health, joy and emotional and spiritual Abraham Joshua Heschel, words that is told from the point of view of a growth over the next twelve months and I would no doubt have resonated with Vietnam veteran returning to the country look forward to seeing you soon. he had been fighting for, and seeing only Marvin Gaye, ‘It was on the seventh day hatred, suffering, and injustice. Gaye's that God gave the world a soul, and [the world’s] survival depends upon the lyrics discuss themes of drug abuse, poverty, and the Vietnam War. He has holiness of the seventh day’. also been credited with promoting When Heschel refers to the world’s awareness of global warming before the survival, he is incorporating our own public outcry against it had become survival - to maintain a state of well- prominent - see the track ‘Mercy mercy being despite all the many commitments me (The Ecology)’. Now the story goes and distractions, and the tendency to that when this album was first played to ‘shuffle’ that we are faced with.

23

WESTMINSTER SYNAGOGUE Kent House, Rutland Gardens, London SW7 1BX

Planning Your Diary Contacting the Synagogue

RABBI Rabbi Benji Stanley [email protected] T: 020 7052 9712

CHAIRMAN OF THE Jeffrey Ohrenstein [email protected] Erev Purim EXECUTIVE

Wednesday 20th March EXECUTIVE Gary Sakol [email protected] DIRECTOR T: 020 7052 9713

Purim

Thursday 21st March EDUCATION Nick Young [email protected] T: 020 7052 9714 EVENTS & COMMUNICATIONS Jon Zecharia [email protected] T: 020 7052 9711 Seder Night MANAGER

Friday 19th April KIDDUSHIM Hilary Ashleigh [email protected] T: 020 7052 9717

MITZVOT Maya Kayukwa [email protected] Pesach 1st Day

Saturday 20th April MEMBERSHIP Darcy Goldstein [email protected]

LIFECYCLE Ben Shaw - PA to the [email protected] Pesach Last Day ENQUIRIES Rabbinic Team T: 020 7052 9701

Friday 26th April CZECH SCROLLS Jeffrey Ohrenstein [email protected] T: 020 7584 3740 MUSEUM

Erev Shavuot GENERAL Nivi Chatterjee Duari [email protected] Saturday 8th June ENQUIRIES T: 020 7584 3953/020 7052 9700

Shavuot EMERGENCIES Monday to Friday: Sunday 9th June In the first instance, please call the Synagogue Office: 020 7052 9710

Evenings and weekends: please e-mail Rabbi Benji Stanley [email protected]

Please send letters, articles, photographs or other items of interest for publication in the Westminster Synagogue Quarterly directly to the Synagogue office or e-mail to [email protected]

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