Shavuos 5780 H A K

Sivan - Av 5780 O May - August 2020 L

Solihull & District Hebrew Congregation www.solihullshul.org Tel:0121 706 8736 rabbi@solihullshul.org Registered charity no. 1100938 Dear Friends,

On Shavuot, in the year 2448 (1312 BCE), the Jewish nation gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai to receive the Torah from G-d, men, women and children. Also present were the souls of all Jews of all generations. Together we heard G-d proclaim the Ten Commandments and together we proclaimed “We will do and we will Listen”.

The Talmud relates that when Moses heard G-d’s voice in the Sanctuary, a miraculous phenomenon occurred. Although the Divine voice was so loud as to be audible far beyond the confines of the Sanctuary, the sound was miraculously cut off at the Sanctuary entrance and went no further. Moshe was compelled to enter the Sanctuary in order to hear it. The Chassidic commentaries explain why it was necessary for the voice of G-d to be cut off at the Sanctuary entrance and go no further: It is G-d’s desire that Man serve Him out of free choice, and that “G-d’s voice”-His call, message and teaching-be brought into the world by man’s service. The “voice of G-d” is a revelation of G-d. A place which the Almighty sets aside as an established location for repeated revelations of G-dliness, a place where His voice is heard again and again, is a place possessing a higher order of sanctity. Such a place was the Sanctuary, which was named the “Tent of Meeting” because G-d’s Presence was regularly encountered there. G-d’s voice, the same great voice that was heard at Sinai, regularly and repeatedly filled the Sanctuary.

If the voice and the speech of the Almighty had gone forth into the world, repeatedly and regularly, then the world would have become one great “Tent of Meeting,” CONTENTS a sanctuary in which Man could not choose to go contrary to G-d’s wishes. Man’s service of G-d, through free choice, would be Shavuos in a Box 3 Legacies 4 impossible. It was G-d’s desire that we transform, through our service, How can we help You? 5 not through Divine intervention, an environment in which His Voice The Ten Commandmenrs 6 Shavuos Timetable 7 is “not heard” into a fitting dwelling place for His presence. As we Chief Rabbi’s Message 8 renew our commitment to the Torah let us also reaffirm our desire to Bosworth Reunion 9 be part of this special mission by choosing to actively participate in Weekly Meal 10 Thank You 11 the various learning opportunities, prayer services and social events Yizkor 12 that take place within our community. Challah Baking with a Twist 13 Community News 14 Shabbos Times 22 Stranded in the Carribean 23 Rabbi Yehuda Pink The Thursday Club 26 Celebrating Shavuot at Home 27 Cheesecake The Three Weeks 30 The custom of eating dairy foods on Shavuos dates back Who Are You? 31 3,331 years, to the period immediately following the giving Shavuos Recipes 33 Dates in Jewish History 34 of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Jewish Humour 37 Ask the Rabbi 38 The newly received Torah contained detailed laws Stanley Middleburgh Library 39 concerning the preparation of meat foods. Until they had Wish List 41 mastered these laws, the Jewish People stuck to eating dairy Solihull Academy of Jewish Education 42 Adverts 51 foods, which were governed by much simpler regulations. Hence the custom of eating cheesecake and other dairy foods on the anniversary of the giving of the Torah. We can’t invite you to join us for our traditonal late night Cheesecake and Whisky session nor for our Cheesecake Kiddush or Shavuos Lunch.

We can supply you with a delicious four course Shavuos meal including Cheese Cake and Blintzes Click here to order a meal

Page 3 Your Moment. Your Legacy. Your Shul.

This is your moment to hold hands across the generations. This is your moment to ensure a Jewish future that is spiritual and meaningful. This is your moment to leave a Jewish legacy.

Solihull Shul has been at the forefront of building the Jewish community in Solihull. Today we operate a Shul and Community Centre with a wide variety of religious, cultural and educational activities for all ages.

Now it is your turn to lead us forward.

Planned Giving builds Judaism where it is needed most, in your local community. From young to old, visiting the sick or comforting the poor, this is your moment to make a difference. Join with us through the loving act of planned giving by leading your community to a strong and vibrant future. This is your Moment.

More about the tax benefits of leaving a Legacy to charity

Charity Legacies are exempt from tax and there is no upper limit on the value of the Legacy you leave. Legacies are therefore a very efficient way of supporting your favourite Jewish charities because the Government is encouraging your generosity by adding funds from central funds.

You may leave as much as you like, entirely tax-free to a spouse, civil partner or UK registered charity. You may also leave up to £325,000 to any other beneficiary or beneficiaries. Over and above that, Inheritance Tax (IHT) is then applicable on the remainder of your Estate at flat rate of 40%. However, if you leave a Legacy to charity, that Legacy is deducted from your Estate before it is taxed, thereby lowering the amount of IHT that will be payable. In addition, as from April 2012, if you leave 10% or more of your taxable estate to charity not only will the Legacy be deducted before tax is calculated, the tax rate will be reduced from 40% to 36%. This is the Government’s way of encouraging more of us to give to charity and for us also to increase existing charity Legacies to the crucial 10% level; they want to make giving 10% of one’s Estate to charity “the new norm in our country”.

This might not seem much of a reduction, but the combination of the charity exemption from IHT and the new relief means that a charity Legacy could now ‘cost’ your family just 24% of its value, compared to 60% previously. £7,600 out of a £10,000 Legacy to charity could now be funded by the Government. This means that the cost to your loved ones of a £10,000 Legacy could be as little as £2,400, making charitable Legacies considerably more affordable, as well as of significant benefit to the causes that are close to your heart. This reduced tax rate will help to encourage more members of the Jewish community to leave Legacy gifts to charity, and for those who have already done so, to consider increasing those Legacies, potentially at no additional cost to their family – a real ‘win-win’ situation.

Allow us to work with you, your family, and if desired your financial advisor, to develop the most personalised strategy for your goals. For more information contact us.

Solihull Hebrew Congregation Legacies 3 Monastery Drive, Solihull, B91 1DW

[email protected]

Page 4 How can we help you?

Have you been affected by Covid 19? • Are you or anyone you know is isolated and would like someone to talk to over the phone or factime? • • Do you need help with shopping or collecting medication? • • Are you or anyone you know feeling lonely and missing human contact - would you like a volunteer to visit your house and safely speak to you following all government guidelines or even just knock on your window and wave? • • Would you like a freshly cooked, nutritious three course meal? • • Are you struggling financially and need emergency financial help or interest free loan? • • Would you like to paricipate in any of our communal activities that are taking place on Zoom, prayer services, lectures and social activities? • • Are you healthy and would like to volunteer to help with any of our activities? •

If the answer to any of these questions is yes then please contact Rabbi Pink 0121 706 8736 07973 955 232 [email protected]

Page 5 Relive the giving of the Torah for the 3332nd time

Read the Ten Commandments on Friday 29th May Click here for a elucidated text of the 10 Commandments

Page 6 Shavuos Timetable

Thursday 28th May 1st Night Shavuos

Light Candles 8.58 pm

Friday 29th May 2nd Night Shavuos

Light Candles 8.00 pm

Saturday 30th May Second Day Shavuos Yom Tov Ends 10.22 pm

The Three Weeks Timetable

Three weeks Start Thursday 9th July Fast of 17th Tammuz

Fast begins 1.12 am Fast Ends 10.15 pm

Nine Days start Wednesday 22nd July Rosh Chodesh Av

Wednesday 29th July Tisha B’ Av Eve - Fast of 9th Av

Fast Begins 9.05 pm

Thursday 30th July Tisha B’ Av - Fast of 9th Av

Fast terminates 9.45 pm

Page 7 The Chief Rabbi’s Shavuot Message 5780

It was the most stunning, awe-inspiring event that the world has ever known. Some three and a half millennia ago, we gathered as a fledgling nation at the foot of Mount Sinai and experienced the Divine revelation. But, we were not alone.

This single account of Hashem speaking in public is described in the Torah as “a great voice that did not cease”. The Midrash teaches from this verse that the voice of Hashem was heard without echo across the world. The sound permeated every possible barrier and was heard in 70 different languages. Clearly, this was not only an historic, epic moment for the Jewish people; it was a turning point for all of humankind.

Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik commented that from here we learn that the Divine revelation was intended to send a message of truth to everyone on earth - because the Torah is both a blueprint for how we as Jews should live our lives and also the foundational document of morality for the whole world. It is at once both particular and universal. The revelation at Sinai therefore heralded our dual responsibility to have the exclusive privilege to observe the mitzvot given to us by Hashem and also to be an ‘or lagoyim’ - ‘a light unto the nations’.

This dual responsibility looms ever larger in these extraordinary times of the coronavirus pandemic. We cannot escape the fact that our ability to observe the mitzvot of the Torah as we usually would, has now been curtailed in ways we have never previously known. What is Shavuot without being able to gather together for davening in our Shuls, beautifully adorned with floral arrangements? Or without being able to learn together at an inspiring Tikkun Leil? We can take comfort in observing a Shavuot which will have at its heart a truth which permeates every possible barrier and be heard in every language - that there is nothing more sacred than the protection of life.

In addition, Shavuot this year provides us with an unprecedented opportunity. On that original Shavuot day, Moshe, alone on the mountain, was detached from the rest of the nation. The inclusion of our people and all others in the Sinai experience was accompanied by the necessity for Moshe, by himself, to have an extraordinary, spiritually elevating experience. Similarly, in addition to our engagement in community life, we all need to personally feel connected to the Torah and the beauty of its eternally relevant teachings.

The calling of this Shavuot, therefore, is for each one of us to be a Moshe Rabeinu – to champion the universal morality of Torah and also to appreciate the privilege it affords us, even when by ourselves at home, to embrace a life of meaning and joy.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis May 2020 • Iyar 5780

Page 8 July 3rd - 5th Virtual Bosworth Reunion

Special Pre Shabbat Kabbalat Shabbat Service

Comedian Ashley Blaker

Maya - My life as the Jewish daughter of a Hamas Sheikh

Concert with Chazan Zali Rodal

Kumsitz with the Tiefenbrun Sisters

Avremel - My Experiences as a lone soldier in the Israeli Army

Stay tuned for more information

Page 9 Would you like a delicious three course meaty meal delivered to your door for only £10?

Click here to add yourself to the list of over 50 satisfied customers.

Vegetarian option available.

Page 10 Page 11 There will be a special Sermon and Virtual Yizkor Service on Thursday 28th May at 5.00 pm

For more about Yizkor click here

Please make every effort to join us on this important occasion. This year in honour of Yizkor we are putting together a booklet listing all the names of loved ones to be remembered during the service. Having all these names compiled in one booklet, as is customary in many communites bring everyone together as one family and brings an added measure of dignity and merit to the souls of our loved ones.

To include the names of your loved ones in the Yizkor book please click here.

It is customary to make a donation to charity in merit of the person for whom we are praying.

If you wish you can make a donation by clicking here.

To listen to the sermon and yizkor service click here at 5.00 pm on 28th May and enter Meeting Room 926 288 1607 Password 8736

Page 12 Solihull Ladies Guild Invite You To

What: Join Rebbetzen Dinie Pink and bake Challos for your Shabbos table and pass one on to another member of the community. Together with a Kumzitz with Sheindel Tiefenbrun

Who: All Ladies and Girls

When: 7.00 pm Thursday 11th June

Where: Zoom Virtual Meeting Room Contact Dinie Pink for log in details

Page 13 Chanoch Pink’s Barmitzva by Shirley Epstein

The highlight of the month was the Barmitzvah of Chanoch Pink, one of the first events that I attended after arriving in Solihull was the hair cutting ceremony when he turned three years old so having watched him grow up this was a special occasion.

While planning the barmitzvah of their oldest son, Rabbi & Rebbetzen struggled with the and members of the Shul Council. With both Rabbi challenge of how to involve all & Rebbetzen Pink coming from large families, just this their family and friends without ‘small’ event numbered over 100 people! going over the top. In the end they decided on a small family Desiring to share the big day with the entire community celebration that would include as well as friends and family, the Shul layout was the local rabbonim and shul expanded to the “high holyday” format allowing for council and then a large lunch seating for 160 people – a new record attendance for Shabbat for the community. They Solihull.. In addition to local friends, numbers were followed the same formula this swelled by members of Rabbi & Rebbetzen Pink’s family time. The celebrations began on who had travelled from Manchester, London and Leeds Thursday 27th February with a as well as some of Chanoch’s friends from Sheffield and meal in family, local rabbonim Birmingham.

Whereas Solihull has always been famous for its warm atmosphere and delicious food, in recent years it has also been famous (apart from special occasions) for its unmelodic singing. This week we were treated to the deep baritone of Chazan Naphtoli Tiefenbrun who led both the Friday Night and Shabbos day service. Chanoch stepped forward to lein for the community for the first time and managed to complete the entire sedra with great confidence. Rabbi Pink provided the sermon which was of the usual high quality and expressed his pride in his son. Following the service Malcolm Hyams gave a brief speech on behalf of the members and Council. He expressed appreciation for the Pink family’s commitment to the community over 26 years

Page 14 entire week setting up and cleaning away.

Purim in Italy

I can hardly believe that it is indeed a whole year since last Purim but the calendars do not lie and so here we are again, celebrating this most enjoyable of festivals!

On the Sunday morning before Purim, a small band of dedicated helpers came to the shul to set up for the Purim meal and help fill all the Purim bags with the cakes and homantashen with the hope for many more years in the future. Special baked by Rebbetzen Pink. mention was made of the Bar Mitzva boy for his behind This year, as Purim in Solihull had a special Italian the scenes help in setting up the Shul for services and for flavour, we helped to create a special atmosphere by laying social events and increasing involvement in services not the tables with cloths in the colours of the Italian flag, least now that he is a minyan man. namely red, white and green, with matching serviettes and bottles of different Italian wines and bowls of both Following the service the assembly was invited to a black and green olives were prepared to be placed on the Kiddush luncheon in a Marquee that was installed next tables just before the meal. to the Shul. The sumptuous array for hot and cold foods all catered by Rebbetzen Pink would have done any caterer proud, the traditional favourites of cholent, kugels (potato, lokshen, broccoli and corguette) and platters of gefilte fish, smoked salmon, goujons, various types of poached and marinated salmon, an array of herrings and fishballs were balanced out with a variety of healthy fresh salads. These were accompanied with platters of bridge rolls, sandwiches and wraps. Once you had eaten your fill there was a massive selection of fruit platters, cakes, cookies, tarts and mousses. The centrepiece was an amazing cake in the shape of tefillin designed and baked by Rebbetzen Pink. Despite fears that a marquee in February would not be sensible the décor was beautiful with plenty of chairs and card tables for people to sit down and eat and most importantly and extremely effective heating system! A magnificent bar with a large selection of wines and single malt whiskey rounded off the experience.

There was a short break for Mincha when Chanoch read from the Sedra again and received his first call up to the Torah. The celebrations continued all afternoon with many guests staying until havdollah at the end of Shabbos. A special mention must be made of the Shul Caretaker Eric Harrison for all his help over the

Page 15 There were also centerpieces filled with different varieties of pasta, dreidels, masks, etc. and the walls were decorated with Italian posters. When we had finished, the hall looked truly magnificent and one could almost imagine you were actually in Italy!! (Although fortunately with everything going on we weren’t!)

The first reading of Megillah Esther took place on Monday evening, Haman was roundly booed and the pinata walloped. This was followed by the annual Purim party at the home of Rabbi and Rebbetzen Pink, where the usual sumptuous feast had very large area this necessitated driving over 250 miles! been prepared for everyone to enjoy. There were many Unfortunately despite his best efforts there were a few different goodies for everyone to sample and enjoy. community members that he did not manage to reach. The Rabbi took a short break to read the megillah in The following day, Rabbi Pink and children were out at Shul at 9.30 am and then it was back on the road. the crack of dawn to deliver Mishloach Manos, the special Purim gifts to as many members of the community as Later in the afternoon we made our way to the shul for possible. With the membership being spread over a the annual Purim meal. We all took our seats in the hall to hear the reading of the Megillah once again. This was read by our guest entertainer, Chazan Zali Rodal with lots of amusing sound effects, there was also an audio visual presentation accompanying the megillah reading to allow us to follow the story. After the megillah reading Rabbi Pink explained the four mitzvos of Purim and then we all swapped the Mishloach Manot boxes with our neighbours and put money in the hat that was passed around to perform the Matanot Loevyonim.

Then it was time for our special Italian meal. This commenced with minestrone soup as the vegetarian option (or indeed, for anyone who wanted to keep in the Italian mode!) or chicken soup and kneidlech, followed by spaghetti and meatballs (again there were vegetarian meatballs if desired) and lasagna, both meat and vegetarian as well as a selection of salads. So you can see that everyone’s tastes were catered for. To finish, there was a choice of cornetto style ice-cream or fruit salad and of course hamantashen or even some of each, for those who couldn’t make up their minds what to have! All in all, it was a very, very enjoyable meal with certainly a different flavour this time!

Page 16 The high spot of the evening was the presence of Chazan Zali Rodol, an Italian tenor, who sang many of the well known Italian songs such as everyone’s favourite “O Sole Mio” and then again in English as we know it as “Just One Cornetto and even told a few jokes, very similar to those that Rabbi Pink tells. (Honestly, I think they must all have the same joke book!) All in all, we all felt it had been a great evening and now we are all looking forward to the next Solihull event, namely our Communal Seder!

COVID 19 Community Response

What do you write about when the world has turned upside down? When communal activities have come to a grinding halt and our Shul’s and community centres are standing silent and empty?

You know the joke, a man goes to the rabbi and reminds the rabbi that kickoff for the big football game is during Yom Kippur services. “Rabbi, is it ok to video tape on Yom Kippur?” The rabbi says, that under the circumstances, it is, so long as he sets up the night before. The man responded, “Where in the sanctuary can I set up the camera?” broadcasts a daily video message. Every Friday afternoon he gives a pre-Shabbat sermon via Zoom which allows us One of the glimpses of light in the strange situation that to all interact at the end and wish each other a Shabbat we find ourselves in is how so much of our activities have Shalom. Unfortunately we haven’t found a way to send been able to move onlive creating a virtual community. the Rebbetzen’s cholent over the internet but who knows All the weekly classes have continued on Zoom with what technology can do, watch this space! younger members of the community volunteering their time and expertise to help those of us who aren’t so tech As soon as the government announced the self quarantine savvy to download the software and get online. for elderly and vulnerable people the shul sprang into action. Rabbi Pink with the aid of Graham Stone drew up Rabbi Pink set up a Shul whatsapp group to which he a list of all those affected by the new rules and organised a group of dedicated volunteers to run errands for those confined to their houses. Picking up medication, doing shopping and any other errand. A contact tree was quickly drawn up and regular video and telephone calls were made to those self isolating to help relieve the loneliness. In some cases where it was safe to do so, volunteers visited the isolated carrying conversations by standing outside the window. Sometimes something as simple as a knock on the window and a smile and wave through the glass was enough

Page 17 packaged and ready to send out.

With school cancelled the Pink family were all at home so it was all hands on deck. Eggs were boiled, horseradish grated, gallons of chicken soup cooked, vats of charoses prepared and within 48 hours everything was cooked, sealed and ready for the volunteers to deliver.

Every kit contained a seder plate with all the items needed for the Seder, a kiddush cup, yomtov candles, Haggadah, a Seder Guide, matzah, wine and of course a delicious three course meal.

The volunteers arrived at staggered intervals to prevent interaction, gloves donned, masks prepared and within a short period the hall was once again empty and over 100 seder plates, matzah and meal were on their way to their destinations all over the Midlands. A huge thank you to Rebbetzen Pink for the cooking, to Graham Stone for coordinating and to the dedicated volunteers for making the deliveries.

The only job left now was the Sale of Chometz, with Rabbi Pink acting on behalf of a number of communities arrangements were put in place for the sale to take place to cheer someone up. without compromising the government social isolation requirements. This was duly arranged and now everyone With all communal gatherings banned the question was could relax and enjoy the most unusual seder night in what to do about Pesach? All those who had registered living memory. to attend the communal seder as well as all those who were on our contact list were contacted and offered the Next Year in Jerusalem! chance of ordering all that was needed for Pesach. Another month of lockdown, surely there can’t be much Within a short period of time the orders began flying in. to write about. Well actually the Solihull cyberspace has Fortunately Rabbi Pink had seen the writing on the wall been buzzing with activity . Someone has coined a new and before the lock down was in place he had purchased Yiddish word, “Oisgezoomed” which loosely translate to a massive quantity of matza, fish and chicken for Pesach together with a large order of fresh fruit and vegetables from the wholesale market. He had also arranged for the Shul kitchens to be deep cleaned so that they were ready for Pesach. Together with a top up from Central Deli we were were now in a position to fulfil the orders the only problem was that with the shul in lockdown it wasn’t possible to utilise any volunteers to help with the preparation. As the meals were being sent out fresh there was only a short window in which everything had to be cooked, Page 18 mean Zoomed out, overloaded with too many activities. But the number of people participating in the various events organised by Rabbi & Rebbetzen Pink has increased every week.

In addition to the six weekly classes delivered by Rabbi Pink, there are also prayer services, yahrzeit memorial services and a weekly pre-Shabbos sermon all live over Zoom.

Rabbi Pink has been recording a short daily video that he posts to the Shul whatsapp group as well as to the Shul website. He has also been busy participating in numerous meetings organised by Solihull Council, West Midlands Police and the West Midlands Combined Authority where weekly updates are provided to community leaders. In addition to his work for the Shul, as a member of the National Executive of Chabad Lubavitch UK, Rabbi Pink has been at the forefront of the efforts to support the 130 Shluchim around the UK in their communal work at this difficult time. He is also in high demand by communities around the world to deliver lectures in his field of expertise, Jewish Medical time we were able to purchase a sack of flour and case Ethics. of yeast so despite both of these vital baking ingredients being in short supply in the shops Rebbetzen Pink was In addition Lee Benson has been giving an art class every able to prepare a batch of dough in advance and arrange week. Beginning with basic drawing he has progressively for packets of frozen dough to be available for collection upped the ante each week and some very impressive work or delivery by participants. After demonstrating how to has started to be produced by his group of budding artists. make a dough and explaining the tradition of why we eat The first session of Loaves of Love in the virtual era took Challoh on Shabbos after which Rabbi Pink explained place on Thursday 7th May. The benefit of going virtual the technicalities of separating the challah the portion allows people for whom distance would normally be a of dough that was traditionally separated and given to problem to attend and the large crowd from all over the the Cohanim and which nowadays is burnt. It was then Midlands created a wonderful atmosphere. on to the fun part, shaping the loaves. Rebbetzen Dinie demonstrated a variety of designs, from simple knots, As an organisation registered as providing help at this to braids culminating in a six braid loaf. We all tried to

Page 19 Thursdsay Club

The Thursday Club has continued to meet each week and we have enjoyed a great programme of events. We began the month with a quiz hosted by Rabbi Pink covering topics of Jewish History, law and Israel. Do any of you know who was the first Sephardi Prime Minister of Israel, or who was the first Prime Minsiter to be born in Israel? The following week we were treated to another quiz this time covering issues related to the Beatles compered by Les Bloom who had us all scratching our heads to come up with the answers.

Having had enough mental exercise the following week we were treated to a fascinating talk by Avi Shenker about his experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa. We concluded the month with a very informative talk by Jakob de Jonge about cheese making. Jakob runs a successful online business supplying equipment to the cheese making industry. He also runs another online follow with varying degrees of success some looking business aimed at the domestic consumer extremely professional. It was a great evening and we called cheesemakingshop.co.uk. After his talk Jakob look forward to the next one in a months time. quizzed us to see how well we had listened and the lucky winner received a specialist cheese knife. Our volunteers have been busy helping those isolated at home with their shopping, picking up medication and Although we are meeting virtually and many of us are generally providing those missing human contact with providing our own lunch the delicious three course meal a much needed feeling that they are not alone. Some that we normally enjoy is still available. With the Shul have been visiting elderly people and knocking on the building closed to the public Rabbi & Rebbetzen Pink window with a smile to reassure them that they have not are able to utilise the commercial kitchen to prepare the been forgotten. Fortunately many care homes have a ipad that they use to allow communication with residents quarantined without access to visitors and we have set up a rota to ensure that those in care homes throughout the region receive regular face time calls.

Page 20 meals on Wednesday ready for collection or delivery on Thursday morning. The meals have been made available to anyone who wishes to have one irrespective of whether or not they are a usual attendee at the club. About 50 meals are sent out each week to people all over Birmingham, Solihull and even as far as Warwick, for some this is the only freshly cooked meal they have all week . With the luncheon club at Stirchley closed many of the residents of Silverstone Court who can normally count on being able to get two meals a week without needing to cook have availed themselves of this service. For more information contact Rabbi Pink. A massive thank you is due to all the volunteers who help to deliver the meals.

To allow the increased demand for meals to be met Rabbi Pink has been working with Graham Stone, a member of the Shul Council and an expert in catering equipment to procure a professional cold store that will allow the quantity of food that can be prepared and safely stored to be increased. Within a very short period of time the required funds were raised and we hope to report soon on the new facility. The excellence of our work in response to the Covid 19 emergency has been recognised by a number of organisations including the National Lottery, Heart of England Foundation, Masonic Charitable Foundation and Groundworks Foundation and we are grateful for their support.

Lag B’Omer Lag B’Omer is usually a red letter in the Solihull Community with a huge bonfire, bbq and entertainment. The traditional bonfire still took place this year although unfortunately the only participants allowed to be present was Rabbi Pink and children. Plans are currently being finalised to ensure that the entire community can celebrate Shavuos at home in a manner that allows as many of the traditions of Shavuos to be observed.

Page 21 Shabbos Times

Date Shabbat Shabbat Begins Ends Sedra (Friday) (Saturday)

Bamidbar 23rd May 8.00 pm 10.22 pm Naso 6th June 8.00 pm 10.32 pm Behaalosecha 13th June 8.00 pm 10.39 pm Shelach Lecha 20th June 8.00 pm 10.42 pm Korach 27th June 8.00 pm 10.42 pm Chukas/Balak 4th July 8.00 pm 10.39 pm Pinchas 11th July 8.00 pm 10.32 pm Matos/Masei 18th July 8.00 pm 10.22 pm Devorim 25th July 8.00 pm 10.10 pm Voeschanan 1st August 8.00 pm 9.57 pm Eikev 8th August 8.00 pm 9.42 pm Re-ei 15th August 8.00 pm 9.26 pm Shoftim 22nd August 8.00 pm 9.09 pm Ki Seitzei 29th August 7.47 pm 8.52 pm Ki Sovo 5th September 7.31 pm 8.35 pm Nitzovim/Vayeilech 12th September 7.14 pm 8.18 pm

Page 22 Last-ditch effort in Caribbean saves life of Israeli seafarer stranded by coronavirus

By Mendel Super www.chabad.org

It was eerily reminiscent of the route that Jews-turned- A short while into their voyage, they were hit by a pirates fleeing Spain and Portugal in the 17th century fierce storm. Mighty waves lashed their tiny 40-foot would take. Making their way across the North Atlantic, vessel, lifting them high into the air and crashing back these legendary swashbuckling Jewish pirates once down. The Italian, it turned out, wasn’t the expert sea roamed the Caribbean from Curaçao to Jamaica. In dog he’d presented himself to be and fell violently ill, ships bearing names like Queen Esther and Shield of leaving Mendel now to sail the badly-damaged boat to Abraham, the freewheeling buccaneers plundered and safety on his own. He finally made it to the Dominican ravaged the Spanish fleet. Republic, the boat by this time hardly seaworthy. He left the Italian mariner and went on his way, in search of a Almost 400 years later, Amit Mendel set out on a similar Mexico-bound vessel. maritime voyage—save for the swords and daggers. Then the coronavirus crisis hit. An itinerant Jerusalemite artist with a shared studio in the timeless Mea Shearim neighborhood, Mendel has With no other choice, Mendel returned to his Italian long traveled the world, hitchhiking from port to port in companion, and the pair headed for Cuba. After applying journeys crisscrossing the globe. He frequented Europe for visas, however, he received word that Cuba’s borders and Russia in search of work as a performance artist, were shut. He made contact with Israel’s ambassador to and sometimes, “I would arrive in some city, rent an the Dominican Republic and set out to return to shore. apartment, and draw,” Mendel tells Chabad.org. “The army aimed their guns at us and barked at us to leave,” Mendel recalls. The Dominican was no longer To traverse the oceans and seas, Mendel would typically an option. Hoping that Jamaica would be open, they hitch rides on various boats, offering to assist with the ventured out to sea once more. The two-day trip took sailing. In December 2019 Mendel found himself on them five days, while they only had provisions for two. Spain’s Canary Islands, off the coast of northwestern By the time they got there, Jamaica had followed suit Africa, with Mexico set as his next destination. There and its borders closed just as they arrived. Mendel now he linked up with a Scottish sailor at port sailing for found himself stranded on a small, creaky vessel in the St. Lucia, West Indies, and set out for the month-long Caribbean Sea, with supplies dwindling fast. journey, together with four other crew members. They made it there, and the lone artist spent a month on a deserted St. Lucian beach until meeting a German family and hitching a sail with them to Martinique, a French island 50 miles north of St. Lucia. In Martinique he met a band of wanderers and they set up camp in the jungle. After a month of jungle-living, Mendel stumbled across an experienced Italian seafarer wishing to set sail for Cuba.

Page 23 Food and water were soon depleted. “We only had rice left, and relations between us weren’t in a good state,” he adds. The Italian forgot the PIN to his credit card, and Mendel’s card wasn’t working, so they couldn’t have the police deliver them a supermarket order, as was being done for several other stranded boats. “The situation was so bad physically and mentally until I simply swam to the coast of a small island in the bay, where there were coconuts, bananas and mangoes growing wild.” The resourceful young artist built himself a raft crafted with reeds to haul his life- giving fruit back to the boat.

“All this time,” Mendel notes, “I was in constant contact with Rabbi Yaakov Raskin,” director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Jamaica, “who was sending me week closure. But two weeks turned into another two, food parcels, and the [Israeli] foreign ministry, which and another, until the government announced that its was asking the Jamaicans to allow me entry.” borders were shut until June.

All of this would be difficult enough during regular times, Meanwhile, intense diplomatic efforts were being made but Raskin, who established Chabad of Jamaica with by Israel’s ambassador in the Dominican Republic, his wife, Chaya Mushka, in 2014, was himself stranded whose portfolio includes the entire Caribbean. in New York, having come for a brief visit in March Ambassador Danny Biran needed to get Mendel on a only to discover that he temporarily could not re-enter flight to Israel, but there weren’t any commercial ones Jamaica. And so, with the vital assistance of Jamaican operating out of Jamaica, just occasional repatriation Jewish community member Shalom Hadora and his son flights. To get to Israel, he would have to fly through the —Israelis who live on the island—Raskin was able to United States, but Mendel had no U.S. visa. Biran and direct Mendel food and care packages, including matzah Ainsley Henriques, Israel’s honorary consul in Jamaica for Passover, and SIM cards so Mendel could keep in and a Jamaican Jew for several generations, managed touch with the outside world. to secure a visa for him, but Mendel would need to enter Jamaica to receive it. The Jamaicans acquiesced, So passed a month-and-a-half. on condition that he would immediately return to his boat upon receiving the coveted visa. A stipulation that On April 1, Raskin received an email from Mendel brought them back to square one. thanking him for the food and help, but inquiring whether Chabad was able to assist him with entering the Biran, Henriques and the Israeli foreign ministry island. The rabbi reassured him that the borders were continued working diplomatic channels, but to no avail. set to reopen in several days, as there was only a two- “We’ve done all we can,” he confided to Raskin. “We need to find another path to the Jamaican authorities. We will never leave Amit alone.”

Mendel’s life was in danger. Stranded for weeks and in a devolving mental state on a tiny boat with nowhere to run and an unsavory shipmate, the situation was becoming more and more dire.

“We had to save Amit’s life,” says Raskin. “His parents were afraid for the worst.”

“It’s like being in prison

Page 24 in paradise,” a distressed Mendel reported to Raskin, who called him daily throughout the entire saga. “I can see land, a beautiful island, but I cannot go there.”

Raskin began contacting every government minister he knew, as well as an influential lawyer who had assisted Chabad in the past. On the spiritual front, on May 8, Pesach Sheni, Raskin penned a letter to be sent to the Ohel, the resting place in Queens, N.Y., of the Rebbe— Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—beseeching the Rebbe to intercede on high. Within two hours, that very Friday afternoon, the lawyer was on the phone with the rabbi reporting that the authorities would allow Mendel to escape his confinement and reach their safe shores.

Quarantine, Tefillin and a Prayer

Hadora, the local Israeli community member, provided an empty house for the artist to be quarantined in, while authorities posted a guard at the entrance, ensuring he would be in strict quarantine. Raskin bumped into an old friend who, upon hearing Honorary Israeli consul Ainsley Henriques assisted him Mendel’s story, asked to sponsor the pair of tefillin. with much of the logistics, helping him disembark and get to the house. Fortunately, Mendel didn’t have to Mendel says that his ordeal has not only strengthened wait long for a flight, as a plane would be leaving on his faith, but his resolve. “Don’t give up. Even when you Wednesday, bound for New York. have no idea what’s going to happen, trust in G d, and we’ll all be alright. Have confidence—in yourself and in Mendel would have to spend 24 hours in transit before G d.” his onward flight home to Israel, so the rabbi suggested that Mendel meet with him in Brooklyn’s Crown After Raskin thanked Biran for his efforts, the ambassador Heights neighborhood, where Raskin was staying. Still responded in kind, saying, “It’s all of us together, rabbi.” recovering from his harrowing ordeal, Mendel was only The Jewish people have a special bond with one another, too happy to meet the rabbi. Raskin took a mask-clad he noted. It’s “a battle for each person ... .” Mendel for a visit to the Ohel, where he could pray and thank G d for his kindness at the holy site. The ambassador tells Chabad.org that “everywhere I’ve served in my line of work—be it Peru, be it Thailand As Raskin helped Mendel wrap tefillin and recite a or anywhere else, there has never been a time that I’ve prayer, Mendel, overcome with emotion, took upon turned to the Chabad emissaries in a quest to help a himself to wrap tefillin each weekday, his way of repaying fellow Jew and not received an immediate response, G d. Back in Crown Heights, they headed to a local from the heart, happy to help. They are a great honor scribe, who opened his office especially for them so they to the Jewish people.” He adds, “There is no one like could purchase a brand-new pair of tefillin. On the way, Chabad.”

Page 25 The Thursday Club Solihull Jewish Community Centre 3 Monastery Drive, Solihull, B91 1 DW

Due to Coronavirus the club premises are closed. We continue to meet on Zoom. Every Thursday 1.00 - 2.00 p.m.

June 4th Felix & Fany Mendelssohn - A talk by Joe Seager

June 11th The Great Debate - Current Affairs

June 18th An afternoon with Lee Benson

June 25th Stump the Rabbi

July 2nd Quiz time with Les

July 9th The Queen’s Visit to Solihull

July 16th Favourite Childhood Memories

For More Information Contact Dinie Pink 0121 706 8736 [email protected]

Only £10.00 for a delicious three course meal available for collection or delivered to your door.

• Delicious and nutritious hot lunch every week. • Meet old friends, make new friends. • Stimulating Activities. • Special Dietary needs catered for.

Page 26 How to Celebrate Shavuot at Home By Menachem Posner www.chabad.org

As we approach Shavuot, it’s hard to believe that our Sinai posters, Torah motifs, and other art to give your world has been locked down for nearly three months. home a festive, Shavuot vibe. We made it through Passover, and we’ve made it through Lag BaOmer … but Shavuot? Check Out Our Shavuot Vase Craft

Shavuot, the holiday of burning the midnight oil with 2. Cook Up Dairy Delights a dedicated crew of fellow scholars, of gathering in the synagogue with family and friends to hear the Ten Com- A favorite Shavuot custom is enjoying dairy treats, mandments, of children showing off their summer out- which run the gamut from traditional blintzes to Ital- fits, of chatting with acquaintances over cheesecake and ian creations with names that are difficult to spell and coffee… Oh, Shavuot, how can we ever celebrate you almost impossible to pronounce. If shopping is difficult, alone? even humble classics like mac and cheese (cooked over a pre-existing flame) or a comforting coffee can do the Well, if G‑d put us in a situation where we must cele- trick. brate Shavuot alone, then we most certainly can. Here are our tips for a Shavuot that is both delightful to the Take a Look at Our Shavuot Recipe Offerings soul and pleasant for the person. 3. Print Up Study Material for Your All-Nighter 1. Decorate the House It is customary to stay up the entire first night of Shavuot, As we celebrate at home, it is reading a syllabus of classic Torah texts, known as Tik- especially important to make kun (“fixing”), until just before dawn. Those unable to our environment feel as cele- read Tikkun often study with friends, join classes, or bratory as possible. Did you learn on their own. Calculate how many hours you will know studies have shown have from when you conclude your holiday meal until that flowers improve your emotional health? Many fol- dawn, and make sure you have enough study material to low the custom of sprucing up their synagogues and carry you through. homes with greenery and flowers, but there is more you can do. Let your crafty side reign free. Create Mount Check Out Our Curated Texts to Print Before Shavuot

Page 27 pray together. Even though you don’t make a minyan, 4. Prepare an ‘Eruv Tavshilin’ you can say the words and sing the songs together.

Since the second day of Shavuot is Shabbat, we are al- Get Familiar With the Order of the Prayers lowed to cook on Friday for Shabbat, provided that the food will be ready with ample time for the food to be 7. Read the Ten Commandments consumed before sunset (if a troop of guests happens to trudge into your home). When the Ten Command- ments were communicated However, this is only permissible if we set aside two on the very first Shavuot in foods (one cooked and one baked) for Shabbat before history, all Jewish souls (in- the onset of the holiday in a special procedure known as cluding yours and mine) eruv tavshilin. were present. The Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Sch- neersohn, of righteous memory—encouraged every liv- Click Here for Eruv Tavshilin Procedure and Texts ing Jew, from newborns to nonagenarians and beyond, to be present during services on the first morning of 5. Light Holiday Candles Shavuot, when we relive the experience by reading the record of the event from the Torah scroll. Shavuot is a holiday, and it is ushered in by lighting can- This year synagogues are closed and most of us are un- dles (married women light able to attend a Torah reading. We can, however, read at least two, and single girls the entire Torah portion (Exodus 19:1-20:23 on the light one). If you are sheltering in place in a male-on- first day and Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17 on the sec- ly household, one of the guys should light candles for ond day, followed by Numbers 28:26-31) from a print- everyone. (Note that since the second night is Shabbat, ed Chumash. You are certainly encouraged to read the the candles must be lit 18 minutes before sunset from a Ten Commandments aloud in Hebrew or English while preexisting flame.) everyone stands by respectfully.

Print the Appropriate Blessings in Advance Read Our Practical Guide to Reading the 10 Com- mandments at Home

6. Hold Your Own Services 8. Prepare Games and Fun for Kids

With the exception of Kad- Synagogues typically prepare a full program for children, dish, the Barechu call to making the Ten Commandments meaningful, fun, and prayer, the repetition of the memorable. We can do the same at home. Click the link Amidah, and the Torah read- below to access games, a craft, and a fun treat—all of ing, you can pray anywhere in the world, including your which can be prepared with minimal effort before the home. onset of the holiday.

So make sure you have a siddur handy (Shavuot services Print the Shavuot Party Packet are all in the standard Chabad Siddur) and a place set aside to serve as your ad hoc shul. If you are with others, Page 28 9. Don’t Forget Yizkor Kiddush Levanah, the sanctification of the moon, is performed once a month, The second day of Shavuot during the first part of the is one of four annual times lunar cycle. Said outdoors at the Yizkor memorial prayer night, Kiddush Levanah is a for our dear departed ones meaningful ritual highlight- is recited in the synagogue. ed by a Hebrew blessing, This Shavuot, as on Passover, selections of Psalms, and other prayers, often followed we will recite Yizkor privately at home, secure in the fact by joyous dancing. The ideal time to say this prayer is that this is what G‑d wants from us right now, taking Saturday night, when we are still dressed in our Shabbat comfort in knowing that our loved ones would surely finery. The best time to say it this month is on Saturday want us to stay safe. night after Shavuot has ended.

Text and Other Info for Yizkor at Home Learn More About Kiddush Levanah

10. Tell Stories About the Baal Shem Tov

Shavuot is the yahrzeit of both King David and the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement. Many make it a point to tell stories about the Baal Shem Tov over the holiday.

Choose a Story to Print from This Index

11. Do Kiddush Levanah After Shavuot Ends

For the latest community updates visit https://www.facebook.com/solihullshul

If you have some news that you would like publicised on the Shul Facebook page contact Chana Miriam Golub [email protected] www.shavuos.org

Page 29 The Three Weeks and Tisha B’ Av

The Three Weeks is an annual mourning period that falls out in the summer. This is when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple and our launch into a still-ongoing exile.

The period begins on the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, (9th July) a fast day that marks the day when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 CE.

It reaches its climax and concludes with the fast of the 9th of Av, (30th July) the date when both Holy Temples were set aflame. This is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, and it is also the date of other tragedies spanning our nation’s history.

Observances:

There are various mourning-related customs and observances that are followed for the entire It begins at sunset of the previous evening, when three-week period (until midday of the 10th of we gather in the synagogue to read the Book of the Hebrew month of Av, or—if that date falls Lamentations. Besides fasting, we abstain from on Friday—the morning of that day). We do not additional pleasures: washing, applying lotions cut our hair, purchase new clothes, or listen to or creams, wearing leather shoes, and marital music. No weddings are held. relations. Until midday, we sit on the floor or on low stools. 17 Tammuz is a fast day, on which we refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to nightfall. There is more to the Three Weeks than fasting and lamentation. Our sages tell us that those Those who mourn the destruction of Jerusalem who mourn the destruction of Jerusalem will will merit seeing it rebuilt with the coming of merit seeing it rebuilt with the coming of Moshiach. The final Nine Days of the Three Moshiach. May that day come soon, and then Weeks are a time of intensified mourning. all the mournful dates on the calendar will be Starting on the first of Av, we refrain from eating transformed into days of tremendous joy and meat or drinking wine, and from wearing freshly happiness. laundered clothes.

9 Av is a more stringent fast than 17 Tammuz.

Page 30 Who Are You?

By Moshe S www.chabad.org

It’s a simple enough question, but until recently, I haven’t been able to answer it. “Who are you?”

For years I was proud of who I was. I had no worries in the world. I was making great money, living a life of fun I and fancy, and thought that nothing or no one could touch me.

For years I was a professional criminal.

And then my world came crashing down. I was caught. I was found guilty. And I am now in the process of serving was a great criminal. I knew how to lie, cheat, steal, and a twenty-year sentence in the Ramla prison in Israel. essentially get whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I had no qualms about my actions. I felt I was just helping The day I entered the jail, I lost my identity. To the prison make the world a little more balanced. It wasn’t my fault system, I was merely a number. I had a name, but no one that I was raised with barely enough food to eat. I couldn’t knew it as I never used it. I had a reputation, but it was for change what I was given, but I could change what I would what I had done. It no longer applied. You can’t be a thief get. And so, from a very young age, I learned what was when you aren’t stealing. You can’t be a drug dealer when profitable. Drugs and weapons were profitable. What I you aren’t dealing. But I only knew how to be a criminal. didn’t realize was that they were also deadly. So behind bars, who was I? What defined me? I watched my friends die. Some physically, others I was a prisoner. And when you are a prisoner you have emotionally or mentally. I watched them reach a point no definition. You have no status in the underworld and where nothing mattered. A point that I never wanted to no status in the real world. You are nothing. reach and feared that I would.

Then I met Rabbi Fishel Jacobs, the chaplain at the Few believe this, but I think I really wanted to get Ramla prison. And for the first time in my life, I began caught. Call it pop-psychology, but I think my getting to learn the real answer. caught was my cry for help. I knew something needed to change, but for the first time, I didn’t know how to do it. I am a Jew. I only knew how to do wrong. No one had ever taught me what was right. I am a Jew who never really cared that he was a Jew. I am a Jew who was raised, like most Israelis, with the Getting caught and thrown in jail was a real blessing — basic traditions, but with little care or understanding and not even so much one in disguise. I really think it as to what any of it meant. Like many other Sephardi saved my life. But it was Rabbi Jacobs who saved my immigrants, my grandparents were quite religious, but it soul. He introduced me to who I was, to who I am, and was never passed down. What was passed down was the to who I want to be. poverty, the illiteracy, and the hopelessness that many immigrant families have experienced. What was passed Fishel is the chaplain at my prison. He has many jobs down was the need to survive and thrive at any cost. And here, from ensuring that our kosher food is always fresh that was exactly what I did. and sanitary, to making sure the sukkah is set up properly, Page 31 to providing us with classes and learning. At first when I watched him make his rounds, I thought that if he knew what was good for him he’d better stay away from me. Upon mentioning this to a fellow inmate, I was informed that he was a black-belt in karate and if I was smart, I may want to stay away from him.

So, I quickly realized that fighting this Orthodox rabbi would be a good way not only to end up in isolation, but would be a fight I would sorely lose. I figured I would rely on the age-old idea that if you can’t beat them, join them. He couldn’t be that bad if the other inmates liked him so much.

The first time he entered my cell, I realized that this meeting was going to be very different from what I’ve become accustomed to. Here was someone who didn’t care about my criminal past, wasn’t impressed with my rap record, and only wanted to focus on what’s inside me. No one had ever taken the time to ask or care what was going on in there. He did. He took one good look at me, and his eyes entered a place so deep within-a place I didn’t even know existed. when those diamonds end up in a pile of mud, when you He explained to me that he is a Chabad-Lubavitch know there are diamonds, you’ll stick your hand right in chassid, and his job was to help Jews discover what it and pull them out. The mud may cover the diamond, means to be Jewish. That was it. Simple as could be. but it can’t penetrate it or diminish its beauty and value. Here was a man who had won national championships and the mud will wash off. I was a diamond. Most in karate, a scholar with published books on Jewish law, certainly covered in mud, if not worse, but a diamond a PhD equivalent granted by the Rabbinate of Israel and nonetheless. an army general, and his main goal in life was to teach me that I was a Jew. Who would have thought that being imprisoned would be the greatest thing that could have happened to me? Here was someone who embodied that exact opposite It wasn’t until I came to prison that I learned who I was. of everything I knew. I knew people who were nothing, Until then I thought I knew, but I had no idea. Now, but pretended to be something. Here was someone even though I am physically behind bars, I am finally who was a success in so many ways, yet to him it meant free within. And though this is not a place where I want nothing. All that mattered was helping others. to stay, I am using every minute of my time here as an opportunity. An opportunity for growth, repentance And working with prisoners is no easy task. Let’s be and change. I have begun to view my sentence as yeshiva honest here. We are the garbage of the world. We are for ex-criminals. I have a lot of time here to study Torah, the people you hate, and rightly so. There is a reason we and I attend a Tanya class and Halachah class with are behind bars. We did something that landed us here. Fishel every day. I keep Shabbat, eat kosher food, and do With few exceptions, we deserve to be where we are. mitzvot whenever I can. Funny enough, because I was so well known on the streets, other inmates are willing So what kind of person, with ability, intelligence, and to attend the classes and learn because of me. Go figure. options, chooses to work with us? This was the first question I asked Fishel when he entered my cell. And I wait for the day of my release. I await the day when his answer blew me away. He told me that the same I can give back to society and try and make up for the question was once asked to his Rebbe, the Lubavitcher damage I did. I yearn for the day when I can marry a Rebbe, in regards to how he didn’t tire standing for wonderful woman and bring beautiful children into hours, handing out dollars to hundreds upon hundreds this world. And when I do leave these prison walls, I of people. The Rebbe answered that when you count will know what to answer when asked who I am.I am diamonds you don’t get tired. So Fishel said that even Moshe. I am a diamond. I am a Jew.

Page 32 Shavuos Recipes Cheese Blintzes BATTER

4 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 1 cup flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 package vanilla sugar Pinch of salt 1 Tbsp. oil

CHEESE FILLING 1

1/2 pound farmer cheese 4 ounces cream cheese 4 Tbsps. honey or maple syrup juice of 1/2 lemon 1 egg yolk BATTER: In a large mixer bowl combine eggs, milk, water and CHEESE FILLING 2 blend well Gradually add flour, then both sugars, salt and oil. 1 pound cottage cheese, strained Beat well until there are no lumps in the batter. 2 egg yolks 2 Tbsps. flour 2 Tbsps. sugar FILLING: 1 tsp. vanilla sugar Combine all ingredients, except raisins, in a bowL 1/4 cup raisins (optional) and beat well. Then add raisins.

TO ASSEMBLE CREPES: Using a paper towel or basting brush, apply a thin coating of oil to a 7 inch skillet. Place skillet over medium heat until skillet is hot but not smoking. Ladle approximately 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. Tilt pan to swirl the batter so it covers the bottom of the skillet. Fry on one side until small air bubbles form, and top is set. Bottom should be golden brown. When done, carefully loosen edges of crepe and slip out of skillet onto a plate.. Repeat the above procedure until all the batter is used. Grease the skillet as needed. Turn each crepe so that golden brown side is up. Place 3 tablespoons of filling on one edge in a 2 1/2 inch long by 1-inch wide mound. Roll once to cover filling. Fold the sides into the center and continue rolling until completely closed.. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet and place each crepe seam side down in the skillet and fry 2 minutes on each side, turning once.

VARIATION: Whole wheat pastry flour can be used instead of white flour. USE: 7 inch skillet YIELDS: 12 blintzes

Page 33 Dates in Jewish History

ordering the construction of the “Burma Road,” a 1st Sivan 2248 (1312 BCE) winding mountainous path which allowed Jewish convoys to reach Yerushalayim and relieve the Arab The Jewish People arrived at Mount Sinai on the first siege. Tragically, six hours before the war’s cease-fire day of Sivan. was to go into effect, Marcus was mistakenly shot by a Jewish guard at Abu Ghosh. 1st Sivan 1656 (2104 BCE) 5 Sivan 5741 - June 7, 1981 The raging flood waters which covered the face of the earth in the Great Flood of Noach’s time, calmed and The Israel Air Force bombed and destroyed the Iraqi began to subside at the rate of 18 inches every four Osirak nuclear reactor in Baghdad, just before it was days, 150 days after the rain stopped falling. to become operative. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had pronounced himself as the reincarnation of 2nd Sivan 5727 - 10 June 1967 Babylonian tyrant Nevuchadnetzar, and named the nuclear reactor “Tammuz” -- the name of the Israel Captures Golan Heights. Until the Six-Day calamitous Jewish month when Nevuchadnetzar’s War (see “Today in Jewish History” for Iyar 26), the troops laid siege on Yerushalayim 2,500 years Syrian army was deployed in strong fortifications on earlier. Ilan Ramon (later to become Israel’s first the Golan Heights, from which they repeatedly shelled astronaut, who died in the explosion of the Space the Israeli settlements below. On the fifth day of the Shuttle Columbia) and seven other pilots executed war, the Israeli Army broke through the Syrian front. the daring raid -- flying over enemy Arab territory Facing very difficult topographical conditions, they for hours, and avoiding detection with their tight scaled the steep and rugged heights. The Engineering formation that emitted a radar signal resembling a Corps cleared the way of mines, followed by bulldozers commercial airliner. which levelled a route for the tanks on the rocky face. After more than 24 hours of heavy fighting, the Syrian 7th Sivan 5520 - 1760 deployment collapsed and the Syrian forces fled in retreat. The Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov. The founder of the Chassidic Movement. 3 Sivan 5708 - June 10, 1948 7th Sivan 5509- 1749 Yahrtzeit of David “Mickey” Marcus (1902-1948), an American Jew who volunteered to fight for the Israeli Yahrtzeit of Avraham Ben Avraham, a righteous army in the 1948 War of Independence. Marcus was convert who was burned at the stake in 1749. He a tough Brooklyn street kid who attended West Point was known as Count Valentine Potocki, whose and then law school. In World War II, Marcus rose to conversion was a source of embarrassment to the the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army, where he helped Roman Catholic Church and the Polish noble class draw up surrender terms for Italy and Germany. While from which he came. After converting, he disguised serving in the occupation government in Berlin, his identity and moved to Vilna, Lithuania, then he was responsible for clearing out the Nazi death the center of Jewish life. When his true identity camps, and then as chief of the War Crimes Division, was discovered, he was arrested, and after a long where he helped arrange the Nuremberg trials. Seeing imprisonment and trial for heresy by an Inquisition the Jewish suffering first-hand, Marcus became a court, he was burned alive in Vilna. Potocki was so committed Zionist, and in 1947 he volunteered well-respected that his ashes are buried in the same to help secure the Jewish settlements which were gravesite as the revered Jewish sage, the Vilna Gaon, under attack from hostile Arabs. Marcus designed a and prior to the Holocaust, all the synagogues of command structure for Israel’s new army and wrote Vilna commemorated his yahrzeit. manuals to train it. His most famous achievement was

Page 34 10 Sivan 5575 - June 18, 1815 about destroying its records, and rabbis distributed thousands of burial shrouds throughout the country. Battle of Waterloo. The defeat put a final end to During this time, Rabbi Yosef Kahaneman, who lived Napoleon’s rule as Emperor of France. in the Lithuanian town of Ponevich, escaped Europe and made his way to the Holy Land. Upon arriving on 10 Sivan 5283- 1523 the shores of Tel Aviv, he proudly proclaimed: “I have come to establish a yeshiva. Rommel’s troops do not The final volume of the Talmud was printed by deter me. Even if I am able to spread Torah learning Bomberg in Venice. It culminated a four year project. for only a few days, that in itself would be of eternal significance.” Rabbi Kahaneman built the Ponevich Yeshiva, and today it flourishes with thousands of 13 Sivan 5708 - June 20, 1948 students.

In 1948, 20 Jews were killed by a bombing of the 27 Sivan 5702 - June 12, 1942 Jewish Quarter in Cairo, Egypt. (In the coming months, more bombings in Cairo killed an additional In 1942, Anne Frank received a diary for her 13th 50 Jews.) In the period following Israel’s declaration of birthday. While hiding for two years in secret rooms independence, anti-Jewish riots broke out across the in an office building, Anne recorded her personal Arab world. Jews were attacked and imprisoned, Jewish thoughts, and this Diary of Anne Frank has become the property was seized, and most of these centuries-old most widely-read account of life during the Holocaust. Jewish communities were forced to disband. In 1948, Anne’s family had moved from Germany to Amsterdam the Jewish population of Egypt was 75,000; it now after Hitler gained power, but were trapped when numbers less than 100. the Nazi occupation extended into The Netherlands in 1942. After two years in hiding, the group was 17 Sivan 1656 - 2100 BCE betrayed and transported to concentration camps where Anne died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen. It is Noah’s Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat, as recorded estimated that of the 110,000 Jews deported from the in Genesis 8:4. Though the torrential rains only lasted Netherlands during the Nazi occupation, only 5,000 for 40 days and 40 nights, it would be several months survived. Anne’s father, Otto, survived and returned before the waters subsided enough for Noah’s Ark to to Amsterdam after the war, where he relocated Anne’s come to rest, and another several months before the diary and had it published. After Simon Wiesenthal dove returned with an olive branch in its beak -- a sign was challenged by Holocaust deniers that Anne Frank that it was safe to exit the Ark. As symbolized by the never existed, he proved her existence five years later rainbow, God promised never to flood the Earth again. by finding the Nazi officer who had arrested her. Today, the building in Amsterdam where she hid, the Anne Frank House, is a museum visited by nearly one 21 Sivan 5708 - June 28, 1948 million people each year. Time magazine selected Anne Frank as one of 100 most influential people of the 20th The Etzel ship Altalena, carrying 800 new immigrants Century. and ammunition to Eretz Yisroel, is sunk by Haganah soldiers, killing 16. 29th Sivan 2249 (1311 BCE)

23 Sivan 5708 - June 30, 1948 The 12 spies started their mission to scout out the land of Canaan. The last British armed forces left Israel. 3rd Tammuz 5754 - 11th June 1994 26 Sivan 5702 - June 11, 1942 The 3rd Tammuz is the Yahrzeit of the Lubavitcher In 1942, the advancing German army was stopped Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. In at El-Alamein in North Africa. Under the leadership January 1951, a year after the death of his father-in- of General Erwin Rommel, the Nazis threatened to law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, he assumed annihilate the Jewish community living in Israel. the leadership of the Lubavitch movement greatly So great was the threat that the Jewish Agency went expanding its worldwide activities and founding a

Page 35 worldwide network of institutions to spread traditional world seemed to be divided into two parts -- those religious practices among the Jewish people, that has places where the Jews could not live, and those where grown to become the biggest Jewish organisation in they could not enter.” The conference failed to pass the world with over 4000 branches in 100 countries even a resolution condemning German treatment of aorund the world. Jews. The lack of action further emboldened Hitler, proving to him that no country had the moral fortitude 5 Tammuz 4931 - 1171 to oppose the Nazi assault on European Jewry. Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yaakov Ben Meir Tam (1100-1171), talmudic commentator known as Rabbeinu Tam. A 12th Tammuz 4865 - 1105 grandson of Rashi, Rabbeinu Tam was the greatest sage of his time, and Jews flocked to his academy in Yarzeit of Rashi, the famous commentator on the France to hear his Talmudic discourses. These lectures Torah and Talmud, he died at the age of 65 in Troyes. served as the basis for the Tosfot commentary, which was compiled by his students and today is printed on 20th Tammuz 5710 - 5 July 1950 every standard page of the Talmud. Rabbeinu Tam was an extremely successful wine merchant and financier. The Law of Return granting every Jew the absolute When his home was attacked by Crusaders in 1146, he right to settle in Israel was passed by the Knesset. was stabbed repeatedly in the head, and dragged out to a field to die. He miraculously survived, and lived 1st Av 2487 - 1274 BCE another 25 years. Yahrzeit of Aharon HaKohen (Aaron the High Priest). 5 Tammuz 5706 - July 4, 1946 (This is the only yahrzeit whose date is explicitly mentioned in the Torah.) Two hundred Jewish refugees from the Holocaust, with no other place to go, returned to rebuild their 1st Av 1947 - 18 July 1947 community of Kielce, Poland. They were attacked by a nationalist group who incited a pogrom against the The Exodus bearing 4000 refugees was seized by the returning Jews. Defenceless because their weapons were British. Its stirring defiance of the British navy and confiscated the day before, 42 Jews were killed by the its ultimate forced return to Germany, was one of the townspeople (including two children), and 80 were most dramatic and heroic episodes of post-war Jewish wounded. history.

6th Tammuz 1242 9th Av 1290

24 wagonloads of volumes of the Talmud publicly The Jews were expelled from England, the first burned by the Church in Paris, European country to expel Jews from its borders.

6 Tammuz 5736 - July 4, 1976 9th Av 1492

Israeli commando units performed a spectacular raid The Jews were expelled from Spain. to rescue 100+ Jews being held hostage by Arab and Ugandan terrorists at Entebbe airport in Uganda. 9th Av 5674 - 1st August1914 One week earlier, an Air France flight was hijacked by Arab terrorists, who landed the plane in Uganda with The First World War began. the support of dictator Idi Amin. 13th Av 1885 7 Tammuz 5698 - July 6, 1938 Yahrzeit of Sir Moses Montefiore who passed away in In 1938, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt Ramsgate at the age of 100. initiated a conference at Evian, France, where 32 world leaders discussed the problem of Jewish refugees. Unfortunately, little was accomplished, as nation after nation offered excuses for their refusal to accept Jewish refugees. Chaim Weizmann was quoted as saying: “The

Page 36 Jewish Humour

you into the family,” said the man. “To show you how much we care for you, I am making you a 50- 50 partner in my business. All you have to do is go to the factory every day and learn the operations.”

The son-in-law interrupted, “I hate factories. I can’t stand the noise.”

“I see,” replied the father-in-law. “Well, then you’ll A Jewish mother’s answering machine: work in the office and take charge of some of the operations.” For Kugel, press 1 For knishes, press 2 “I hate office work,” said the son-in-law. “I can’t For chicken soup, press 3 stand being stuck behind a desk all day.” For matzoh balls in the soup, press 4 “Wait a minute,” said the father-in-law. “I just made …If you’re calling to ask how I am feeling, you have you a half-owner of a moneymaking organisation, the wrong number, because no one ever asks how I am but you don’t like factories and you won’t work in feeling. No really, I am fine. an office. What am I going to do with you?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Easy,” said the young man. “Buy me out.””

Mr and Mrs Goldberg had just got married. On their way to their honeymoon, Mr Goldberg asked his new ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ wife, “Would you have married me if my father hadn’t A woman called the switchboard of a hospital left me a fortune?” and asked how Mrs. Schwartz in room 102 was doing. The switchboard operator put her on hold She replied, “Darling, I would have married you no for a minute, then came back and reported: “Mrs. matter who had left you a fortune.” Schwartz in room 102 is doing very well! Why, just this morning her lab work came back and everything is normal. Her doctor is pleased and says she will be able to go home next week.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Hurray!” shouted the caller. Moishe asked Shmuel, “Is your wife outspoken?” “You must be a relative to be so happy,” observed Shmuel said, “Not by anyone I know of.” the switchboard operator.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “No,” explained the caller, “I’m Mrs. Schwartz in Did you hear about the successful businessman whose room 102. Nobody tells me anything!” daughter got married to a young man from Stanmore? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The businessman had a meeting with his new son-in- law. “I love my daughter very much, and now I welcome

Page 37 Ask The Rabbi???

Question:

This coronavirus thing has really thrown me. I feel like I’ve lost all sense of certainty. No one knows what will happen next. How do we stay sane when we don’t know what’s lurking around the corner?

Answer:

It is not that we have lost our sense of certainty. We have lost our illusion of certainty. We never had it to begin with. This could be majorly unsettling, or amazingly liberating.

This tiny virus of 125 nanometers1 has sent the entire world into chaos. All of our plans are up in the air, markets are going crazy, entire countries shutting down, and we have no clue what the future holds.

But that is always the case. We never know what the future holds. We only think we do, and keep getting surprised when things don’t pan out the way we expected. Now the mask is off. We have to admit our vulnerability.

What will happen next? We don’t know. Our experts don’t know. Our leaders don’t know. Only G‑d knows. And that is the point. Only G‑d knows.

Close your eyes and feel the uncertainty, make peace with it, let yourself be taken by it. Embrace your cluelessness. Because in all the confusion there is one thing you know for sure. You are in G‑d’s hands.

Keep calm. Panic and fear are also contagious. Take every precaution as advised by health authorities. Wash your hands well. And every time you do, remember whose hands you are in.

Page 38 The Stanley Middleburgh Library

The Stanley Middleburgh library contains over 1700 books and periodicals on a wide range of topics from Israel to Jewish History, from novels to biographies. There are books suitable for all ages, from toddler to adult. The library also has a collection of over 300 videos and DVDs on a variety of topics for both young and old. All members of the community are welcome to come and browse through our collection.

The library has recently been reorganised and sorted into categories to make it easier to locate the book that you require.

If you have any books or videos of Jewish interest which you would like to donate to the library, or if you would like to sponsor the purchase of books or videos please contact Rabbi Pink on 0121 706 8736 or [email protected]

The Library is currently closed. However we can arrange to deliver any book that you may wish to borrow. Please contact Rabbi Pink for further information.

Would you like to perpetuate the memory of a loved one by dedicating a plaque on the Memorial Board? The plaque will be illuminated on the day of the yartzeit and a memorial prayer recited in Shul to mark the yartzeit.

For information on how to dedicate a plaque contact Rabbi Pink on 0121 706 8736

Page 39 Free Tefillin Health check

Tefillin need regular checkups to ensure that the scrolls have not faded or cracked.

Straps need repainting regularly to ensure that the paint is in good condition.

Boxes can be damaged by extremes of heat, cold or moisture.

For a free health check and report on the condition of your tefillin contact Rabbi Pink

Do you get tangled in knots trying to put on your tefillin?

Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKdr50iLqf8 for a video guide how to put on Tefillin.

Page 40 Solihull & District Hebrew Congregation Wish List How Can I Best Help SDHC Today?

Revenue Items Capital Items

Sponsor Regular Shabbat Morning Kiddush New furniture for the Shul. Cost: £30.00 Cost: £20,000

Sponsor SDHC’s Yom Kippur Break Fast Refreshments Resurface part of Carpark Cost: £150 Cost £12,000

Sponsor SDHC’s Rosh Hashona Honey Cake Cold Store Cost: £150 Cost: £13,000

Sponsor SDHC’s Annual Sukkot Party Refurbish Disabled Toilet & Cloak Room Cost: £250 Cost £10,000

Sponsor SDHC’s Annual Chanukah Party Replace Flat Roof Cost: £250 Cost £10,000

Sponsor SDHC’s Annual Purim Party Upgrade Security Fencing Cost: £250 Cost: £10,000

Sponsor SDHC’s Website & Internet Facilities Commercial Combi Oven Cost: £50 per month; £600 per year Cost:£8,000

Sponsor One Issue of Hakol Upgrade Fire Alarm System Cost: £100 Cost: £3,500

Defray Cost of SDHC’s Gas and Electricity Retractable Canopy Roof for Sukkah Cost: £75 per week Cost: £3000.00

Defray Landscaping and Building Maintenance Upgrade Access Control System Cost: £100 per week Cost: £2,000 Milk Kitchen Equipment Defray Cost of TBE’s Insurance Premiums £300 per month New Crockery Cost £950.00

Special Naming Opportunities Parts of our Community Centre are available to be permanently named in honour of a donor or person of the donor’s choosing. Communal Hall £15,000 Milk Kitchen £5,000 Lobby/Kiddush Area £7,500 Meat Kitchen £5,000 Page 41 Solihull Academy of Jewish Education Jewish Learning for Life

Whatever your skill level

Whenever you have free time

A variety of topics, times of the week and levels to suit all tastes.

If you would prefer a one to one learning experience a variety of slots are available to study the topic of your choice at a time convenient to you.

Contact Rabbi Pink to set up a learning session today.

Details of the regular weekly study sessions are on the following pages. All classes at the moment are taking place on Zoom Meeting Room 926 288 1607 Password 8736

Page 42 LSD & BLT Every Sunday on Zoom at 9.30 am

Lets start Davening followed by Bagels, Lox and Torah We supply the Torah you supply the bagel!

Page 43 Do you enjoy advanced Torah Study? Join us on Zoom on Sunday evening at 7.00 pm and delve into the intricacies of Jewish Law

Page 44 Does Judaism leave you feeling Bored? Confused? Turned off? Try Out

Solihull Monday Informative LEcture Series

Discussions on topics of Contemporary Jewish Interest with Rabbi Yehuda Pink Every Monday Evening 8.30 pm on Zoom

25th May The 10% Rule - Charity in Jewish Thought 8th June The Golem of Prauge 15th June Birthdays in Jewish Tradition 22nd June The Lubavitcher Rebbe - A tribute on his 26th Yarzeit 29th June Blood Libels 6th July Pearls from the Psalms 13th July Civil Disobedience 20th July Paying a Debt With Stolen Money. 27th July What Happened on Tisha B’Av? 3rd August Human Guinea Pigs

Page 45 Page 41 Enjoy a good cup of coffee and take the chance to ask all those questions about judaism you never dared to ask

Ladies Discussion Group With Rabbi Pink Every Tuesday 11.00 am - 12.00 pm On Zoom

Page 46 Do you have free time on a Wednesday morning? Are you looking to expand your knowledge of Judaism?

Come along to the Retired Gentlemen’s Shiur Wednesday 11.00 am - 12.00 pm on Zoom

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Page 48 Page 49 If we don’t stock it we can get it!

• Cards for all Occasions… • Jewish Childrens Toys… • Challah Covers • Books, Videos and CD’s… • Serviettes • Havdolah Candles… • Paper Plates • Shabbos Candles… • Soft Toys • Yarzeit Candles… • Key Rings 15% discount on all stock

• Machzorim… • Mezuzah Scrolls… • Siddurim… • Mezuzah Cases… • Jewish Books… • Tallis… • Haggadahs... • Tallis Bags… • Megillahs... • Tefillin… • Tefillin Bags… • Tzitzis…

The Store is currently closed however all items are still available for order and delivery by phone or email.

Solihull Judaica Store Solihull Jewish Community Centre 3 Monastery Drive, Solihull, B91 1DW 0121 706 8736 [email protected] Page 50 Page 51 Page 52