Hooray Cheder PTA Fundraising Auction As part of the Chanukah Fair we are aiming to raise funds for the Cheder. This year we are holding an auction hopefully with some fantastic items. So if you can donate an item, a skill, vouchers, a promise of babysitting, gardening, a pilates John and Janet Posner (3rd and 4th from left in the back row) surrounded class or any such service, please by members of their extended family following the kiddush celebrating their let me know so we can include it golden wedding anniversary on 31 August, at which they were presented with in the auction. a golden rose by synagogue Chair, Michelle Brooks Evans. Please email Michelle at chair@ bromleyshul.org.uk Sukkot - In This Month’s Highlight סוכת Come and dwell in a tabernacle at View from the Chair...... 2 Shul! Being Jewish Today...... 2 We will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) on Sunday, 13 and Monday, 14 October. Creative Workshop...... 2 The Sukkah will be decorated* on Sunday morning and SE10 and Beyond...... 2 services will be held on Cheder News...... 3

● Sunday, 13 October at 6.30 pm. Social Centre News...... 3 ● Monday, 14 October at 10.30 am. Bromley WIZO Eretz...... 3 Come and celebrate and fulfil the commandment to dwell in a tent for a spell. Shake a lulav, sniff an etrog and learn about Meet the Kallot...... 4 their significance, Simchat Torah celebration...... 4 After the services, weather permitting, we will be in the The Book Group...... 5 Sukkah. You have to eat something at least the size of an olive Visit to Cheshunt...... 5 in the Sukkah to fulfil the commandment. After the service ...... 5 on Sunday there will be hot drinks and nibbles for adults and The Torah and the Earth children can bring a picnic. On Monday, bread and cheese Social and Personal...... 6 snacks will be available. So come and join in! High Holyday Greetings...... 6 * We will be decorating the Sukkah on Sunday morning, Remembering Lionel Cohen...... 7-8 13 October during Cheder. Please bring greenery and Services...... 8 unripe fruit and veg. Greenery etc. can be left in advance or brought along on the morning, but no prickly or thorny CCJ Meeting, 5 November...... 8 branches please! Education Dates...... 8 Go to page 5 for details of our very special Dates for Your Diary...... 9 celebration for Simchat Torah 5780.

October 2019 - Tishri/Cheshvan 5780 Advertisements...... 10 Autumnal October - View from the Chair Calling everyone interested in s the seasons change and autumn have an obligation to improve the world for crafts and being creative! draws in I think about how the A future generations we should encourage our We are hoping to start a seasonal calendar is a reflection of the families and communities to reduce their spiritual calendar. The environmental waste and make smart consumer choices. Creative Workshop conditions of the world are landmarks Recently I was introduced to the “Eco to be held in the Shul, for the spiritual growth we should be Synagogue”, a ground breaking cross- approximately six-weekly. experiencing during that season. Specific communal initiative to enable synagogues times of the year are predisposed to hardship Sessions could be in the mornings to become more environmentally and other times are associated to renewal 10-12 am, or afternoons – 2-4 pm, sustainable. They operate an online survey, and joy. We might refer to this as “spiritual dictated to a degree by parking which assesses synagogues’ activities, weather”. The Hebrew word for time is restrictions. We would welcome for example, how energy efficient their zman, which means “prepared”. You could your views on this point. buildings are, how they recycle, and say that each moment in time is already what energy providers they use. They Are you interested in learning prepared and predestined for a specific also encourage ecological principles to something new? No experience type of growth. In addition the Hebrew be reinforced in teaching and in other necessary. Or do you have a skill word for year is shana, which means to opportunities within the cycle of the Jewish you would like to share? repeat. So every year contains the same year, especially how members themselves basic elements of the previous year, but We have come up with some can become more environmentally with new opportunities for growth. possible topics: responsible. I would encourage you all to Creative writing, poetry or play Is there a spiritual message in autumn look them up and see what changes you reading and the falling of leaves? Why do leaves could make at home. transform into beautiful colours just before Drawing, painting, glass or What a success “The Big BRS Quiz they loosen from the tree and float to the china decorating 2019” was last month. Thank you to all ground? Well, this is the time of year who came along to support this enjoyable Jewellery making when Jews are meant to be introspective evening and congratulations to the winning Knitting, crochet, embroidery and evaluate the state of their life. This team “The Rabble” headed up by Joe Millis Music, singing time and these actions can be difficult for and Rosanne Posner. I would like to thank some. I like to imagine that God does not We would very much like to Lisa Williams and the Social Group for want us to be spiritually downtrodden, so hear from you and, subject to arranging and running the evening and a we are sent the magnificent autumn leaves. response, are planning to hold give special thanks to Lisa, who was the The leaves fall and the tree remains bare an introductory meeting after the quiz mistress for the evening. It is really to show that we must start to build new High Holydays. Refreshments quite exciting to see new initiatives like the and better deeds in the coming year and Social Group, Book Club, Cheder Klezmer will, of course, be served. so the process is repeated year after year. Band and Cheder parents Whatsapp group Please contact Pauline, Ann As I write these words all I can think of take off. is the Disney film “The Lion King” and or Barbara through the Mufasa holding the Simba and the song Autumnal best wishes, synagogue: 020 8460 5460 “The Circle of Life”! Michelle Brooks Evans, Chair The news often carries stories about environmental issues and disasters that Being Jewish Today SE10 and Beyond have arisen out of climate change. Jewish a new book by Rabbi Professor The rescheduled evening with tradition teaches us to care for our planet CBE Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham, in order to preserve the world that God ‘Being Jewish Today – Confronting the will be on Wednesday, 16 October created. We are taught to preserve our Real Issues’ is a new book by former at 7 pm at the Shul. natural resources and generate new one Head and President of , He will be talking about politics for future generations. We are faced with Rabbi Professor Tony Bayfield CBE. and antisemitism within the Labour many challenges to resource development The book gives an account of both the Party and sharing his experiences and our daily habits. To try and address this journey of a particular British Jew and and thoughts on the subject. All are requires us to learn how to live within the the journey of millions of women and ecological limits of the earth so that we will men through today’s perplexing and invited, members, non-members, not compromise the ecological or economic difficult world. locals to SE10 and, of course, security of those that come after us. The book can be purchased online beyond! The Torah commands, “ Justice, justice (https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/ Please contact Michelle for further shall you pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20) and being-jewish-today-9781472962089/) details. so our energy policy must be fair and just. with a special discount of 30% - enter Michelle Brooks Evans Countries responsible for climate change the code BJT2019 to apply the reduced [email protected] should awaken to their responsibility for price. Tel. 020 8460 5460 finding a solution to the problem. As we It is also available as an ebook.

2 Copy date for November Highlight: Monday 14 October 2019 Cheder News Social Centre News Hello, Parents and Friends of Cheder, he Social Centre wishes everyone here’s our Cheder News: Ta very healthy and happy new year 1) A big thank you to Amanda Penn and sends a reminder that the second and Sonia Hyams of our Cheder PTA Wednesday in October (9 October) is Yom Hooray Cheder, who organised the Kippur so there will not be a meeting on Welcome Coffee Morning for our that day. parents on the first day of term. And Once again it was a real pleasure to thanks to Vicki Ashmore, Janvier welcome David and Tom’s musical Palmer and everyone else who entertainment at our last meeting. Their is helping to organise our Later programme is always so varied and Cheder dinner on Erev Rosh interesting - we always leave wanting to Hashana on 29 September. hear more. If there’s an obscure piece of 2) A massive thank you also goes out music you’d like to learn more about or to Rachael Ashmore, Sonia Hyams, hear again David is the person to ask. He’d band will also be playing for your Amanda Penn and Sue Bowyer for be delighted to help. They’ll both be here entertainment. organising our High Holiday chil- again on 13 November, so mark the date dren’s services this year. We hope 7) The Chanukah Party will be on in your diaries. to continue the celebrations with a Sunday 22 December with Gilbert On 23 October we are hoping to hear break time in the sukkah for Sukkot. Giggles to entertain us, along with about Rachel Lucking’s experiences doughnuts and latkes galore. More 3) Kittah Aleph teacher Rachael working with the charity Lifting Hands info regarding times TBC. Ashmore, along with Seb Farmar, International helping Yazidi refugees will run Youth Club once a month 8) Last but not least, please check the from Iraq. Having read about some of her after Cheder and Rachael has some security rota below to see if we are experiences I am sure you’ll find this talk exciting things planned! If you have expecting you to show up and help really interesting and moving. a child in Kittah Zayin (Year 7) or Lizzy on the door. Any problems, We were sad to hear about Zelda’s over, please contact her directly: please contact Katia Pisetzky on: accident and all wish her well soon. [email protected] [email protected] October programme: 4) This term, your children’s Tzedakah L’Shalom, Wednesday 9 October (Yom Kippur) No money will go to support the charity Danielle, Cheder Headteacher meeting Jewish Child’s Day. This charity ben- Wednesday 23 October - talk by Rachel efits Jewish children who suffer from Cheder Security Rota – Sukkot Term Lucking physical and emotional disabilities, Sundays Name neglect, abuse and financial hardship. October 6 Caroline Receptor- Bromley WIZO Eretz Please send in your spare change Jones and Laurence Upcoming Events to support this very worthy cause. Jones Tuesday, 19 November Speaking of tzedakah, the Cheder October 13 Michelle Brooks donated £150 to Cancer Research (please note the change of date): Evans and Bill UK on Sunday, 15 September. Afternoon tea when you are invited Evans to meet Rabbi Chava Koster. She 5) Mitzvah Day is Sunday 17 Novem- October 20 Cheder Half Term ber and children’s author Helen is familiar with WIZO from when Peters will be visiting us. Helen’s October 27 Cheder Half Term she lived in Amsterdam. 2.30 pm new novel Anna At War, tells the November 3 Rachel Kamhi at the home of Marilyn Burchell. story of a German Jewish refugee November 10 Amelia and Kanatta Donation £7.50. Contact Marilyn who comes to England on the Kinder- Kyazze 020 8658 4776. transport. She will be leading a special November 17 Judy and David Sunday, 1 December at 2.30 pm: assembly and signing copies of her Taylor Our ever popular Bridge and books to buy on the day. We will Games afternoon, hosted by also be organising food and clothing November 24 Tony Miller donations to help refugees in , so December 1 Harriet and Dan Marilyn and Joe. Please contact if you are having a clear-out, please Posner Barbara Fiszzon to book your save your clothes until then! December 8 to be confirmed place: 020 3685 0945 or bafizz@ virginmedia.com. Donation £10. 6) Don’t forget that the Chanukah Fair December 15 Elizabeth and Dan will be on Sunday 8 December after Megitt – Cheder Please ’phone Marilyn Burchell on Cheder. Please contact Amanda Term ends 0208 658 4776 for more information Penn if you can help out on a stall December 22 Chanukah Party if you wish to join us and we look during the fair: [email protected]. – security to be forward to seeing you. Joe Parks and our Cheder Klezmer arranged

Highlight, October 2019 - Tishri/Cheshvan 5780 3 Meet the Kallot Simchat Torah שמחת תורה Come and rejoice with the Torah at Bromley Reform Synagogue! We will be celebrating the reading of the end of the present cycle of Torah readings and the beginning of the new one. We will be taking the scrolls out of the ark and celebrating with them. This year we will reprise our joyful unrolling of a scroll all round the Sanctuary. Do come and join us! This year’s Kallat Torah is Dianne Jew and married in Brixton shul. I had The celebrations will include live Mathews (above). Who is she and why worked as an architect’s PA before my music. was she chosen for this honour? marriage and continued to do so until the Sunday 20 October Dianne? Everybody knows Dianne. She’s birth of my first son. I then worked in the 5.30 pm veggie hot dogs, hot Mathews’ family business for 20 years until ● everywhere – cherished friend to all in soup and drinks in the Garden its closure, after which I had a variety of BR5&6 and well beyond; valued choir Room jobs including working in the food hall at colleague and co-ordinator; Social Centre 6.30 pm service start. Live BHS and managing a card and gift shop ● stalwart; devoted mother and grandmother; music, unrolling the Torah in Bromley High Street. After being made staunch supporter and helper of all in scroll right round the Sanctu- redundant, I returned to office work. My need; all-round good egg and expert in ary final job was as part of the team overseeing the workings of the shul kitchen, cook, Monday 21 October the building of the Second Severn crossing. gardener and dog lover, whose smile lights Service in Sanctuary 10.30 am up a room. While her dedication to BRS I suppose my strong point is that I am ● Please come and be a part of this for 50+ years has not gone unnoticed -- she very adaptable but prefer ‘hands-on’ joyous event! has been a Vice-President for some time work. My hobbies have been, and some -- surprisingly, Dianne has never received still are, dog walking for over 30 years, this particular honour before. gardening, DIY, reading and cooking.” Mancunian members, she boasts both brain and brawn, (in her own words “born to be So, everybody knows her and values her Our Kallat Bereshit is Marilyn McKeever. a lawyer and a keen gym bunny”) with friendship - but do we really know Dianne a big heart: devoted daughter, beloved at all? Where does she come from? What As Cilla Black used to say, “Same question to you no.2” friend, respected colleague and firm but fair motivates her? What does she enjoy doing judge. Like Dianne, she is a proud mother Marilyn is now in her 20th year as a teacher outside of BRS? We asked her for a potted and besotted grandmother, keen cook and at BRS Cheder, where all her children have biography and, obliging as ever, that is voracious reader. She explains how she also taught. However, she is most visible at exactly what she supplied. She writes: feels about Cheder and the honour - and Purim, when, over the years, she has been “I was born in Wanstead, but moved south challenge - of having been invited to be seen in a weird and wonderful variety of of the river with my family in 1951. I was Kallat Bereshit: costumes. One of our many magnificent brought up as a non-practising orthodox “It’s a refreshing change from the day job to come and work with the children and help them to learn more about their heritage, and it’s rewarding when they come up with a thoughtful insight, take great care in producing a lovely illustration of a Bible story or come up with an idea for doing one of the good deeds we have been looking at. As to being a Kallah, I feel very honoured and slightly (or not so slightly) scared. I have never read from the Torah before, but want to have a go and know I will be supported by our lovely community.” We look forward to being there to support you. Thank you both for using your skills and abilities to the shul’s advantage and mazal tov to each of you on this well Unrolling the Torah scroll in 5779 deserved honour.

4 Copy date for November Highlight: Monday 14 October 2019 The Torah and the Earth ur first Torah portion of the year The man replied, I found the world Obegins with the creation of nature provided with carob trees since my and the cosmos and then climaxes with ancestors planted them for my descendants. the creation of humanity to fill the earth A moment later, Honi sat down, had his and master it; then to rule the fish of the meal, and fell asleep. While he slept, plants sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on Earth. grew up around him so that he was hidden and he slept for 70 years! On awakening, Here, claim environmental philosophers, The Rabble were the winning team in the great is the root of the problem, the species- he saw a man gathering carobs from the synagogue quiz held on 14 September centric idea that the whole planet is merely same tree and eating them. Honi asked, Do The Book Group to be used and exploited by human beings. you know who planted this tree? The man replied, My grandfather. Judy Woolfe reports According to this reading of the Bible, God gives us the run of the place as a birthday This grandfather knew his Torah and he At our second session of the book group 11 present, saying Do what you want with it. therefore knew that, as humanity, we are of us enjoyed a really good discussion about the book ‘All who go do not return’ by There are several problems with this called into a covenant with the Earth. We Shulem Deen, touching on the practices selective way of lifting a Biblical verse out tend and till it so that others, our children, of some orthodox sects, the position of of its context, one historical and a second our grandchildren and all living things women in those communities and the literary. The historical problem is that the continue to thrive. In the upcoming year, problems that fundamentalist views pose, Biblical people express a strong sense of I should like us as a community to have a solidarity with the Earth. In fact, the Bible wherever they are, for individuals and the frank discussion about climate change, and speaks of God’s brit -God’s covenant with wider society. how we as a kehillah kedoshah can do more the Earth. The Earth itself is repelled by Our next session will be on the human sin and acts as God’s messenger together by greening our shul building and Thursday, 7 November 7.45 pm at the in warning when the toll of careless living garden and reduce our collective carbon shul, when we will be discussing climbs too high, as in the flood narrative footprint. Howard Jacobson’s 2010 Booker Prize of Noah. Rabbi Chava Koster winner ‘The Finkler Question’. The truth is that religious Jews lived Everyone is welcome in significant harmony with the Earth, Into the Mouth of the Lion by Judy Woolfe: 020 8464 8909; allowing for sabbatical and jubilee years A.B. Kyazze – Crowdfunding Mobile: 07989 091 066 for their fields to rest, as well as weekly now! [email protected] Shabbatot for their livestock and pets. All of this changed not because of religion, Visit to Cheshunt but when religious conflicts waned and the We are arranging a visit to the Jewish industrial age took over, based on secular cemetery at Cheshunt on Thursday, philosophy and technological advance. 3 October. Even beyond being a historical lie, the BRS member Amelia B. Kyazze, We will be leaving from the idea that the Torah is anti-environmental is local writer and photographer, has refuted a few short verses later, when God synagogue at 9:15 am, travelling in the backing of Unbound, a creative placed Adam as a steward in the Garden independent publisher, for her debut a minibus and will spend 1-2 hours of Eden, to till it and to tend it. There the novel. at the cemetery. Torah is explicit about what our relationship The story is about Lena, a struggling Rabbi Koster will accompany the with nature is meant to be. photographer, who flies from group and lead prayers at Cheshunt. Humanity is to act as God’s steward, to the war-torn highlands of Angola, There will be a stop at a nearby pub to care for the Earth and to nurture life on after hearing the news of a suspicious for light refreshments after the visit God’s behalf. Biblical men and women explosion. to the grounds. knew that they were to sustain and enhance She tries to piece together the reasons The return journey will start at 2:30 all life for the God who created it in the first behind the disappearance of her sister, place. An accurate sense of the spirit of this pm and we will arrive at Highland but she gets entangled in the country’s fundamental human value is found in the conflict for minerals and power. Road at about 4:30 pm. Talmud, in tractate Ta’anit, and involves The book is written, we just need your There will be a nominal charge for the ancient magician, Honi. support in a crowdfunding campaign to the journey. One day, as Honi was walking down the bring it to print. In return, you can get Please inform Pauline Jeffree via road, he saw a man planting a carob tree, some great prizes and gifts and your 020 8460 5460 as soon as possible and said to him, Since a carob tree gives name in the first edition as a supporter if you wish to join the visit, so that fruit only after 70 years, do you think you of new fiction. Please join us! we can finalise transport and other will really live long enough to eat the fruit https://unbound.com/books/into-the- arrangements. of this tree you are planting? mouth-of-the-lion/

Highlight, October 2019 - Tishri/Cheshvan 5780 5 Social and Personal Happily Married BIRTH - A hearty mazal tov to Daniel Harris and Hayley Kaye and to the proud grandparents, Graham and Hannah Harris, on the birth of George Daniel, on 6 July DEATH - We are very sad to report the death of our member Michael Harris last month in Eastbourne and extend our deepest condolences to his widow Lynda and her family. GET WELL SOON Pauline Jeffree writes: We are thinking of members of our community and others known to us who are ill and we wish them well. Our thoughts are also with all who are attending hospital, receiving and recovering from treatment and awaiting investigation results. Do please contact the Caring Community Two couples recently celebrated significant wedding anniversaries in the if we can give any support or practical synagogue on successive shabbatot. Janet and John Posner (left) celebrated help. their golden wedding on 31 August, while Tina and Neil Higgins celebrated Thanks to the Congregation – their ruby wedding on 7 September. We wish both couples many more happy Pauline Jeffree writes years together. Dear each and everyone and absent friends, Thank you for the wonderful way in which you celebrated my birthday and recognised my award. The Kiddush you prepared looked so attractive and was absolutely delicious, wonderful cake! I am very aware of all the time and hard work you put into preparing everything. Thank you! It was lovely to share my special day with Tina and Neil’s special anniversary - mazal tov to them both. My beautiful rose tree has found a good spot in my garden and is so suitable for my patio. I have received so many very generous birthday greetings and kind good wishes and I thank you for them all. Neil and Tina, top right, shared a On a sadder note, we recorded the Thank you Rabbi Koster for the beautiful festive kiddush with Pauline Jeffree, passing on 27 August of our much- moving service and challenging prayer. above, who was honoured by the loved member, Lionel Cohen. Please B’Shalom, synagogue in recognition of receiving turn to the next page for the hesped Affectionately, Pauline the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s delivered by his son, Robert, at Birthday Honours list. Janet and John Posner write: Lionel’s funeral. A massive ‘Thank You’ We just want to say how overwhelmed we Bromley Knitters, Stitchers were with your good wishes for our Golden and Natterers „kˆ¤„wŒ Wedding anniversary. So many cards, so T he g roup wi l l b e me et i ng at Pau l i ne’s many of you at the service and on Thursday, 10 October Joy Goldberg sends greetings kiddush, such kind words; we couldn’t from 10.00 am until midday. to everyone for a peaceful and have wished for a greater celebration. Pauline Jeffree prosperous New Year. The golden rose looks happy too. via 020 8460 5460 Thank you all. Janet and John.

6 Copy date for November Highlight: Monday 14 October 2019 Remembering Lionel F. Cohen, 30 May 1926 - 27 August 2019 (Hesped given by Lionel’s son Robert) ur father Lionel Cohen was born storeroom and ask the storeroom manager room table. in South London on 30 May 1926, for a ‘LONG WEIGHT’. “Just sit there in There was no shortage of the ways Othe fifth child and youngest son of the corner young man”, said the storeroom in which Lionel showed kindness. The Pearl and Harry Cohen. manager, “and I’ll let you know when it’s kindness in how he looked after our As the last son at home he enjoyed more ready.” It was of course, a long wait. grandmother Elsie in her final years. And in time with his mother than any of his brothers In his 20s and 30s Lionel won his his own last years, the kindness with which had. She taught him to cook, chicken soup stripes and rose up the ranks of the Jewish he cared for our mother, which he always and chopped liver becoming his specialties. Lads Brigade. He would recount stories described as an “enormous privilege”. I like to think that both these recipes learnt of taking hundreds of boys from South There are other memories too. He was from his mother Pearl contributed to his London to summer camp at Deal on the a good swimmer. He would take my sister long and healthy life. And when Pearl Kent coast. That community spirit and and me to West Wickham swimming baths was embroidering challah cloths, Lionel commitment stayed with him as both he on a Sunday when we were little and I could would trace the outlines of candlesticks and our mother, Valerie, became active in climb on his back in the shallow end, after or menorahs to guide his mother’s sewing. the life of Bromley Reform Synagogue and which he would swim the length of the I always knew that Lionel was close with B’nei B’rith for many years. Lionel pool right to the deep end. I was safe and to his brother Alfred. It was Alfred, rather and Valerie married in 1961, Suzy was born he was strong. The best feeling a six year than his mum or dad, who would take him a year later and I arrived in 1965. old son could ever have. up to London to visit the science museum. Lionel enjoyed his work, especially Later, when Suzy became particular Alfred, ten years older than Lionel, became the sales trips he made to Eastern Europe about the shoes she wore, our mother his affectionate second father. I suspect including to the Gdańsk shipyards in delegated those stressful shopping trips those trips to Kensington may have been the Poland. It was on one of these trips that to our father, who had the patience to tour origins of his interest in how things in the he also visited Auschwitz, long before around every one of Bromley’s shoe shops material world worked and fitted together. it became the busy tourist attraction it is until Suzy found exactly what she wanted. today. It wasn’t until 2015 that he gave me Talking to my cousins this week and It was our father who read us bedtime a full account of what he saw and heard discovering photos I’d never seen, I’ve stories. One story which Suzy and I that day. learnt more about our Dad’s fondness for asked for time and time again was David his brother David, five years his elder. Lionel’s first employer, Elliot Brothers, Kossoff’s re-telling of David and Goliath, While my father was typically earnest became Elliot Automation, which was in with the young giant slayer – too skinny to and reserved, David was outgoing and turn bought by GEC. Lionel ended his wear any armour. It was a story of the weak fun-loving. David came back from the engineering career as the manager director triumphing over the strong when God was war with a shrapnel wound to the head. of a GEC factory in in the late on your side – a strand of Jewish ethics that Later he developed a brain tumour which 1970s. has stayed with me ever since. he died from while still in his 30s. When I After being made redundant in his early Much, much later, there was the was growing up, my Dad said little about 50s, Lionel set up a high street printing Passover Seder at Suzy and Jonathan’s, David even when I asked him to. Now I business with his bother Jack and sister-in- the first for our eldest daughter Rosie. understand that this wasn’t because he had law Lenora on the Old Kent Road. That’s We all watched as Rosie, sitting on her nothing to say about David but because he how he also become my first boss, teaching grandfather’s lap, slowly drifted to sleep had too much to say and didn’t know where me how to serve customers and fix paper as his warm, lilting voice recounted the to start or what would happen if he did. jams in photocopiers. strange rabbinical mathematics of the My father began training as an At around the same time, Lionel Haggadah which turns ten plagues into 300. apprentice engineer during the Second became a consultant for the government’s Lionel was enjoying the medieval sums by World War while his older brothers were all Small Business Advisory Service, helping the Red Sea too much to notice what was on active service. He went to night school younger entrepreneurs overcome everyday happening right in front of him. in the evenings to gain his qualifications business difficulties. Passing on his Lionel was a private person. He rarely and kept all his old school books - full knowledge and experience was work that showed his emotions or vulnerability. This of trigonometry - long enough to show, gave him immense satisfaction, perhaps was the flip side of all that calmness and and rather intimidate, his own children 30 the most satisfaction of all the work he did. pragmatism. But it could at times drive our years later. When Suzy and I were talking about mother crazy! The politeness and kindness Only later did it occur to me how proud our father the night before the funeral, we were there right to the end. From hospital he was of having worked every day at the found ourselves sharing the same words consultants to cab drivers, Lionel treated local engineering firm, Elliot Brothers, and and some of the same memories. Kind, everyone with respect and thoughtfulness. then how he had to study all night too. And patient, pragmatic and calm. Correct, polite “Thank you for coming”, “thank you for if you ever missed a week, he used to tell and diplomatic. These were the words we helping” us, “it was impossible to ever catch up”. both agreed on immediately. He also had a In later years when I would visit them I loved his stories of being an apprentice. strong sense of responsibility and fairness for a night, after a work meeting in London, My favourite was when he was told, by a We both remembered his patience when grinning foreman, to go down to the helping us with our homework at the dining continued on the next page

Highlight, October 2019 - Tishri/Cheshvan 5780 7 continued from page 8 I’d sit with my dad at that same dining SERVICES room table where he’d helped us with our October 2019 – Tishri/Cheshvan 5780 maths and physics. Except now I’d turn the conversation to my own preferred subjects: Friday evening services will resume next month Jewish history and politics. He would listen Saturdays at 10.30 am, unless otherwise stated attentively about my concerns as to the Friday 4 October place where I feared things were heading. Saturday 5 October Shuvah (6 Tishri) I would remind him about how he’d read us the story of David and Goliath and try Tuesday 8 October Kol Nidre - service at 7.30 pm at Crofton and blame him for sowing the seeds of my Halls, dissident Jewish opinions. Most important Wednesday 9 October Yom Kippur - services from 10.30 am at for me was not that he agreed with anything Crofton Halls, Orpington I said but that that he was willing to listen. Friday 11 October Judaism has many thoughts about what Saturday 12 October Ha’azinu (13 Tishri) happens to us after death. You can find scripture for just about every possibility. Sunday 13 October Erev Sukkot - service at 6.30 pm in the But mostly Judaism is silent on the matter. synagogue (Kiddush in the sukkah!) It’s a sort of theological humility. We don’t know and we don’t need to know. Judaism, Monday 14 October SUKKOT - service at 10.30 am in the we are taught, is much more bothered by the synagogue here and now and even expects mourners to behave that way. Friday 18 October But wherever Lionel is right now, I Saturday 19 October Chol Hamoed Sukkot (20 Tishri) hope he finds his brothers there, all of them Sunday 20 October Erev Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah who have gone before him. Sam, Alfred, - service at 6.30 pm in the synagogue, Jack and David, all looking as tall, strong preceded by refreshments at 5.30 pm and utterly indestructible as they did in the 40s and 50s in the photos Suzy and I have Monday 21 October SHEMINI ATZERET-SIMCHAT TORAH - been looking through in the last few days. service at 10.30 am in the synagogue I hope Alfred is there to show him Friday 25 October around the place as he showed my father Saturday 26 October Bereshit (27 Tishri) around the Science Museum eighty years ago. And I hope David is there too, the Wednesday 30 October Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan fun-loving brother who died too soon. The Friday before last was the final time I saw our father alive. I held his hand. I stroked his white hair and I kissed his Council of Christians and Jews cheek. I thought it would probably be our BRS Education Committee last goodbye. “Thank you for coming,” he South East London Branch Dates for your diary whispered. The politeness was still there, Rabbi Chava Koster, who Introduction to Judaism right at the very end. And then the words grew up in the Netherlands, will A new session of classes is under he would say to me whenever we parted: speak on. way in the synagogue during “You’re a splendid fellow!” I whispered “Growing up in the country of Cheder, starting at 10 am on the back into his ear. “No, you’re a splendid Anne Frank” following dates: fellow!” Tuesday 5 November 3 November – t.b.a. Lionel, Daddy, Grandpa, Great- 8.00 pm at the Synagogue 24 November – t.b.a. grandpa. Thank you for coming. You were Refreshments from 7.45 pm here with us for 93 years and you were 15 December – on Chanukah. always a splendid fellow. The life story of Anne Frank has Further details from Barbara – continued to grow in significance May the One whose name is magnified [email protected] and sanctified cradle you as you once over the years. How has Anne There will be a small charge for non- cradled us. May your soul find eternal Frank impacted the way the Dutch members. Please contact the office rest and peace. And may your name be a in general, and Dutch Christians to register your interest: admin@ blessed memory to all who have known and Jews, in particular, see bromleyshul.org.uk themselves and the world? and loved you. Amen. Shabbat Study Sessions Lionel is survived by his wife Valerie, children For further details, contact Stephen These sessions will resume after the Suzy and Robert, seven grandchildren and Weil via the synagogue: High Holydays. two great-grandchildren . 020 8460 5460

8 Copy date for November Highlight: Monday 14 October 2019 Dates for Your Diary October November T 1 F 1 W 2 S 2 Noach Th 3 Visit to Cheshunt - leave the synagogue S 3 Introduction to Judaism - 10 am at the Shul at 9.15 am M 4 F 4 T 5 CCJ meeting - talk by Rabbi Chava S 5 Shuvah Koster - 7.45 for 8 pm at the Shul S 6 Erecting the Sukkah during Cheder W 6 M 7 Th 7 Meeting of the Book Group - 7.45 T 8 Kol Nidre - service at 7.30 pm at the pm at the Shul Crofton Halls, Orpington F 8 W 9 YOM KIPPUR - services from 10.30 am at S 9 Lech Lecha the Crofton Halls, Orpington S 10 Th 10 M 11 F 11 T 12 S 12 Ha’azinu W 13 Social Centre - Musical entertainment by S 13 Decorating the Sukkah during Cheder David and Tom Erev Sukkot - service at 6.30 pm in the synagogue Th 14 M 14 SUKKOT - service at 10.30 am in the F 15 synagogue S 16 Vayera T 15 S 17 Mitzvah Day - visit to the Cheder by W 16 Rescheduled evening with Damien Egan, children’s author Helen Peters Mayor of Lewisham -7 pm at the Shul M 18 Th 17 T 19 F 18 W 20 S 19 Chol Hamoed Sukkot Th 21 S 20 Erev Shemini Atzeret-Simchat Torah F 22 - service at 6.30 pm in the synagogue, preceded by 5.30 pm refreshments! S 23 Chayei Sarah Cheder Half Term S 24 Introduction to Judaism - 10 am at the Shul M 21 SHEMINI ATZERET-SIMCHAT TORAH - M 25 service at 10.30 am in the synagogue T 26 T 22 W 27 Social Centre - 10.30 am to 2.30 pm at W 23 Social Centre - 10.30 am to 2.30 pm at the the Shul Shul - talk by Rachel Lucking Th 28 Th 24 F 29 Rosh Chodesh Kislev F 25 S 30 Toledot S 26 Bereshit S 27 Cheder Half Term Ben Uri Gallery - Boundary Road, London NW8. Looking and Experiencing: A Tribute to Leon M 28 Kossoff (1926–2019) T 29 A retrospective of work by Leon Kossoff, who sadly passed W 30 Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan away in July 2019. Born in Islington to first generation Russian Jewish immigrants, Kossoff was raised in London’s Th 31 East End, where his parents ran a bakery. He is best known for his figurative portraits, life drawings and cityscapes. ends 18 October

Highlight, October 2019 - Tishri/Cheshvan 5780 9 A constituent of Reform Judaism – www.reformjudaism.org.uk

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