February 2019 Sh’vat/Adar I 5779 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LIBERAL JEWISH SYNAGOGUE LJS News 10,000 Steps for 10,000 Children To mark the 80th anniversary of the first Kindertransport children who arrived at Inside this issue Liverpool Street Station, sixty members of the LJS and other LJ congregations joined by their Book launch for 2 friends walked the 10,000 steps – or more – Echoes of Contempt from the LJS to Liverpool Street. This walk took Shabbat Services 3 place on 2 December 2018 in honour of the Council Report 4 first of the approximately 10,000 children who Forthcoming Events: 5 arrived in Britain in the months leading up to Deep Calls To Deep the outbreak of the Second World War. Blessing for a 6-7 mixed faith couple LJS member Gaby Lazarus’s words convey The Out and About Club 8-9 beautifully the mood of the occasion: The Learning Circle 10-12 ‘As we walked along the quiet canal, through 80th Anniversary 13 Regent’s Park, across Bloomsbury, Holborn Memorial Concert and Barbican, in the light and warmth of the Community Events 14 unexpected a ernoon sunshine, we shared Young LJS 15 stories about our parents’ experiences and wondered again and again at their courage Board of Deputies Update 16 and the courage of THEIR parents.’ Stephen Laughton comments on his play 16 Continued on page 2 General Data Protection Regulations at The LJS Like all organisations, The LJS is changing its several changes in line with the new regulation. data protection in line with the new regulations The most important item is that we have that come into place on 25 May 2018. In joining updated our privacy notice which will now The LJS you have provided us with the include additional details about the in ormation in ormation we need to include you as a we collect. This new notice will be up on our member and remain in contact, and we have website, linked via the weekly Shalom LJS, and operated a strict policy to keep the in ormation also available in print orm rom the main oyer. you give us secure and used appropriately. During the coming year we will also contact Continued from page 1 The new General Data Protection Regulation every member to check the data we hold and do The first Kindertransport train in December 1938 Bereavements(GDPR) is intended to improve the protections the same with all non-members who volunteer. carried 200 children from an orphanage in Berlin; Weavailable extend our tosympathy individuals to those in who relation mourn: to their data I you want to ind out more about how we the last train arrived in Britain at the very end of Alecand Benjamin builds on the current legislation already in implement data protection, at any time, please August 1939. fatherplace. of Rabbi As partRachel o Benjamin, the GDPR, Ian and The Liz LJS has speak to Lysa Schwartz, the Executive Director, The children were fostered by Jewish and Derekconducted Chapper a data audit and is undertaking on 020 7286 5181. non-Jewish families. Many of them, now in their father of Naomi, Ruth and Eve, eighties and nineties, gathered on the concourse and brother of Philip around Frank Meisel’s sculpture ‘Kindertransport SusieBereavements Goldie – The Arrival’ for a brief Memorial Service and to Don’t miss the LJS motherWe of extend Marc, Lisa our and sympathy Debra, to see the first candle of Chanukkah lit by the Chief sister of Stuart and Jenny Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis. those who mourn: David Lovell Annual General Meeting Armand Azoulay, partner o husband of Alice, mother of Shauna and Dr Jonathan Boyd, Executive Director o the Kiddush Celebrations Jonathan,Alex Rosenbrother of Robin Institute or Jewish Policy Research, will be If you are celebrating a special birthday or SusanJean Marmor Solomons, wi e o another commemoration, have you thought sisterAnthony, of Paul mother o Nicola speaking about the statistical report he has about contributing to the weekly Kiddush Dorotheaand theRose late Jenni er produced with with Dr Donatella Casale Mashiah on following our Shabbat morning service? LJS memberSolomons for 67 years synagogue membership in the United Kingdom. If you would like to take part in the service This reveals that total synagogue membership has המקום ינחם אתכם ,to mark a special occasion – birthday anniversary, baby blessing, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, dropped below 80,000 households or the irst time בתוך שאר האבלים or another special day – please contact Felicia Beder on 020 7432 1283 or [email protected]. May GodMay comfort God you com ort and all whoyou mourn since records began. and all who mourn The AGM is in the Monteiore Hall at 19.30 on 20 June. Aer six years: Peter’s last issue as editor This is Peter Singer’s last issue deadlines and word counts, guests, VIPs and others. as editor o LJS News and, on hardly batting an eyelid when Consequently, The LJS now behal o the congregation, I they are de ied. He has juggled has a remarkable record o its want to say an immense thank the various needs o those activity over the last ew years. you to him or having taken on urging priority or their own We owe you a huge debt o the task. educational, ritual, community gratitude and thanks, Peter. Editing a newsletter is care and social events. It has been a pleasure to work constant, there is scarcely a He has turned up at nearly with you and I hope the high break with ten issues a year. every major event (and many standards you have set as Each month, Peter has gently minor ones too) with his editor will be maintained in encouraged his many camera to record who was the uture. contributors to stick to there – whether members, AW 22 2 Shabbat Services: February 2019 Friday evening services are at 6.45pm. Shabbat morning services are at 11.00am unless otherwise stated. DATE RABBI/SPEAKER NOTES Friday 1 February Igor Zinkov Shabbat 2 February Elana Dellal Mishpatim Friday 8 February Elana Dellal Shabbat 9 February Lev Taylor Lev is a second year Leo Baeck College student rabbi and the Terumah grandson of Jane Rayner and the late Rabbi John Rayner z”l. Dedication of the new stained glass window in the Rabbi John Rayner Prayer Room will take place after the service. Friday 15 February Bernie Bulkin LJY-Netzer weekend at the LJS Shabbat 16 February Michael Hilton Nosh ‘n’ Drosh with Rabbi Harry Jacobi on Moses Mendelssohn T’tzavveh Half-term Rimon Friday 22 February Alexandra Wright Co-led by Bat Mitzvah Hannah Spearman-Walters Shabbat 23 February Alexandra Wright Bat Mitzvah Hannah Spearman-Walters Ki Tissa Half-term Rimon Friday 1 March Alexandra Wright Shabbat 2 March Elana Dellal Rimon returns Va-yak’heil/Shekalim Shabbat morning services are streamed live via the internet. If you would like to follow a service on your computer or tablet, please phone the LJS oice to get your user name and password. PURIM CELEBRATIONS AT THE LJS Please save the date for Erev Purim Wednesday 20 March 2019 7.00pm Shiur on Purim with Igor Zinkov, followed by Megillah reading 7.45pm Refreshments 8.30-9.15pm ‘Behind the Mask: Purim Story Hour’ Please contact Felicia Beder on [email protected] if you would like to be involved. Drop-in for Asylum-Seeker Families The next LJS Drop-in for asylum-seeker families will be on 10 February from 2.00-4.00pm. Volunteers are asked to arrive at 1.00pm to help set up. Forthcoming dates: 10 March, 14 April, 12 May, 16 June, 14 July, 11 August, 8 September, 13 October, 10 November, 8 December Volunteers are also needed from 5.00pm on 7 February and on the Thursdays immediately prior to the Drop-in dates to sort clothes. VOLUNTEERS PLEASE If you are interested in volunteering once a month or a few times a year, please contact [email protected] for more details. We are especially looking for younger members of the 3 community who can help us with some of the heavier work. Thank you. Council Report: Generating funds – and ideas and as a result, Council has invited the editors, Rabbis Elli Tikvah Sarah and Lea Muehlstein, together with the Chair of the Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors, Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, to meet with them in January. The meeting was scheduled for the end of January, a©er the publication date for this newsletter and I will report on the outcome of the discussions in March. Council has been doing some ‘blue sky thinking’ on how to generate funds for our synagogue. This is very necessary, as you all know, with the increasing needs of the community and with a costly building to maintain. There is already a range of fundraising initiatives in place, such as the President’s Patron’s Appeal, a planned Comedy Night and the ‘Grow your Tenner’ campaign, but we wanted to add to the list to encourage as many diªerent people as possible to contribute. We have lots of ideas, including holding a fundraising dinner and running a By now you should all have received your legacy campaign and seminar, and we will now Membership Pack for 2019. Thank you to everyone look at how these can be implemented. One who has begun the new year by promptly paying particularly interesting and meaningful idea is their subscription and to those who, following to have a ‘yahrzeit tree’; people would be able the example of Lord Grade, have added an extra to have their family members remembered by amount to help members who struggle to meet buying a leaf to go on the tree and the tree itself their financial commitment.