1 SSUSSEUSSExx JJEEwwISHISH NNEEwwSS Whats wHAT’S INSIdE.... 100 YEARS OF BROAdwAY MUSICALS | REMEMBERING dENNIS HOLLIS MM Z’L | A VISIT TO AUSCHwITZ | wHAT’S ON | ANd MORE JANUARY 2017 • TEVET / SHEVAT 5777 • ISSUE 270 2 Pause for thought 3 One year ago, Carla Power’s If The are the latest victims in what right, particularly when there is a Oceans Were Ink was published. seems to be a secret scourge: the large Coptic population here in It was a non-fiction finalist for the persecution of Christians and other Sussex. We should be reaching out 2016 Pulitzer Prizes. Carla, an minorities in the Muslim world. to them to offer help and kindness. American Jew, lives in Brighton. The parallel is to those non-Jews She spent one year learning the who helped Jews during the Koran from an imam in Oxford. Tikkun Olam is about healing Holocaust. The book is about her learning. the world, not just the Jewish Tikkun Olam is about healing the One of the most powerful world, not just the Jewish world. sections in that book is the world. With people dying The fact that Jews were expelled imam’s differentiation between and suffering, the very least from Muslim countries after Israel Muslim and Islamist. The former we can do is offer comfort, was established must not govern is a person who practices his or sympathy and empathy. our actions now. There are people her faith. The latter is someone who are dying and many others who who uses their faith as a tool to are suffering. The very least we gain political power. We Jews are very good at keeping can do is offer comfort, sympathy On 11 December 2016 antisemitism on our cultural radar. or empathy. Then we can build fundamentalist Islamists detonated But we cannot simply look after bridges in a world that is attacking explosives in Cairo’s St Mark’s ourselves when others are facing differences: perhaps this would be a Cathedral. At least 25 Coptic the same kind of persecution to start in healing our fracturing world. Christians died in the blast. They which we are sensitive. It is not EDITORIAL BOARD Hazel Coppins, Doris Levinson, Stephanie Megitt, Michael Rich, David Seidel. SJN brings local news, events, articles, reviews, TECHNICAL ADVISOR Brian Megitt announcements, people, congregations, communities, contacts and more. Delivered at ADMINISTRATOR Bernard Swithern the start of each month, SJN is run entirely by ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Ivor Sorokin, Lydia Swithern volunteers for reporting, editing and circulating COMMUNAL DIARY [email protected] each edition. It has become the cornerstone of COVER AND BROADWAY MUSICAL IMAGES Melanie Seligman the Jewish community across the region. PRODUCTION/LAYOUT Anand Day SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: 8 JANUARY 2017 Email address for submissions and correspondence: [email protected] or [email protected] SUSSEX JEWISH NEWS SUBSCRIPTION Name:_______________________________________________ Date:_________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Postcode:____________________ Email: _______________________________________________ Telephone:____________________ Subscription (tick one) I would like to receive electronic copies of SJN. £18 p/a I would like to receive printed copies of SJN. £24 p/a. 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ISSUE 270 | JANUARY 2017 Sussex Jewish News 0/"OXs(OVE".3: 2 4ELEPHONE Contents 3 FEATURES REGULARS 1 A MUSICAL MOMENT 4 SUSSEX AND THE CITY Photo by Melanie Seligman Your news, views and stories from across the county 2 PAUSE FOR THOUGHT 12 CULTURE Books, lectures and concerts 5 DENNIS HOLLIS MM, Z’L A tribute by Sidney Lipman 16 WHAT’S ON Regular and special events in your community 8 100 YEARS OF BROADWAY MUSICALS More pictures from the show YOUR COMMUNITY 10 MORE ABOUT THE MUSICAL Behind the scenes and in front of the stage 13 BRIGHTON & HOVE PROGRESSIVE SYNAGOGUE 14 BRIGHTON & HOVE HEBREW CONGREGATION A VISIT TO AUSCHWITZ 11 14 HOVE HEBREW CONGREGATION Susan Sheftz on a trip into history 15 BRIGHTON & HOVE REFORM SYNAGOGUE &ULLPAGE!SIZE £170 Sussex Jewish News (‘SJN’), its Editor and Editorial Board: s are not allied to any synagogue or group and the views expressed by writers (ALFPAGE!SIZE £100 are not necessarily those of SJN; 1UARTERPAGE!SIZE £65 s accept advertisements in good faith but do not endorse any products or services and do not accept liability for any aspect of any advertisements; PAGECREDITCARDSIZE £40 and 0ERSONAL!NNOUNCEMENTSin a box (up to 6 lines): £25 sWELCOMEREADERSCONTRIBUTIONSBUTRESERVETHERIGHTTOEDIT CUT DECLINE or submit the content to others for comment. 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ISSUE 270 | JANUARY 2017 4 Sussex and the City 5 Your News Deaths We wish Long Life to Births s%RIKAAND-ARION!DLERANDFAMILIESONTHEDEATHOFTHEIR Mazel tov to Suzanne Freedman on the safe arrival of her mother, Margot z’l grand-daughter Rachel Clara Freedman in Versailles on 11 s!LAN"ASSONTHEDEATHOFHISBROTHER-ARTINZL November 2016 to parents Danny and Sabrina, a sister for s4HEFAMILYOF2ON"ROWNZL Oscar. s4HEFAMILYOF.ETTIE.ISSENZL s4HEFAMILYOF-ARTIN3TARRZL Special Birthdays Mazel tov to Devorah Dicks, Jacques DuVivier, Helen Epstein, Henrietta Hempling, Ruth Karp, Doris Levinson, Sally Manley, Dr Joanna Seldon passed away peacefully on Tuesday Rosalind Pantoock, Ivor Richards, Anthony Rosenfield, Morris 7 December after a long illness that she faced with Trarragano, Terry Yason, Daniel Wood and all who have spe- much dignity and courage. We wish Long Life to Sir cial birthdays this month. Anthony Seldon and the family. Engagements Mazel tov to Stuart and Rosa Panto on the engagement of Please note that the date of the Torah Montessori their grandson Sam Freeman to Natasha Isaac. Winter fair has been changed from 5 February to 29 January 2017 from 2.30 – 4.30 pm. Weddings If anyone has any unwanted bric a brac or suitable Mazel tov to: tombola gifts for sale at the Torah Montessori Winter s-AGGIEAND!RTHUR/PPENHEIMERONTHEMARRIAGEOFTHEIR Fair on 29 January 2017, please take your items to the son Max to Lucinda Brett. Nursery on New Church Road or arrange collection s,AURELAND*ULIAN7OOLFEONTHEMARRIAGEOFTHEIRGRAND- by calling Norina on 01273 779889. Thank you. daughter Elise to James Tobias. Your Views Dear Editor Important message Thank you for this (December) month’s Jewish News. HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY VISITS Unfortunately my husband, Martin Starr, died on 1st If you are in hospital or know anyone being admitted into hospital, December in Worthing Hospital and never had chance to read please get in touch with info@sussexjewishrepresentativecouncil. it. The magazine will be with him on his final journey. org or telephone 07789 491279 so that a Jewish chaplain can be Susan Starr contacted to visit. Joining Together for Peace The Chutzpah Choir was pleased to be given two short slots at the recent Interfaith Service, held this year at the Brighton & Hove Progressive Synagogue on Sunday 20 November. This annual event is organised by the Interfaith Contact Group (IFCG), which exists to promote contact and dialogue between the many faith communities and traditions in the Brighton & Hove area. The group works towards building peaceful relations and greater understanding between all the diverse communities in our city and each year the Interfaith Service is held in a different sacred space. The service on 20 November included addresses and of singing interspersed with the prayers and readings. The readings from the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, the Brighton Chutzpah Choir chose four Yiddish songs from its repertoire Pavilion MP, and the Brighton & Hove Mayor, as well as that were suitable for the occasion and everyone present readings and prayers from most of the main religious joined in with the last one, which translates as, “If my voice traditions in our city, including the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, were louder, if my body stronger, I would tear through the Hindu, Islamic and of course Jewish traditions. It was good streets shouting Peace, Peace...” So in Yiddish: sholem, to see some children from the Baha’i and Islamic faiths taking sholem, sholem. an active part in the service. The hall was packed with people At the end of the service, The Dialogue Society gave everyone from all faiths and none, to such an extent that an overspill a pot of traditional ‘Noah’s Pudding’, made with white beans, had to be arranged in an upstairs room. rice, apricots, figs, raisins, orange, walnuts and pomegranate The IFCG has its own Interfaith Choir, so there was plenty (among other things). Delicious. ISSUE 270 | JANUARY 2017 4 Sussex and the City 5 Dennis Hollis MM: A very special person by Sidney Lipman From the first moment my wife and I were being served lunch at the Ralli Hall by this distinguished looking man, I strongly suspected that he had had an adventurous life to match. When Dennis Hollis MM recently joined the ranks of AJEX, I was really chuffed when he agreed to recount the high spots of his career in the armed forces during WW11 and thereafter. His reply to my first question, “Why did you volunteer to join up” was totally unexpected.