May 2020 Iyyar/Sivan 5780 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LIBERAL JEWISH SYNAGOGUE LJS News Pesach celebrations Many LJS families celebrated Seder Night using Zoom technology to be connected with family and Inside this issue friends, ensuring our traditions could continue in these times of coronavirus. News 2 The LJS o ered us opportunities for celebration Shabbat and 3 and reflection. An online service, which we viewed Festival Services on YouTube, took place on the first morning Council Report 4 of Pesach, followed by a Zoom Kiddush when Our first Zoom Kiddush; 5 everyone had the opportunity to greet each other the LJS Archive on screen and then break into small chat rooms to Our Communal Seder 6-7 have more in-depth conversations. Eating Dairy at Shavuot 8 The Zoom Communal Seder on the second night (pictured) was a great success. The feedback has Reflections on 9 Shavuot been heart-warming, with those taking part telling us it was a very special experience. VE Day and its 10-11 A ermath On the last evening of Pesach, members took part in a Zoom event called The Song of Hope, sharing The Learning Circle 12-14 readings and musical performances. The last day Rimon Corner 15 on 15 April was marked by an online service which Our Communal 16 included the chanting of Moses’ Song of the Sea Baby Blessing (Exodus 15) followed by a study session. Message from the Editor Dear Members and this, but I encourage you, where possible, to help Friends of the LJS, such members by printing o some pages and/ I would like to send you or perhaps reading sections out aloud to them. my warmest good wishes You’ll see that the content of the newsletter in these distressing and remains largely unchanged, the main di erence uncertain times. We are being that details of Forthcoming and Community all facing adversity, some Events aren’t included as they are now best grievously so, and are conveyed through the weekly Shalom LJS email discovering ways of dealing with our changed or direct to participants. circumstances. I feel sure you share my gratitude The designer, Maggie Tingle, and I hope you to the LJS and admiration for the way it has enjoy this edition, and that it plays its part in adapted with great speed to a world in which fostering the wonderful community spirit which technology necessarily plays a key role. seems to me has strengthened during this This newsletter has to be in online form only current crisis. for the time being as we are unable to print and post it out. I am keenly aware that this makes it inaccessible for some members, and truly regret Judith King Bereavements We extend our sympathy to those who mourn: We also extend our sympathy to: Gerald Butler father of Laura and Maria Ergun Arican and his family on the death of Helena Fineman aunt of Laura and Maria Ergun’s father Mehmet Emirzade Roy Gluckstein husband of Penny and father of Susannah Alexander and her family on the Amanda, Emma and Simon death of Susannah’s cousin Janet Alexander Britta Lamberg aunt of Stephen and Christopher Leanda Englander and her family on the death of Leanda’s mother Pamela Kroll David Lazarus husband of Gaby, father of Micah and Lily, son of Berta and Leon, and brother of Karen Newman and her family on the death of Andrew and John Karen’s stepfather Denis Kent Yakov Paul husband of Suzanne and father of Gary Lane and Josie Lane and their family on the Marilyn, Sandra and Debbie death of Gary’s father Allan Lane Robert Weston husband of Lydia and father of Louise, Nicola and Marcus May God comfort you and all who mourn Tributes to David Lazarus and Yakov Paul, our former Music Director, will appear in future editions of LJS News. The LJS 2020 AGM and Council Elections This year’s AGM will be held on Wednesday 24 June. Our guest speaker will be Gillian Merron, Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. At the AGM the LJS membership will confirm the election of members standing for a second term and new members to the LJS Council. 2 Details of Council nominations, which must be submitted by 9.00am on Monday 4 May, are available in Shalom LJS, or you can email [email protected]. Shabbat and Festival services: May to early June Friday evening services are at 6.45pm. Shabbatmorning services are at 11.00am unless otherwise stated. All our services are currently online only and can be accessed via The Liberal Jewish Synagogue YouTube channel. At the end of each service on Friday evening and Shabbat morning, congregants are invited to join together for Kiddush via Zoom. The link is shown on the screen with clear instructions. DATE RABBI/SPEAKER AND NOTES Friday 1 May Igor Zinkov Shabbat 2 May Alexandra Wright Acharey-Mot/Kedoshim Friday 8 May Alexandra Wright Shabbat 9 May ‘When the guns 8 May marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day, and at this Emor fell silent’: shared service we invite members of the congregation to memories by share their own memories or memories of parents or members of the grandparents of that day when the Second World War congregation 75 years came to an end in Europe. ago on VE Day 1945 Friday 15 May Igor Zinkov Shabbat 16 May Igor Zinkov B’Har-B’Chukkotay Friday 22 May Rabbi Margaret Jacobi This weekend is the Liberal Judaism (LJ) Biennial Rabbi Janet Burden ‘At Home’ and we are invited to join the Biennial services, details of which are being made available in Shalom LJS Shabbat 23 May René Pfertzel and the LJ website, where timings will be provided. B’Midbar Rebecca Birk Rabbi René Pfertzel is delivering the sermon at the Igor Zinkov Shabbat morning service. Thursday 28 May - Please see below Erev Shavuot Friday 29 May - Please see below 1st day of Shavuot Friday 29 May Igor Zinkov Owing to the exigences of the present time, we are observing Erev 2nd day Shavuot Shavuot on the second day of the festival which falls on Shabbat. We invite you to join us for our Tikkun Leyl Shavuot. More details about the programme will be available in Shalom LJS. Tributes to David Lazarus and Yakov Paul, our former Music Director, will appear in future editions of LJS News. Shabbat 30 May Alexandra Wright This is a full festival morning service for Shavuot with the 2nd day Shavuot reading of the Ten Commandments. Friday 5 June Alexandra Wright Shabbat 6 June Alexandra Wright We celebrate Bob and Ann Kirk’s 70th wedding anniversary B’ha’a lot’cha and Bob’s 95th birthday. 3 Council Report ‘Whenever the cloud was lied from the tabernacle, the Israelites moved forward…’ (Exodus 40:36) We the Jewish volunteers working to support everyone; they people, on our are led by Aviva Shafritz, our Community Care journey through Co-ordinator. The rabbis are providing new history, have had at and creative shabbat and festival services, our centre our core enhanced by music from our choir. Education beliefs; these have programmes have continued ceaselessly, from always been with us, those for the children in the Nursery School, but the way we have to those for adults, and including children in practised our faith Rimon, our religion school, now operating twice has not been static. a week. One of the Nursery School parents Judaism has never wrote to the Head Teacher, ‘I wanted to thank stood still; we have you for everything you have done during this constantly adapted diicult time, including your support at the very as we have met new challenges, while, at the beginning to providing such lovely materials same time, retaining our underlying principles from the teachers…’. and ethics. During the present situation, we What is incredible about all this is that are again adjusting our way of Jewish life to everything is online and is exciting. It is meet a particular crisis, while still adhering to underpinned by the LJS sta who have that which makes us progressive Jews. Our devoted many additional hours to ensure this synagogue community has become an online community continues to flourish during the organisation with services, learning, meetings lockdown. and conversations all happening over the internet. Judaism teaches us that we are a chosen people, chosen for a task, to look outside In April, the LJS Council, for the first time, met ourselves to improving the conditions of the using the ubiquitous ‘Zoom’: all of us in our wider world. As I noted earlier, it is one of the own homes, but still able, like the rest of the core values of the LJS, to ‘repair and heal the synagogue, to function and move forward. We world’. Council heard that this is in the forefront began by reminding ourselves of one of the of people’s minds. The Drop-In for Asylum- synagogue’s principal values: ‘The LJS values Seeker Families, for example, has found ways of all purposeful activity that is designed to repair helping those people who rely on the support of and heal the world.’ This statement seems very the monthly events which we normally run, but appropriate to the work we are needing to do cannot at the moment. during the coronavirus pandemic. The Council meeting took place a¨er the Our meeting was an opportunity to update first three weeks of restrictions. It reassured Trustees on all that has been in place to everyone that the LJS has assembled a ensure that the LJS community continues to complete online community that is developing be connected with one another and to receive and moving forward; it holds us together.