It’s nice if one can start a d’var Torah with a joke, but that doesn’t feel easy this year. Perhaps a bitter one is all that can be allowed. It’s 1938, just as the German takeover of Austria is looming, and a Jew in Vienna enters a travel agent’s office asking to buy a steamship ticket. ‘Where to?’ the agent asks. ‘Let me look at your globe please.’ The Jew starts examining the globe. Every time he suggests a country, the agent raises an objection. ‘This one requires a visa… this one is not accepting any more Jews… the waiting list for this one is ten years.’ Finally, the Jew looks up. ‘Excuse me,’ he says, ‘do you have another… read more
New building, new events, new chair
Dear all,
Yesterday, I went to shul. This of itself shouldn’t be newsworthy, I’ve never been the most regular attendee, but like many, once the building shut down due to Covid, I just got even more out of the habit. It became easy to lie in on a Saturday morning and not rush out to shul. But yesterday, on a beautiful sunny morning it felt like the right time to go and I am certainly glad I did. There was a family service in the main shul which sounded fun and lively, the service for the rest of the community was in the Beit Hamidrash. It was wonderful to see the new Beit in action, to sit together as a… read more
New Year, New things
Dear all,
Firsts over the chagim
As Autumn starts to firmly settle in and we say goodbye to Summer, it feels like a time to look back over the Chagim and the experience we had this year as we work out how to re-welcome members back once again. This year, we have experienced a few firsts. On Succot, I was delighted when Rabbi David invited the women to join the procession around the Bimah (the hakkafot) with the Lulav and Etrog. Over the years, I have seen progression in how women have been involved at Succot and Simchat Torah. I remember clearly as a new member around 20 years ago, the women dancing upstairs in the room behind the ladies… read more
A new year message from the chair
Dear Members,
I wanted to write to wish you all a very happy New Year and Shana Tova.
It was lovely to see so many people over Rosh Hashanah. I was in Shul on the first morning and it certainly felt a lot more normal than last Rosh Hashanah. To be able to sit with family, in a Shul that was fuller than it has been for the past 18 months, even if we did have to wear masks, to be able to sing again and to enjoy the traditional songs of Rosh Hashanah all felt wonderful. I know masks are not universally popular, but I am grateful for your understanding. All of the Honorary Officer team and the Shul… read more
What Happens when Shabbat is the Day before Pesach?
This year, Pesach is different from most years – as the day before Pesach is a Shabbat! The last time this happened was 2008, so this is the first time it has happened while I have been your Rabbi! The next time it will occur is 2025, and then after that 2045! This occurrence throws up some important questions which I will answer below. Q: What happens to searching for the Chametz? A: This year it will be done on Thursday evening, 2 nights before PesachExplanation: Part of the fulfillment of Pesach is to rid our houses of Chametz. After cleaning chametz away we then, usually on the night before Pesach, search for the Chametz. This year however, … read more
Pesach 5781
Some short thoughts from Rabbi David on preparing for Pesach… read more
Edie Friedman – Notes on the killing of George Floyd
During the surreal and scary times we are now living through, I have been thinking about the simple act of breathing and how it has taken on a disturbing dual significance.
On the one hand we have seen the tireless efforts of NHS staff, many of whom come from immigrant and minority communities, to restore breathing to Covid-19 patients,
… while on the other hand we witness the horrific events in the US where white police officers, not for the first time, have killed a black man by denying him the ability to breathe
We know that Covid-19 has disproportionately affected minority communities in both the UK and the US. In fact, members of black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
Some thoughts from Rabbi David on Pesach… read more
Our EcoSynagogue Talks
On Shabbat 8th February after Ben Blume’s Auf Ruf there was a very special Eco-on-the-Hill. This was an appropriate time to reflect on how we are stewarding our environment from a Jewish perspective as Monday 9th February was Tu b’Shevat, the New Year for trees. It was also the second anniversary of EcoSynagogue, which we joined last year to guide us to improve our environmental practices. Rabbi David introduced the occasion by putting it into a Jewish context – that looking after our planet is a fundamental Jewish responsibility. I gave an update on what we have been doing at MHS. Then Micah Swimer spoke movingly about his concerns and wide-ranging independent, school and family actions as a younger member… read more
A wonderful afternoon with our oldest member and a reassurance about waste.
Dear members,
We’ve just spent the most wonderful afternoon enjoying tea, home made cake and scones with some of our senior members including our very oldest member 101 year old David Carroll.
It was a lovely afternoon made possible by our wonderful Community Events Liaison Beth Franks and our incredibly caring welfare coordinator Beverly as well as a team of volunteer bakers, drivers and those who came to chat to and serve the guests – a great team in all.
David was delighted to visit the seat he aways sat in, in front of our current warden Neil Cohen who went to visit it with him.
And everyone enjoyed the entertainment.
I also wanted to take the opportunity to reassure… read more
