1 whAt’S INSIdE.... BEING GREEN | INtROdUCING BNJC | REFLECtIONS FROM YOM hAShOAh whAt’S ON | ANd MORE Whats MAY 2018 • IYAR / SIVAN 5778 • ISSUE 285 2 Changes at your SJN 3 Bye-Bye Bernie Our new Administrator After holding the post of Administrator I’m Hazel, your new Administrator. As for Sussex Jewish News for a number of you know, this post was previously years, the time has now come for me to filled by Bernard Swithern who retired step down in favour of a younger person. in April 2018. He worked exceptionally It has been my privilege and pleasure to hard and did a marvellous job have served the community as a member for many years. I’m sure you all of the SJN Team. appreciate his efforts and will join me in wishing him all the very best for the I am delighted that Hazel Coppins is future. to take my place and wish her every success. Sussex Jewish News is an As for me, I was born in Plymouth, important pillar of our community and moved to Hove with my family in demonstrates 1970 and have lived here ever since. the strength I have a degree in Biochemistry from and cohesion University College, London and I of Sussex spent many years thereafter working as a personal assistant for Jewry. Its various firms of commercial solicitors. I retired at an early age to care future is for my elderly mother and she died at the age of 100 in 2014. I am dependent married to Michael, a university academic. In 2015 I became involved upon the in local Jewish Community affairs, namely 250th Anniversary of continuing Middle Street Synagogue, Torah Academy Nursery and helping with support fund-raising for Ralli Hall. of SJN subscribers. For the last 2 years I’ve been on the editorial board of the SJN and was delighted to be offered this post. I’m sure I will enjoy my time with you all. EDITORIAL BOARD Doris Levinson, Stephanie Megitt, Michael Rich, SJN brings local news, events, articles, reviews, David Seidel. announcements, people, congregations, TECHNICAL ADVISOR Brian Megitt communities, contacts and more. Delivered at ADMINISTRATOR Hazel Coppins the start of each month, SJN is run entirely by Administrative Assistant Ivor Sorokin volunteers for reporting, editing and circulating each edition. It has become the cornerstone of COMMUNAL DIARY [email protected] the Jewish community across the region. COVER IMAGE Brian Megitt PRODUCTION/LAYOUT Anand Day SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: 6 MAY 2018 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. £20 p/a I would like to receive printed copies of SJN. £27 p/a. I enclose my cheque payable to Sussex Jewish News at PO Box 2178, Hove BN3 3SZ I have made a bank transfer to the Sussex Jewish News at Lloyds Bank, Sort Code 30-98-74, Account No. 00289447 and I have included my name as a reference to ensure my subscription is noted. ISSUE 285 | MAY 2018 Sussex Jewish News Contents PO Box 2178 • Hove BN3 3SZ Telephone: 07906 955 404 2 [email protected] or [email protected] 3 FEATURES 1 ISRAEL’S 70TH BirthDAY PartY at RALLI HALL Photos by Brian Megitt and Melanie Seligman 2 CHANGES AT YOUR SJN Changes in administration 5 BNJC NEWS Yael Breuer talks to Marc Sugarman 9 REFLECTIONS Oliver Harris speaks at the Joint Yom Hashoah Service 10 BEING GREEN Environmentalism across the generations REGULARS 4 SUSSEX AND THE CITY Your news, views and stories from across the county 11 CULTURE Rabbi Zanardo provides a book review 16 WHAT’S ON – mAY Regular and special events in your community YOUR COMMUNITY 12 BRIGHTON & HOVE PROGRESSIVE SYNAGOGUE 13 BRIGHTON & HOVE REFORM SYNAGOGUE 14 BRIGHTON & HOVE HEBREW Congregation 15 HOVE HEBREW Congregation Important message HOSPITAL CHAPLAINCY VISITS If you are in hospital or know anyone being admitted into hospital, please get in touch with info@ sussexjewishrepresentativecouncil.org or telephone 07789 491279 so that a Jewish chaplain can be contacted to visit. Full page (A4 size) £170 Sussex Jewish News (‘SJN’), its Editor and Editorial Board: Half page (A5 size) £100 • are not allied to any synagogue or group and the views expressed by writers are not necessarily those of SJN; Quarter page (A6 size) £65 • accept advertisements in good faith but do not endorse any products 1/9 page (credit card size) £40 or services and do not accept liability for any aspect of any advertisements; and Personal Announcements in a box (up to 6 lines): £25 • welcome readers’ contributions but reserve the right to edit, cut, decline Announcements up to 3 lines £10 or submit the content to others for comment. To ensure that we receive your submissions by email, please send them ONLY to sjneditor@sussexjewishnews. Flyers: Price on application com, otherwise we cannot guarantee their consideration for publication. To Local Jewish charities will not be charged, subject to assist the Editorial Board, submissions should be in Word format using Times New Roman font, size 12. Receipt of submissions may not be acknowledged, editorial decision. unless specifically requested. As the Editorial Board is made up entirely of GUIDELINES ADVERTISING ADVERTISING IN SJN BOOK NOW! 07906 955 404 volunteers, any response may be subject to delay. ISSUE 285 | MAY 2018 4 Sussex and the City 5 Your News Births Anniversaries Mazel tov to Maggie and Arthur Oppenheimer on the birth of • Mazel tov to Barbara and Ian Gordon who celebrated their their grandson, Oscar Arnold Alfie Oppenheimer, son of Max 25th Wedding Anniversary in April and will be celebrating and Lucinda. their joint 160th birthdays in May. Special Birthdays • Mazel tov to Mazel tov to Cecilia Byrne, Sandra Carlton, Alan Durban, Eleanor and David De Groot, Barbara Gordon, Ian Gordon, Roland Moss, Freddy Lind Elizabeth Sharpe, Ivor Sorokin, Vicki Symons and all who on their double have special birthdays this month. celebration - a special birthday for her and their Engagements 55th Wedding Mazel tov to Melanie & Simon Anniversary. Seligman together with Nicky & David Goldberg are thrilled to announce the engagement of Daniel and Liora. Mazel tov to Rachel and Charlotte Seligman and Asher Goldberg Eleanor & Freddy together with grandparents Sharon at their wedding & Martin Royce. in Middle Street Synagogue Get Well We wish a refuah sheleima to all who are unwell or in hospital Mazel tov to Rosa and Stuart Panto on at the present time. • the occasion of Emily’s Bat Mitzvah in April, Deaths daughter of Gabi & Darren Panto. • the wedding of their grandson, Dr Sam Freeman, We wish Long Life to: • Rabbi Charles Wallach on the death of his sister Ruth z’l son of Sharon & Howard, to Natasha Isaac in May. • Simon Rickman on the death of his father, Len z’l *Ed: Please note that the correct email address for the Chutzpah Choir is: [email protected] Sussex Jewish Golfing Society by Richard Simmons The first meeting of our golfing season on 17 April was at The Dyke Golf Club, high on the Sussex Downs. Malcolm Sharpe, our new Captain, “drove-in” and the meeting was very well attended and enjoyed by all. It was a great day with an excellent dinner in the evening, before most of us rushed Top Hat Productions are about to off to the Amex Stadium to see the Albion play Spurs. start rehearsing for their next musical May will be a busy month for us with matches against Abridge and Hartsbourne, the prestigious London golf and extravaganza. country clubs, as well as our hosting of the Massin Trophy at The show dates will be Saturday 12th and The Dyke. We won this competition last year, which is played between the Captains and Vice-Captains of the various Sunday 13th January 2019. Rehearsals southern Jewish golf clubs and societies. take place at Ralli Hall on Sunday Our next meeting will be at Cuddington Golf Club in evenings. Surrey on 15 May and we expect a large attendance. This If you can sing, dance or would like to picturesque course is located on the North Downs with panoramic views of the London skyline. As usual, there will help backstage, please come to our first be trophies for the high and low handicap winners presented get-together on Sunday, June 3rd 2018 at at the formal dinner after the golf. 6.30 pm or if you can’t make it but would We are looking for new members to join us, both male and still like to be involved, e-mail me, Wendy female, accomplished golfers or beginners, young or not Lovegrove, at [email protected] so young. For more information please contact our Hon Secretary Ashley Woolfe at: [email protected] ISSUE 285 | MAY 2018 4 Sussex and the City 5 BNJC - The Brand Yael Breuer in conversation with Marc Sugarman, a trustee of young idealists into the pivotal moments that gave birth to the the Bloom Foundation, provides us with an insight into plans state of Israel. for the redevelopment of the New Church Road site and the purpose of the brand ‘BNJC’, which stands for Brighton Jewish Maktub is a funny and warm-hearted comedy about two Community. ‘goodfellas’ who are jolted out of bad-guy work and into that of guardian angels. (Variety critic, Dennis Harvey) BNJC has embarked upon an exciting project aimed at reviving the Jewish community in our beautiful city. Our community Then, on 14 has seen a sharp fall in numbers, particularly among children, June at the and this threatens Jewish continuity in the city.