Friday evening, 2 April London: 19:21 Birmingham: 19:25 Hull: 19:21 Sheffield: 19:25 Southport: 19:31 Jerusalem: 18:19 Motz'aei Shabbat, 3 April London: 20:25 Birmingham: 20:34 Hull: 20:36 Sheffield: 20:39 Southport: 20:46 Jerusalem: 19:37 Motz'aei Shabbat, 3 April London: 20:25 Birmingham: 20:34 Hull: 20:36 Sheffield: 20:39 Southport: 20:46 Sunday evening, 4 April London: 20:27 Birmingham: 20:35 Hull: 20:37 Sheffield: 20:41 Southport: 20:48 You can find details of this week's Torah reading, Maftir and Haftarah in our weekly Daf Hashavua by clicking here. We hope you're having a wonderful, if somewhat different, Pesach and have been able to enjoy some of the sunshine and some of the freedom now two families can meet up outside.
If you've also been enjoying some chicken or beef this Pesach, you could be forgiven for not knowing quite how much goes into ensuring your high quality kosher meat reaches your local butcher.
Where does it come from? What challenges are there facing shechita, the Jewish religious humane method of animal slaughter? What is the situation here, in the EU and around the world?
The right for Jews to practice our religion freely as we have in the UK for generations can never be taken for granted. Shimon Cohen, the Campaign Director of Shechita UK, joined Rabbi Alex Chapper, the Senior Rabbi of Borehamwood and Elstree United Synagogue for a fascinating conversation which you can watch now on TheUS.tv.
Yom HaShoah is next week
Next Wednesday evening marks the start of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. The United Synagogue has long been a close supporter of Yom HaShoah UK. Join the community on Wednesday 7 April at 7.30pm for an online, live National Holocaust Commemoration event. There's no need to reserve a space: simply click here to watch.
Get ready for the four 'Yoms'
Following Yom HaShoah later this month are Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israel's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism and Israel's Independence Day). In May is Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day, celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem).
From Exile Towards Redemption is a ground-breaking machzor (special prayer book) for the four upcoming 'Yoms'. Produced by the US & Koren Publishers, the machzor includes prayers, inspirational stories and essays with contributors past and present including the Chief Rabbi, Natan Sharansky, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt'l and Golda Meir describing the significance of these days from people who lived through these events. You can buy yours now for £15, including postage and packaging (UK orders only). Click here to buy yours!
Hope you've been having a wonderful, if somewhat different Pesach.
Shabbat shalom and chag sameach,
Richard Verber Communications Director United Synagogue Yizkor: Live Yizkor is recited on the last day of Yom Tov, even if you are not in shul. To bring us together in spirit and to help those who benefit from reciting Yizkor with others, the United Synagogue is holding an online Yizkor service before Yom Tov with Rabbi Barry Lerer, Rabbi of Central Synagogue, and Chazan Steven Leas, Chazan of Central Synagogue. Friday 2 April at 4pm, live on TheUS.tv and on the United Synagogue Facebook page. The CRP process The Certificate of Religious Practice gives applicants the chance to demonstrate Jewish practice when applying to schools. Collecting CRP points allows you to prove that you are eligible for a faith place. There are different ways to collect the points and some changes have been made this year in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. You can read the full details here and watch a short informational film by clicking the link below. The Chief Rabbi made this short programme about Pesach for BBC Radio which you can listen to here.
And in addition, this week Rabbi Michael Laitner asks: why does Pesach last for more than just the Seder nights?
The first ‘Pesach’ festival which the Jews observed in Egypt had two parts to it: 1. Chag (festival) HaPesach and 2. Chag HaMatzot (Shemot, Exodus chapter 12).
The Torah then gives us details of how Pesach is to be celebrated in future years as a combination of both Chag HaPesach and Chag HaMatzot. This is therefore what we celebrate for Pesach. This combination is also reflected in the use of ‘Chag HaMatzot’ as the designation for Pesach in the Amida prayers for Pesach and in Birkat Hamazon (Grace after meals).
Pesach celebrates the Exodus but why though should it last for 7 days (or 8 in the Diaspora) rather than just marking the day when we actually left Egypt?
The Midrash (Rabbinic teachings ‘between the lines’ of the Torah) suggests that the splitting of the Yam Suf (Sea of Reeds) happened on the 7th day after the Jews left Egypt, the 7th day of Pesach.
Chizkuni (Rabbi Chezkia ben Manoach, 13th century France), suggests that the 7 days of Chag HaMatzot correspond to the 7 days which each of the 10 plagues lasted.
Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1167, Spain) offers a different suggestion. He points out that the Jewish people ate Matzot during the days between the Exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the sea (Exodus 12:39). The people took their left over dough when Pharaoh expelled them from Egypt and they used this dough to cook Matzot, perhaps because it was the food they were used to eating as slaves. They ate Matzot until the splitting and other miracles at the sea demonstrated the finality of the Exodus and the definite end of their slavery. Ibn Ezra’s point is backed up by pesukim (verses) in Devarim, Deuteronomy (chapter 16) which further describe the obligation to eat Matzot.
Rambam (Maimonides, Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, 1138-1204, Spain and North Africa) offers another perspective. He writes that if the festival of Pesach, commemoration of the Exodus, eating of Matza (and the prohibition of Chametz) would only last for one day, then we may not fully appreciate their significance as this would not be a significant alteration to our schedule (Moreh Nevuchim, Guide to the Perplexed 3:43).
To gain the appropriate appreciation of the festival of Pesach and its messages each year, we therefore celebrate Pesach for a more significant period of time.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.
Rabbi Michael Laitner is the Assistant Rabbi of Finchley United Synagogue and Director of Education at the United Synagogue KENTON UNITED SYNAGOGUE Yom HaShoah Join Kenton for Mincha/Ma’ariv followed by a Yom Hashoah service with a talk from Lily Bruml. Lily will be telling her life story, from a small child to surviving the Theresienstadt camp and building a new life with her husband in the UK . Wednesday 7 April at 7.30pm, live on Zoom. COCKFOSTERS & N SOUTHGATE SYNAGOGUE CLC presents: Jonathan Robinson After 25 years on Golders Green Road, Carmelli branched out into catering and Jasmine Catering was born. In charge of the operation is Jonathan Robinson, the brains behind the ‘Seder in a Box’ initiative arranged in conjunction with the United Synagogue. Tuesday 6 April at 11am. FINCHLEY UNITED SYNAGOGUE Optimising your health Join Kinloss for the third talk in their 'Healthcare Talks' webinar series in partnership with The Wellington Hospital and the United Synagogue. This talk will be titled 'For the over 70s: optimising your health', featuring a panel of consultants. Tuesday 13 April at 8pm, live on Zoom. Welcome to 'Tell US', where we invite you to contribute a joke, a poem or a story. This week's contribution is by Stephen Miller.
Every Day
Every day is getting a bit longer as the winter has given way to spring Every day people are being vaccinated against COVID-19 to bring, This pandemic under control
Every day babies are born and so new life comes into being Every day nature demonstrates to us her beauty that is living In, and is so good for, our soul
Every day good things happen, across the world, to countless people Every day people, across the world, do good things for other people Kindness and charity abound
Every day we can communicate with our friends and family, worldwide Every day, we can look upon some aspect of our lives, with some pride We can feel up, not down
Every day we have opportunities to better ourselves, in some way, as people Every day we can grow a bit as people and realise a bit more of our potential Positives in life, abound
Every day we can either look backwards or forwards - the choice is ours to make Every day we can either moan about our lives or rejoice at what is on our plate Moaning just leads to a dead end
Every day, there’s a basis to cherish The fact that, we are Jewish For that, Baruch Hashem
Every day that we wake up in the morning is a positive Since it means that we have our lives to go on with On that note, I will end this poem
All that’s left to say Is have a good day
And to wish everyone A Shabbat Shalom This email was sent with love from the United Synagogue. If you no longer wish to receive this email, please unsubscribe here |