5777 AND THE PARADOX OF HONEY Shalom and my wishes to all of you and your loved ones for shana tovah u’metukah, a good and sweet year (5777) From the outset of my remarks, it is Third Reich are all gone and we, the of incorporating our memories of loved clear that the way we Jews welcome the Jews, less than %.002 of the world’s ones into our ideals and aims. Yizkor is new year is unique to the Jewish people population, are still here. all about remembering the past for the and our Judaism, and to no other faith. sake of our future. The theme of this year’s Holy Days is Normally, the passage of time is marked “The Importance of our Vision: Finding At Neilah, before we say goodbye to our by raucous celebrating, imbibing, eating Meaning”. On Erev Rosh Hashanah we holiest time of the year, we will and dancing – a logical way to mark the will introduce our journey into why ideals summarise and contemplate where we coming of a new year and the blessing and dreams matter, by focusing on a are headed as individuals and as a of life. However, in Jewish tradition our talmudic text that tells us exactly what community. celebration is not with noisy drinking and we should be praying for on Rosh dancing but by sitting with our families at Hashanah. We all begin our new year by dipping the festive dinner table, dipping our our challah into honey, which is perfectly challah into honey and thanking God for On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the kasher! Why is that an odd thing? the renewed possibility of a good and subject is “God: Why do our Beliefs Because normally something that is sweet new year. Matter?" They certainly matter a great tamei (ritually impure) is forbidden, treif! deal to the dregs of extremists and I can also understand why we wish our terrorists today, but what about us? Do Milk products, eggs of kosher animals friends and loved ones a “good” year we have any core beliefs? Why God? are just fine, but how can the product of because, in Jewish terms, if we do not And what kind of God it is that I reject or a non-kosher creature – a bee – be add goodness to our lives, the new year accept? considered kosher? (footnote: I love is just another day, a part of the cycle of honey – good decision, Rabbis!) but nature. When we come to synagogue to On the second day of Rosh Hashanah why did they come up with a ruling that pray, it is not to ask God for material we turn to our texts, the stories and not only allows us to eat honey all year needs but spiritual strength, new ideals, history that give us vision. round but tells us we should eat it gratitude for what we have, a changing specifically at Rosh Hashanah? Why is and healthier perspective on our lives On Kol Nidre: What is the mission of the it made the exception to the long list of and the world around us. Jewish people? Is it important to prohibitions in Maimonides, Hilchot articulate what exactly we, the collective Ma’achalot Assurot 3:3? We study and hear the words of Torah whole of the Jewish people, want for this reconnecting us to our past and to our world? What is the purpose of remaining According to the Rabbis, honey people. We all know that the example of Jewish? Plus a few words about how represents a food which turns “bad, non- spiritual and religious resolve set by our Belsize Square Synagogue fits into our kosher” into good – and kosher. That is Jewish ancestors at the start of our people’s vision. Does our Synagogue the concrete form of what we express in recorded history has stood the test of need goals and a mission? our prayers: there is always a future for time. happiness. Good will emerge from past For Yom Kippur, what does all this unhappiness, suffering and dissonance. They knew the power of words, that search for meaning and vision mean to ideas are stronger than the sword. So me as an individual? What do I live for? So what are our greatest hopes and Babylonia is in rubble, the remains of Should I be a part of something greater dreams at this time of the year? The Assyria are in museums, Greece, than myself? food – the honey – symbolises our quest Rome, Persia, the Holy Roman Empire, for 5777 to see good emerge from our Islamic Empire, Communist bloc, Nazi At Yizkor, remembering: the importance misfortunes, wars and crises; to see taharah (purity), the IMPORTANT TRAFFIC INFORMATION good, emerge from IN THIS ISSUE tumah (impurity) and ADVICE TO OUR MEMBERS our world move Page 2 - The Cantor's White Gown toward the fulfilment Wiener Library Plaques East Heath Road, which runs down from Whitestone of our hopes and Page 3 - Our Israel Charities Respond Pond at the top of Hampstead Heath to the Royal ideals. New Year Greetings Free Hospital in Pond Street, is closed to southbound Page 4 - Chatan Torah: Jeffrey Graham traffic for three months till mid-December for essential See you all in our Poem in memoriam: Irene White repair work. A diversion has been introduced which beautiful Sanctuary. Page 5 - Chatan Bereshit: Justyn Trenner sends all southbound traffic down Heath Street and Shabbat UK Hospitality Appeal Hampstead High Street to meet Pond Street on the Ketivah v’chatimah Fund-raising Swim & Triathlon left. Please be aware that this will add to your journey tovah, Page 6 - Klopstick times to and from the Synagogue. We would ask that Page 8 - High Holydays Information you allow plenty of additional time. Rabbi Altshuler No 684 - Elul 5776/Tishri 5777 - October 2016 Our Congregation - Page 2 THE WHITE GOWN Cantor Paul Heller explains the Symbolism and Significance of his Festival Garb During the including the long robe or gown. The scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." High Holy Church copied the dress of the priests Days, you will of the Temple in Jerusalem. So did the This example of the robes, or gowns, see me Muslims. Long robes are, after all, a as a common element of religious wearing a common feature of Western Asian practice leads me to the troubling white gown. dress. question: what makes people hate us so much? As the former Chief Rabbi, I wore a white So no wonder ministers wear this for Jonathan Sacks, so clearly illustrates in gown instead our services, especially at the most his book, Not In God's Name, with so of the usual charged and emotional moments. much in common, there is no reason black one, Normally, we wear black gowns but on for people to kill each other. when I recited the High Holydays they change into a the Prayer for white gown, known as a kittel, which Lord Sacks lays the blame on non- Dew on the also serves as a burial shroud. believers, whose philosophy egged on first day of Passover. Afterwards, the extreme right in Germany 80 years several people approached me and A white gown is also worn at the start of ago, leading to the Holocaust, and asked me why. Now, as the High Holy Pesach when the cantor recites the today incites the extreme left in Europe, Days approach, I shall do the same Prayer for Dew during the Musaf with the same aim. Hate-filled voices thing again. service, and it can be worn during the are also heard across the Atlantic, Seder. It is worn again when reciting where God Our Creator is forgotten. Alfred Rubens, in his authoritative the Prayer for Rain on Shemini Atzeret. History of Jewish Costume, writes: May democracy win on both sides of "Certain features of Jewish dress are The reason for wearing white is that the the Atlantic and may we strive for all as valid today as 2,000 years ago." colour symbolises the state of purity we humanity to see the day when, in the Exodus chapter 29 describes the seek to achieve when asking for the words of the prophet Zechariah, the priests' clothing, including the ketonet, bestowal of these blessings, as well as Lord will be one and His name one. a long coat. (The same word is used for forgiveness for our sins. We take our Joseph's coat of many colours). cue from Isaiah's words in chapter 1, Wishing you a blessed year – Shanah Religions have a lot in common, verse 18: "Though your sins be as Tovah. PLAQUE UNVEILED IN WIENER LIBRARY Walter Goddard reports on a tribute to Hans and Eva Reichmann Readers young (I won't say old) rise of fascism, resulting in the seizure and she joked that enough to remember our members, of power by the National Socialists in she was now Dr Dr Hans and Eva Reichmann, may like to 1933, and the increasing pressure on Reichmann! Her learn that, in conjunction with the Jews, which ultimately led to first doctorate in Association of Jewish Refugees, a Kristallnacht in November 1938. 1921 at Heidelberg plaque was unveiled at the Wiener was in the field of Library on 13 July to honour their work Hans Reichmann, a lawyer who also sociology. She and memory. worked at the CV, was one of the died in 1998 aged initiators of an anti-Nazi propaganda 101. Hans died in For AJR chairman, Andrew Kaufman, campaign during the last phase of the 1964 aged 64.