14th November 2020 / 27th Cheshvan 5781 Dear Member,
Please see below our weekly e-newsletter.
The Shul is now closed for all services and all other events until further notice.
The Shul office will remain open for phone calls only, kindly do not visit the Shul office for any reason, if you are due to make payments, payment can be made via debit/credit cards by ringing Michelle on 0208 629 2783 or by cheque through the post.
If you know of anyone that needs our help please contact the Shul office.
Details of our Zoom Services are below
This week’s Cranbrook News has been kindly sponsored anonymously. Shabbat Shalom,
Cranbrook US
News and Views
We were greeted last week at the end of Shabbat with the incredibly sad news that the former Chief Rabbi, Lord Rabbi Doctor Jonathan Sacks had passed away. The Chief Rabbi was an inspirational figure - a highly intelligent man, with a love for all Jews and for Israel. He wrote many books, and ranks amongst the best of Jewish ambassadors to the world that our nation has ever seen. He was admired and highly regarded by kings and presidents, and was a “Melitz Yosher” - a true and straight representative of the Jewish people at all times.
On a personal level, I am saddened by his loss. I had the privilege to be taught by him quite a few times during my ordination as a Rabbi. What struck me about him was that he had this power to keep a room spellbound by his mesmerising voice. He was a gentleman’s gentleman - he was always thoughtful, always treated every single question very carefully. Another thing that really impressed me was his honesty and humility. He was very open about his strengths and weaknesses, and wasn’t afraid to say where he could improve as a human being.
He also brought a very refreshing view of Torah to the Orthodox table of Jewry. He believed that Torah needed to work hand in glove together with science and the latest scientific knowledge. Rabbi Sacks brought together philosophy, history, psychology and neurological advances and seamlessly wrapped them together with Torah, showing that both can work together in harmony, informing each other and enriching one another. This perspective was incredibly powerful, as it brought the secular towards a deeper appreciation of our faith, and those who were closer to not only reconciling but to seeing the wealth of the Torah in the world of science and academics.
In this week’s parasha, we are told that Sarah passed away. She lived 127 years, and the verse ends with the extra phrase “these are the years of Sarah”. The Malbim explains that a true life is one of activity and work, of creativity and output, and each of her 127 years were creative and fulfilling. Each of her years was equal - she lived a full life in every sense of the word. The Chief Rabbi of blessed memory was a man who lived his life to the fullest. He was a scholar, a university lecturer, a leader of Jewry on a worldwide stage. Even when he retired from public life, he still continued as a Lord in the House of Lords, writing book after book, speaking and spreading Torah at every opportunity. We have lost one of our greatest role models, and the loss of his light has darkened our world.
He leaves an incredible legacy, and I believe we need to honour his neshama - his soul and his memory by studying a piece of his writing every single week. I will therefore be giving a talk on Thursday evenings at 8pm which will be available afterwards which goes through some of his ideas and teachings, and I urge you to join me then. In this way we can show our respect and thanks to a giant of a man, who was such a great example of Judaism to us and the entire world.
Wishing you a Good Shabbos
Times - Chayei Sarah
Candle Lighting before 3.59pm
Currently there are no services in Shul.
Shabbat ends at 5.03pm Candle lighting and Shabbat Begins next week (Toldot) at 3.50pm.
Rosh Chodesh Kislev is on Tuesday, 17th November (Yom Shlishi) and we bless the new month today. The Molad (the time of the first sighting of the moon in Jerusalem) is on Sunday, November 15, at 16:07 and 1 chalakim. Shacharit will be at 7am on Zoom.
Sponsorship
If you would like to mark a birthday or Simcha, or want to commemorate a Yahrzeit, this can be done by sponsoring Cranbrook News. In the forthcoming weeks, there are many dates that are available. The cost of sponsoring Cranbrook News is £15.
Sponsorship is available for the on-line version of Cranbrook News on the following dates: November 21st & 28th, December 12th.
To book any of these dates please call the synagogue office on: 020-8629 2780 or e-mail admin@cranbrooksynagogue.org.uk
Volunteers
Throughout the Pandemic a dedicated team of Volunteers have kept in regular telephone contact with the majority of our Membership who are over 70 and have also assisted those who have needed help with shopping and/or collection of prescriptions.
Email: admin@cranbrooksynagogue.org.uk
Your details will be passed to the relevant person and you will be contacted in due course.
Zoom Service Details
Weekday Shacharit: on Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86385039085?pwd=aHU4bTJrT2I5b0syODU1T0szK3N6QT09
Meeting ID: 863 8503 9085 / Password: 695854
Ma'ariv: On Zoom Monday to Thursday evening at 7:30pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82329373357?pwd=bmdvaGpMa2wrYkdDVFFSTDllTnBMZz09
Meeting ID: 823 2937 3357 / Password: 582038 Arnold Abrahams, Bryan Besbrode
Morris Conway, Saul Freedman, Morris Huberman, Barbara Joseph, Amanda Schlazer on their respective birthdays.
Work Avenue virtual event
Work Avenue have asked us to let our members know about an event they are organising called Defining Your Second Career, which might well be of interest to some of our members.
This event is a free half day virtual conference, aimed at anyone whose job has been impacted due to Covid.
For further info, please visit www.theworkavenue.org.uk/dysc20.
They also have weekly employment and business workshops, which are totally free www.theworkavenue.org.uk/events.
Condolences to:
Cyril Stitcher on the loss of his wife, Hinga Stitcher.
Simon Phillips, Daryl Phillips, and Lauren Slezinger on the loss of their mother, Iris Phillips.
Deanna Klein on the loss of her sister, Iris Phillips.
We wish Long Life to everyone who is observing a Yahrzeit this week:
Melody Alicoon, Helen Bannister, Sharon Basco, Michael Belson, Warren Berliner, Michelle Bolle, Marion Borman, Shirley Burke, Sylvia Cohen, Shirley Collett, Annette Collins, Freda Cowan, Anthony Deutsch, Hilary Epstein, Corinne Fishman, Esther Frankel, Louis Freedman, Dean Gilles, Helen Gilles, Muriel Godfrey, Jillian Gold, Josephine Goldberg, Pamela Harris, Katherine Hoffman, Bryan Hurwitz, Victoria Joffe, Adele Judt, Marsha Kay, Sheila Keizner, Irene Klein, Edward Kogan, Sheila Leaderman, Sally Leigh, Norma Levinson, Rose Levy, Sheila Levy, Adele Lewis, Patricia Lewis, Melvyn Mack, Sandra Marks, Shirley Marks, Denise Martin, Sadie Martin, Jacqueline Maslin, Perry Melnick, Marlene Mendel, Janet Mitchell, Michael Morris, Brenda Moss, Beverley Myers, Rose Nathan, Maureen Nieberg, Adele Pearl, Barbara Poluck, Janice Rebak, Leila Rome, Joan Rose, Ruth Rosen, Rosalind Rozansky, Elaine Schaverien, Evelyn Schneider, Sharon Segal, Barbara Seider-Benson, Helena Shaw, Keith Shenker, Martine Sholem, Stanley Simmons, Kevin Simmons, Ruth Starr, Rita Stedman, Audree Wershof, Sandra Young, Michelle Zubary and Susan Zussman.
Bereishit - 27-30 December 2020
- Keynotes by Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, Lord Mann, Eli Beer, Mossad's Danny Limor, refusenik Yosef Mendelewitz, Rav Dov Ber Cohen.
- Interviews with Lawyer of the Year James Libson, Jo Grose & Rabbi Nicky Liss on Shuls in 2021, Daniel & Ilana Epstein review 2020, Aviva Landau interviews cancer survivor & Israeli celebrity nurse Libbie Goldstein
- Tracks from Text Track to Relationships to Jewish Horizons to Jewish Practice. Sessions including tour of Chevron, the first Jewish spy, Nach with Pnina Savery, Kashrut refreshed. Young families evening course on Tools for Happiness with Rav Dov Ber Cohen
It is all online, managed by online events company Vievma
Pesach 5781 - Shalom Magazine
Many thanks to everyone who submitted articles for the Rosh Hashanah Edition of the Shalom Magazine. We have had some excellent feedback from our readers. The next edition of the Shalom Magazine will be the Pesach 5781 Edition.
If you have any interesting or amusing articles with a Jewish content that you would like us to include, please email them as soon as possible to Philippa Stanton at stanton.philippa@gmail.com.
All articles, pictures and stories must be received by 1st February 2021 - however, I have already started collecting new articles, so please email me as soon as you can!
The 200 Club The 200 Club aims to raise funds for building and maintaining the Shul, but has extended its function to help with various events that need organising.
To join please fill out the application form by clicking here.
Click here for the September and October winners.
Shul Office Opening Hours As the Shul office is not open currently please call Estelle on 020 8629 2780 or Michelle on 020 8629 2783.
Rabbi Dansky is available out of hours. You can contact him directly on his mobile 07780 236697 or by calling the Shul office and selecting option 3.
Reverend Newman is available out of hours. You can contact him directly on his mobile 07882 054321 or by calling the Shul office and selecting option 4.
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