February 2020 Sh’vat/Adar 5780 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LIBERAL JEWISH SYNAGOGUE LJS News Rabbi Michael Marmur and Avi Dabush at the AGM of the British Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights At the AGM of the British Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights held in December, the LJS Inside this issue welcomed Rabbi Michael Marmur, Chairman of Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) Israel, and its Board of Deputies report; Executive Director, Avi Dabush. Bereavements 2 Addressing an intent audience, Rabbi Marmur Shabbat services 3 spoke frankly about RHR’s commitment to Jewish Social Action; 4 values and human rights – ‘They do not stand apart World AIDS Day report from each other’, he said. ‘Israel’, he added, ‘is in the Book News 5 grip of a fascinating, exhausting conversation with Forthcoming Events 6 itself. Is it to be a place of vulture capitalism or a place of social democracy?’ Community News 7 Avi Dabush, whose parents came from Syria and Tu Bi’Sh’vat 8-9 (New Year for Trees) Libya, spoke of his desire for peace with those countries and the work of RHR with Jews, Arabs, The Learning Circle 10-12 Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and The Jews of Ethiopia 13 Bedouin communities. He appealed to those Community Events 14 present to support the work of RHR in creating a Rimon Corner 15 Promised Land, built on human rights and dignity for all Israel’s citizens and for her closest neighbour. News from the 16 Out and About Club Rabbi Alexandra Wright Report from the Board Around 400 people gathered at Buckingham Palace on 5 December for a pre-Chanukkah of Deputies: Prince reception organised by the Prince of Wales to celebrate the UK Jewish community’s Charles pays tribute to contribution to British life. The LJS was well represented; Rabbi Alexandra Wright was invited the Jewish Community in her own capacity, and was presented to the Prince, and LJS Deputies were also present. His Royal Highness paid his own tribute in his speech, saying, ‘I have grown up being deeply touched by the fact that British synagogues have, for centuries, remembered my Family in your weekly prayers. And as you remember my Family, so we too remember and celebrate you. I am thinking not just of the most prominent members of our Jewish community who, through the ages, have © Board of Deputies literally transformed this country for the better. I am thinking also, crucially, of those who are not household names, but who are the cornerstones of their own local communities.’ Karen Newman Bereavements We extend our sympathy to those who mourn: Michael Asher husband of Conna and father of Ben Hooberman father of Lucy and Matthew Andrew and Gavin Robert Levy husband of Sheila and father of Leonard Frank Colvin husband of Eva and Katherine and Michael father of Brian, Michael, Antony, Peter and the Council and all Members and Friends of the late Jeanette LJS extend our sympathy to Rabbi Neil Janes, Jennifer Frankel mother of Tanya and Karen, Rabbi at the LJS 2011-2015, on the death of his and sister of Victor father, Paul (Justin) Janes. Hella Gordon sister of Irith, and aunt of Ami and Vita May God comfort you and all who mourn Raficq Abdulla We report the sad news of the death of Raficq Abdulla who received an MBE for his interfaith work. Raficq had a longstanding relationship with the Jewish community, which included working alongside both the late Rabbi David Goldberg and Rabbi Alexandra Wright. His most recent visit to the LJS was last September for a discussion of the book he had recently co-authored, 2 ‘Understanding Sharia’. We say farewell to an inspiring man and a dear friend. Shabbat services: February to early March Friday evening services are at 6.45pm. Shabbatmorning services are at 11.00am unless otherwise stated. DATE RABBI/SPEAKER AND NOTES Friday 31 January Alexandra Wright Koleinu-style service followed by a chavurah supper – please bring vegetarian or sweet food to share Shabbat 1 February Susan Morris Mental Health Awareness Shabbat Bo The service will be followed by an informal lunch, question and answer and discussion with Susan Morris and others (see page 6) Friday 7 February Elana Dellal Shabbat 8 February Alexandra Wright B’Shallach Friday 14 February Susannah Alexander Shabbat 15 February Rachel Benjamin Rimon half term Yitro Special ‘green’ Kiddush to mark the festival of Tu Bi’Sh’vat (New Year for Trees), which begins evening 9 February; our Tu Bi’Sh’vat Seder is 8.00pm 11 February Friday 21 February Alexandra Wright Shabbat 22 February Alexandra Wright 9.45-10.30am meeting with Rabbi Frank Dabba-Smith Mishpatim/Shekalim and discussion about the LJS’s forthcoming trip to Jordan and Israel with EcoPeace (see page 7 for details) 1.15 pm Nosh ‘n’ Drosh with Maggie and William Carver on Licoricia of Winchester (see page 14) Rimon half term Friday 28 February Elana Dellal Service co-led by Bat Mitzvah Astrid Cohen Shabbat 29 February Elana Dellal Bat Mitzvah Astrid Cohen Terumah Celebration of Albert Herskovits’s leap-year birthday Friday 6 March Alexandra Wright Service followed by a chavurah supper – please bring vegetarian or sweet food to share Shabbat 7 March L’Dor va-Dor service A Koleinu service will also take place in the John Rayner T’tzavveh/Zachor led by Rimon students and Prayer Room with Rabbi Alexandra Wright their families with Rabbi Elana Dellal 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 o ice to get your user name and password. Drop-In for Asylum-Seeker Families The next LJS Drop-Ins for asylum-seeker families will be on Sunday 9 February and Sunday 8 March from 2.00pm-4.00pm. Volunteers are asked to arrive at 1.00pm to help set up. The next four dates (the second Sunday in the month apart from April) are: 19 April, 10 May, 14 June and 12 July. Volunteers are also needed from 5.00pm on Thursday 6 February and Thursday 5 March, 3 and on the other Thursdays immediately prior to the Drop-In dates to sort clothes. Social Action Harriett Goldenberg brings us the latest news In the autumn we announced our focus on Anyone who would like to be involved practically food poverty and food sustainability, and that or through sponsorship should contact me at continues. We are supporting Sufra, a local [email protected]. food bank, and encourage members to make contributions of dry goods to the yellow wheelie We will shortly begin our monthly teas at The bin in the corner of the foyer whenever they visit Avenues, one of the few remaining youth clubs the synagogue. in London. The LJS began its relationship with The Avenues back in 2018 when it was one of the Plans are developing for a Festival Day to recipients of our High Holy Day Appeal. be held at UCL Academy, a local secondary school, on 20 February. This is an LJS initiative Before all that comes the festival of Tu Bi’Sh’vat, in partnership with the Academy, the English the New Year for Trees, which is a wonderful Literacy Society, and a restaurateur supportive focus for our ecological concerns. This year on 15 of this cause. The day is geared towards young February, the Shabbat following Tu Bi’Sh’vat, we people who may struggle during the school will be holding a green Kiddush. We hope to see holidays, and is a pilot for more frequent you there, and for us to think together about the intervention during the summer holidays. implications. World AIDS Day at the LJS On 29 November our community hosted a World AIDS Day service organised by LGBT+ group and Beit Klal Yisrael (BKY). I had the honour of co-leading the service with Rabbi Mark Solomon and Student Rabbi Anna Posner. Our special guest speaker, Sir Nicholas Hytner, theatre director, film director, and film producer, gave a frank and outspoken address during the service – apparently (and I quote him) his first ‘solo gig’ on a bimah since his Bar Mitzvah! Nick Hytner spoke about what it means to be gay l-r: Jennifer Lennard, Anna Posner, Mark Solomon, and Jewish, and that only theatre has given him Igor Zinkov, Nicholas Hytner, David Rubin a sense of community where he could be himself. ‘Theatre’ he explained, ‘has been a magnet for Jews, pointed out that this requirement was particularly and also, of course, a magnet for anyone whose pertinent on World AIDS Day whose 2019 theme sexual or gender identity doesn’t conform to the was ‘Communities Make the Di© erence’. This expectations of the majority.’ He told us how actors, service made me realise how important it is Jews and the LGBT+ community have a shared for a synagogue to be a welcoming and non- advantage in the arts: all are outsiders who are able judgemental space, to treat others as we’d like to simultaneously to look from the outside in, and to be treated ourselves, and how valuable it is for understand what’s going on from the inside out. people to be allowed to be themselves in the safe space of a synagogue. 4 A famous religious principle is to treat others as we’d like to be treated ourselves. Nick Hytner Igor Zinkov, December 2019 ‘Make, Think, Imagine’ Bernie Bulkin previews a Jewish Book Week event at King’s Place Bernie Bulkin, author of the recently published Solving Chemistry, is chairing a session at Jewish Book Week at 11am on Sunday 1 March on John Browne’s book Make, Think, Imagine: Engineering the Future of Civilization.