S PRING 2020 IN CONTACT Dear Members, Who would have thought you would be reading this whilst isolated at home in lockdown, united in the world wide fight against Coronavirus. These are strange, daunting times but if we do what the League is best at, keep in contact and try to support one another, we will get through this. The League Office is very much up and running and our dedicated office staff, Jackie and Tania are concentrating on contacting our members and making sure they are OK. If you hear of someone who might need help please could you let us know? We are sending out weekly newsletters via email. We have also set up a number of League phone circles to help support one another. CEO of Board of Deputies Gillian Merron & President Yvonne Josse It gives me great satisfaction to be able to send you the 2020 issue of In Contact reporting another eventful year. Following the Open Forum and the sending out of the League’s questionnaire, 95% of members who returned the form said the League of Jewish Women does have a purpose in today’s modern society and this is born out during this current crisis. In November, members joined the AJEX March to the Cenotaph proudly remembering the bravery of our relatives in the World Wars. Once again we were one of the largest contingents, numbering over 35. Knitting and sewing has proved successful with groups rallying to the calls from hospitals for red premature baby hats, knitted cannula tube covers, bags for chemotherapy patients and of course the blankets and numerous Twiddlemuffs, cushions and other Bart Van Es, the author of The Cut Out Girl, with President Yvonne Josse products. to the left and Past President Ella Marks to the right. LeagueArtz, under the Chairmanship of Linda Weber, has Since November and due to personal organised some very successful events with theatre trips to circumstances, I have had to take a back seat from Leopoldstadt, the 50th anniversary of Joseph & the my Presidential responsibilities. I would like to Technicolor Dream Coat, lunch time concerts at St John’s thank Yvonne Brent for taking over and, along with Smith Square and Oklahoma at the Chichester Theatre. Sadly our Executive, Jackie and Tania, ensuring our the very popular Kings Cross Walk was one of the events that wonderful organization continues to offer the help had to be cancelled because of the virus. The LeagueArtz and support we have done for the last 77 years, literary event featuring Bart Van Es, talking about his book particularly bearing in mind the current situation. I The Cut Out Girl was the League’s most popular event of the take this opportunity of wishing you, your family year with over 100 people attending. Health Matters, under and friends a Happy & Healthy Pesach during these the chairmanship of Ella Marks, organised visits to the very uncertain times. Stay home, stay safe and Wellcome Centre to see their Smoke and Mirrors Exhibition remember this too shall pass, hopefully in the not and invited members to a seminar on Diabetes. Sandra too distant future and League friends will once Harris continues to head the Social Issues committee and again be able to meet, volunteer, support friends organised a very successful International Women’s Day event and others, showing we are there and we care. on Climate Change. Yvonne Brent, as UK Vice President for ICJW organised the Human Rights Day Meeting featuring Yvonne xx Olivia Marks-Woldman, the CEO of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. Yvonne Josse (President)

Page 2 Social Issues International Women’s CLIMATE CHANGE-SOME LIKE IT HOT Dr. Michal Nachmany, from the Grantham Research Institute on Kate Metcalf, Co-Director of Climate Change and the Women’s Environmental Environment, painted a very serious Network (WEN), said only 4% of picture when she spoke to members the world energy Chairs are held in March 2019. She listed Iran, by women. The women’s Australia and Africa as some of the perspective was completely most vulnerable places in the world. overlooked when people Climate change will mean extreme Dr. Michal Nachmany Kate Metcalf considered climate change and weather events such as heatwaves, drought and floods. the environment. WEN’s stated premise is that, Water resources will become scarce and that will “our vision is an environmentally sustainable increase the number of climate refugees and increased world with gender equality”. At the moment it migration will impact on Europe. The motivation must is about power, personal and/or political”. She be to do something, as it will cost more not to deal with talked about shortages and how these were climate change. We need the political will to do impacting on girls’ education. Hurricane Katrina something—we need concrete policies and it is impacted to far greater extent on African important that the policy makers talk to each other. We American women as they were poorer than need to bring policy makers, environmental experts men and had the responsibility of childcare. In and political leaders together round the table and make Bangladesh in 1991, 90% of victims were girls them understand what they can do. All parties must and women as females were not taught how to sign up to The Paris Agreement 2015 and commit to swim and they were waiting for the men to help what they said they would do. We must look at how them. Women care for children and the elderly much we consume and we should bang on the and this work should be valued by society but is politicians’ doors. She said that at the Brexit debate not counted in the GDP totals. Figures show there was a full house but, at the climate debate in girls’ literacy levels are lower than boys in Parliament, there were only 34 people in the audience. developing countries so this can effect women We have no time and it is important we make sure we and girls in different ways. She spoke about know more, get involved, always vote locally and organic local food projects bringing people from nationally and be aware of the following; what we different cultures together in Tower Hamlet. should eat, our choice of transportation, kerbing our ‘Soils Sisters’ was another WEN project which consumption and our addiction to acquiring supports recovery and transformation for possessions. We should also be more selective in whom vulnerable women living in five London refuge we choose as an energy provider and question where settings. It aims to improve wellbeing, raise our pension fund providers place their investments. aspirations and build confidence through Each and everyone of us has the power to make gardening projects. change.

Louise Hoyes, Communications, Education and Outreach Team Leader at Veolia, told the League how we can increase recycling and the best way people can use Veolia services. She talked about meeting the needs of today without compromising future generations. Louise spoke about the importance of sustainability and how we can protect and conserve our planet’s future. The big question people should keep asking themselves is,“Can we re-use it?”

She spoke about re-do, re-use, recycle and recover. Nothing should be classified Louise Hoyes with Sandra Harris as waste. We need to cultivate a behaviour of change, move away from waste and encourage people to turn waste into something new. She said that in Camden, 30% of all rubbish is recycled. Veolia aims to achieve a 40% recycling rate by 2020 and increase the quantity and quality of recycling. There are talks taking place with the Government about deposits for bottle returns, better labelling, taxing products which have unrecyclable packaging, ditch single use plastics and ensure all glass and metal is recycled. She told League members, “each one of you can make a difference. You need to talk to one another, and we must all refuse to buy plastic that cannot be recycled”.

ICJW Human Rights Day Page 3

A FAMILIAR STORY

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) is not just about remembering the past, but showing hope for the future and bringing people of different cultures and backgrounds together. Speaking to members at the League’s Human Rights Day Seminar, Olivia Marks-Woldman, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said the theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day on 27th January 2020 was ‘Standing Together.’ She said that the Trust was established by after the Intergovernmental Conference of 2000 and HMD has taken Olivia Marks-Woldman, Yvonne Brent and Safet Vukalic place in the UK every year since 2001. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust charity was created in 2005 and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is the Patron. In its first year, HMDT organised 300 activities and in 2019 there were 10,000 activities held in prisons, schools and Local Authorities. Around the country many events were organised by non- Jewish people for non-Jewish people. She said the day should remember not just the 6 million Jews and millions of other people murdered by the Nazis, but also the genocides which Olivia showing one of the many powerful visuals created for HMD. followed with the rape and killing fields of Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Olivia said we should also remember the one million Muslims being detained at the moment in China. She spoke about Social Media as a force for good and a negative force pushing fake news. Today Holocaust denial was actively manipulative with less outright denial but with more distortion of historical facts and events to create something false. Safet Vukalic as a young Muslim boy, was forced to wear a white arm band and to hang a white flag from his home to advertise that he, and all who lived in the house, were non–Serbs. He gave a moving account of what life was like for his family after the Bosnian War broke out in 1992. He said, “the war was going through our bedrooms “ and said that subsequently rape has been labelled as a war crime. He narrowly escaped being taken with his father and older brother to a concentration camp. He said the United Nations were observers and he and others in the town of Prijedor could not believe that the world just stood by and watched. A difference was made when in August 1992, Penny Marshall, an ITN Channel 4 reporter, was allowed to go into the camps and film. The World watched but was slow to act. The International community demanded the release of prisoners and he and his sister managed to get exit papers. They were put on a plane to Stansted Airport and taken by coach to Balham where they were met by their uncle. His father and brother had made their way to the UK but it was some time before his mother and younger sister were able to join them. This happened three years before the horrific July 1995 massacre of 8,000 men and boys in Szrebrinizia. Safet knows he is one of the lucky ones to be alive and the importance to keep telling the story so people know what happened. “It is vital that people from different communities support one another. Not just Muslims supporting Muslims but people from different faiths supporting others from different faith groups”, said Safet. Today, the family are all in London where Safet works and lives with his wife and two children. He regularly shares his story with Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and other organisations to ensure that people learn from his experiences. Safet’s full story can be read on www.hmd.org

P AGE 4 North West Region L e i cest er

Left to right: Eloise Burke, Chief Executive of Bury Hospice, Jo Cohen, Health Care Assistant, Nicola Cheetham, Head of Clinical Services. Helena Rich, LJW, Steve Witkins, bereavement counsellor. Far right in red sweater is Ruth Goodman, Rota Coordinator for LJW. The remaining ladies are the wonderful staff at Bury Hospice. For Friendship Week, Bury Hospice asked members of the League of Jewish Women if anyone could go to Bury Hospice and talk to staff about End of Life within Father Christmas in his Grotto the Jewish religion. Steve Wilkin of Care Concern and Above has to be the best Jewish Christmas photo. Members of North Helena Rich said they were able to do this. Helena West Region LJW collected toys for disabled children as their Mitzvah said, “I was widowed in the last two years and my Day project. Below several members are seen with some of the toys husband had died in a hospice, so I thought I could tell collected before taking them to the Disabled Living premises. All the them of my experience of End of Life and how I toys collected were on display at a major Disabled Living Exhibition. The coped. The talk was nerve racking, but we did it”. toys were then used at the Disabled Living Christmas Grotto and given to all the disabled children who visited the Grotto.

The North West Region members of the League of Jewish Women hosted the Annual Council of Christians and Jews Coffee Morning in November 2019 with guest speaker, Dr. Trevor Friedman. Photo above shows left to right Angella Carne, Rosalind Levine, Anne Morris, Chairman of the North West Region, Dr. Friedman and his wife Stacey.

Building Bridges Award The North West Region recently received the Building Bridges Award. “Members do not volunteer in order to get recognition but it certainly feels great to achieve it, especially as we've always considered ourselves the best kept secret in the community. We have so many hard working members who all contribute to the success of the League and

Members of the North West Region recently received the Building Bridges Award. here's hoping success breeds success.” said Anne Morris.

North West Region L e i cest er

Members from the North West Region come to London’s rescue by decorating and transporting 120 twiddle muffs.

Twiddle production has dominated the League of Jewish Women in a big way over the last 12 months. Members all over the country are getting their needles and thimbles to the ready to meet the increasing demand of the League’s ‘twiddle products’. These knitted twiddle muffs are decorated inside and out with buttons, bows, buckles, zips, ribbon, small soft toys and bits of jewellery . Hospitals have been Members of the Leicester group requesting more products and League of the League of Jewish Women production now includes twiddle lap joined forces with other faith blankets, twiddle bags and twiddle groups for their Summer Mitzvah cushions. The ‘twiddle products’ are being Day Event and received an used by people who suffer from dementia encouraging visit from Timothy as twiddle items have a calming effect on Rowland Hercock, the High Sheriff them. Many of the League products are of Leicester. going to dementia wards at hospitals, some This is the fourth year that are going to hospices and others are ending members of the Leicester League up at residential homes. Many individual have been involved in this multi- League members are knitting and faith Mitzvah Day decorating their own twiddle muffs. project supporting the charity, Oakwood and Winchmore Hill members are Women’s Aid Leicester. This year producing vast numbers of knitted muffs they collected many trolley loads but without decoration. To address this, of goods for Women’s Aid sewing groups are being set up around the Leicester refuges in the area country. Members in Bushey, Stanmore, which take in women fleeing from Pinner and Northwood are all involved in domestic violence. the sewing groups, as are Essex and Surrey. Muffs have also gone to hospital “It was a very special and Manchester members are also setting up dementia wards in Doncaster, Royal successful day. We collected food twiddle socials, not only making products London, Hillingdon, UCLH., Barts, Hemel items, toiletries, women's and for their own area hospitals, but helping Hempstead and Northwick Park. They children's clothing, kitchen London groups. For Manchester members are also going to the St. Joseph’s Hospice equipment, bedding, etc., all items requested by the charity. this involves also persuading members to in Hackney and a number of residential knit, sew and transport London muffs to the homes around the country including “As always, Asda's customers North and then return the finished those run by Jewish Care. The twiddly were extremely generous with decorated muffs to London. So where have bits are as decorative as an individual can their donations and we collected all these twiddle products gone? create. League members have always several trolley loads of goods. We Over 120 have been delivered to dementia rallied to a knitting cause, whether it be had many volunteers working with wards at Share Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem. blankets for those living in the former us from all the various faith groups Staff were so pleased with the muffs they Eastern European countries, hats for the in Leicester”, said Jacqui have put in a request for another 100. Israeli army or for premature baby caps Coleman, Co-Chair of Leicester League of Jewish Women. and knitted canula tube covers.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

WOODSIDE PARK SAY GOODBYE After nearly 39 years, the League’s Day Centre at Woodside Park closed. Nita Bharier, of Oakwood and Winchmore Hill group, was instrumental in its foundation and she was involved in every aspect of its management through to its closure. “We opened in Whetstone and after 19 years transferred to Woodside Park Synagogue,” said Nita. “As well as running the Day Centre at Henriques House for four days each week, we delivered meals on wheels to three local boroughs. This service was taken over by the local boroughs when we moved to Woodside Park. At Woodside Park we were open on Mondays and Thursdays. We had dedicated volunteers who cooked the meals and served the members. We also had a wonderful selection of entertainers. The Day Centre closed on a high note with a visit from the Mayor of Barnet and also words of praise from Rabbi Hackenbroch. On the last day we were entertained by the children from the Yavneh Nursery with J.O.Y. (Joining Old and Young) which is a wonderful organisation and I am delighted we have been part of their promotion. I take this opportunity to thank members and non-members of the League who have been involved for 39 memorable years in the history of the League Day Centre at Woodside Park”.

PINNER Pinner members remain welfare active. Myra Wand, the group’s long standing Pinner group Chairman, has just completed her 33rd year working for the Harrow and Edgware Day Centre, a rota that is supported by other members in the group. Suzanne Goodman and Ros Cooper are extremely active, working closely to help communities in the former Yugoslavia via The Together Plan. They knit blankets and are involved in numerous sewing rotas which include the twiddle socials. These socials involve sewing on buttons, bows and creative bits and pieces on to beautifully knitted twiddle muffs. These are then given to dementia patients in dementia wards in hospitals around the country. Their muffs are also being sent to a hospital in Israel. LAD, Keith Simons, who is Chair of the Trustees of the Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service, has for years been visiting Jewish prisoners around the area. Keith makes sure they have Kosher meals, should they need them, and ensures prisoners are able to celebrate the Jewish Festivals. Tricia Joseph enjoys sewing with St Luke’s and Oxfam. Janice Spyer continues to hold the position of Chairman of the Friends of Northwick Park Hospital. Many members are volunteering in the Oxfam and St Luke’s charity shops in the area. Vera Gellman runs the AJR club in Pinner and Linda Posner volunteers at the refurbished and rebuilt Anita Dorfman Residential Home. LeagueArtz NEWBURY PARK COOMBE AND SURREY Newbury Park had a collection of This year the group’s annual This committee continues to organise cultural activities toiletries, beauty products and Chanukah tea party for the elderly for League members. In October it hosted a literary children's toys (all new) for Mitzvah was at the home of Co-chair Cathy event with Bart Van Es, the author of the CUT OUT Day in September for Jewish Rosenkranz. “ Well any excuse for a GIRL. Bart is an Oxford English Professor who has lived Women’s Aid (JWA). Co-Chairs party with Champagne. We had ten in Britain since the age of three. He had always known Shirley Diamond and Sadie Langsman lovely guests who now, after so that his grandparents had sheltered Jewish children reported that the goods were given many years, know each other so during the war but, it was only after his uncle’s death in to JWA early so the women could there is no need for entertainers or enjoy them for Rosh Hashanah and even a guest rabbi to light the 2014, that he decided to do this research. He they were delighted to receive candles”, said Co-Chair Pat Corren. contacted Lien, one of the Jewish girls who was offered them. Several members joined the “Six League members were there to a home by his grandparents. Lien is now in her 80s and AJEX parade at the host ensuring the sandwiches, living in Amsterdam. His book, is a deeply moving story Cenotaph. Antoinette Webber, the cakes and chat were flowing. which follows Lien’s story as a young girl living with her volunteer co-ordinator of Barking Nobody seemed to want to go parents in Amsterdam to how she came to live with Havering and Redbridge Hospital home. We almost needed to throw Bart’s grandparents in Dordrecht and how she escaped Trust, came to talk about her work. everyone out,” said Pat. There was Nazi capture. He talked to members about his personal She was an excellent and interesting so much food left over that each journey into the history of his family and uncovered speaker. Our knitters have recently guest went home with a parcel of taken up knitting for the premature sandwiches and cakes alongside a Holland’s treatment of the Jews. He said some Jews babies at Princess Alexandra Hospital gift of a miniature red cyclamen even received tax demands for the time they spent in in Harlow. They found it interesting plant which had been used to the camps. The event attracted a large League audience using red wool to makes the prem decorate each person’s place with a waiting list. He said that researching the family hats stand out. Members still knit the setting. All agreed it was another history and meeting Lien took over a year and told pump bags for Queen’s Hospital and successful tea party and they are League members it had changed him. twiddle muffs for whoever needs already discussing the summer them. event.

AROUND THE LEAGUE PAGE 7 STANMORE & EDGWARE Stanmore is a large group and has well attended monthly meetings with varied and informative speakers. In June they had a very interesting outing to the Hare Krishna Temple in Watford, followed by lunch at Mabel’s tearoom. See photo right. They are planning another Quiz Lunch. Their members take part in a range of volunteering activities including running the bingo sessions at Anita Dorfman House (formerly Princess Alexandra home), helping at Jewish Blind & Disabled lunches and teas, befriending, and taking part in rotas for hospital visits. Many members help at the Day Centre at Edgware & Hendon Reform Synagogue. Members are still very involved in Way Ahead and some volunteers provide hand massage in care homes. A group of members take part in “twiddle afternoons”, where they sew buttons, bows etc. onto beautifully made twiddle muffs and blankets. Many of the members collect for Macmillan each year. A large contingent of Stanmore & Edgware members took part in the AJEX Parade.

The Revamped Headstart During Coronavirus Lockdown Headstart, is the headwear service offered to The Way Ahead sessions at people in Manchester who have lost their hair the seven London through chemotherapy or illness. It has been hospitals, where we offer revamped as it was originally an exclusive service this service, have been offered at only one hospital. Today it has eight cancelled. Patients can still dedicated volunteers in the North with Linda contact Jackie Baines at the Goldstone as Headstart Co-ordinator and Valerie League office as she is Cainer as Rota Co-ordinator. The service is now offered at Oldham, Bury and mailing out headwear Bolton Hospitals with the prospect of Tameside items to any patient who being signed up very soon. Withenshawe Hospital requires them. Jackie has is also covered by volunteers from South Above is the vibrant new sent leaflets to all the Manchester. “ We aim to offer a service” said Headstart leaflet which has hospitals involved with this Linda Goldstone. “ If we help just one person been designed by one of the information. during a visit then we have done our job.” cancer staff from Bolton

CHIGWELL & HAINAULT This small group continues its voluntary work which includes knitting squares that are made into blankets and taken to AGE UK, a project arranged by Evelyn Camp. A monthly tea party is organised at 33 Seymour Gardens, part of the Norwood Group of Homes in Ilford, and the disabled residents enjoy the entertainment and food provided. A very enjoyable Chanukah party was organized by Joita Diaz and Helen.Tranis. The Reading Group continues to offer its service to elderly people in a number of residential homes. As with many groups the number of members is falling and members are now downsizing their homes so meetings take place at a local pub/restaurant. The manager of this pub kindly allows us the use of a large room which has seating for around eighteen to twenty persons. The meetings are very enjoyable and well attended. At the last meeting, members shared updates on the work they are doing. There were many mazeltovs on grandchildren’s engagements, wonderful University placements and results. It was pleasant for members to catch up with those who had attended the lunch.

League of Jewish Women’s 77th AGM

“Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to stamp out anti-Semitism in the Labour Party brought the Jewish Community closer together”, said Gillian Merron, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies. She was speaking to League of Jewish Women members at their 2019 AGM. The Jewish community was focussed and united when the 68 rabbis from the United, Reform and Liberal synagogues collectively signed the letter addressed to Jeremy Corbyn. She also spoke about the huge bravery from Jewish celebrities, such as Tracey-Ann Oberman and David Baddiel who were prepared to speak out about anti-Semitism in the Labour party. Gillian told the League that she had a deep sense of service and justice. She began her working life in local government as a Trade Union official. She became Parliamentary Private Secretary for the Minister for the Armed Forces, then for the Minister of State for Defence and Procurement and for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. This led to her being a Government Whip, a position which she said: “gave her a real understanding of what makes people tick.“ She later became a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, first for the Department of Transport, then the , then the Department of International Development, followed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She was finally appointed Minister of State for Public Health, a position she held until she lost her seat in the 2010 elections. “I went from being Minister of State to being unemployed. I lost my identity,” said Gillian “ but I turned it round”. She said, “I wanted to do something I believe in and I believe in the Jewish Community and am very proud of it.”Gillian added,“At the Board of Deputies, we bring a voice where previously there wasn’t a voice and we bring influence to bear. We stand together with our colleagues and work with other communities. If there is an attack on a Christian Church or a Mosque we stand united”. Ella Marks in her vote of thanks said, “How hard Gillian works for our community and how fortunate we are to have Gillian represent us”.

VOLUNTEERING Diabetes it is not just about

the sugar “Someone is diagnosed with diabetes every two

minutes,” said Ruth Waxman from Diabetes UK who was talking to the League at a recent Health Matters Seminar,DIABETES ‘ it is not just about the sugar.’ She said that 10% of the NHS budget is used to treat diabetes. The most vulnerable people susceptible to diabetes are those on steroids, or who have had a heart attack, stroke, suffering from The AGM Morning Seminar was led schizophrenia or are dramatically overweight. She said for those who by Laurie Rackind, CEO of JAMI, who have diabetes, they should not buy food for diabetics as it was better to was the key note speaker at the make sure they were informed about the food that can and cannot be event, ‘Volunteering in the 21st eaten. She said fruit and veg were good and suggested new potatoes or Century’. Laurie spoke about the sweet potatoes rather than jackets, roast, fried or chips. Whole grain rice importance of volunteering in and pasta were better than white, nuts are good as long as they are society today. League members unsalted and one should eat granary bread rather than white. Eat less red then divided into breakout groups meat, refined carbs and sugary foods and drinks. Butter, avocados and salt for further discussion. were also ‘No's’ but you could have half a banana a day. The meeting was chaired by Ella Marks, the Chairman of the Health Matters Committee, and the vote of thanks was given by Irene Segal .

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