London: 20:21 Birmingham: 20:00 Sheffield: 20:33 Jerusalem: 18:44 London: 21:33 Birmingham: 21:44 Sheffield: 21:56 Jerusalem: 20:05 It's a tough time for our young people at the moment. Schools and nurseries are still closed, GCSEs and A-levels have been cancelled, and the lockdown has been testing even the most patient of parents.
Jewishly, too, there is cause for concern. Without shul children's services, Cheder and youth programming, there's a risk their connection to Judaism could be impacted.
But there is reason to be hopeful. Our communities are stepping up to the plate with a range of local digital events to keep children and teenagers connected. There's musical bingo, baking and a virtual barbecue for Lag B'omer. And our colleagues in Tribe have been working flat out to arrange online activities to engage, educate and inspire young people of all ages. For further information on all these brilliant events check out Tribe’s Facebook and Instagram accounts and be in touch with your local communities.
On Sunday at 11am, Tribe Time is back for another power hour of Jewish education and skills for children in Primary Schools. And on Tuesday at 5pm, join Rav E for Tales and Trivia with a fascinating story followed by a quiz on Kahoot.
And in a few weeks' time it will be Shavuot: look out later this month for some fun new resources for the whole family to use at home.
Shabbat shalom,
Richard Verber Communications Director This Tuesday, 7.30pm: huge Lag B'omer concert! It's Lag B'omer on Tuesday and to celebrate we're putting on a concert, complete with four-piece band. We'll be coming live from South Hampstead where Rabbi Eli and Lauren Levin invite you to join their family bonfire. Music superstar Avraham Fried will be performing live from New York alongside acclaimed vocalist Levi Levin. Tomorrow (Friday), 10.30am: VE Day Commemoration Join Rabbi Dr Moshe Freedman of the New West End Synagogue for a short commemoration and service to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day. The service will feature music from the New West End's Mosaic Voices choir and will finish in time for the national two minutes' silence at 11.00am.
CORONAVIRUS COMPOSITION Please send us your lockdown photos! We're producing a music video with the New West End's Mosaic Voices and we need your photos to set to music! Composer Benjamin Till has penned a new composition and would like to share it with the world accompanied by photographs of messages from you! Please send them in by this Sunday. Thank you! KOSHER NEWS Update to the Really Jewish Food Guide The first update to The Really Jewish Food Guide 2020 is now available to download. See what new products have come on the market since the guide went to print. In less positive news, Cofresh Chilli & Lemon Corn Nuts have been mis-labelled with a KLBD logo. They are neither certified nor approved KLBD RESTAURANTS AND CATERERS Grab yourself a kosher take away Our colleagues in KLBD (our Kashrut Division) have put together a list of the KLBD Restaurants and Caterers that are currently offering take aways. Many do deliveries too so why not grab yourself something hot and delicious sent straight to your door to save you going out to the shops at this challenging time?
This week, Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet shares a verse from Kohelet, Ecclesiastes.
“And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to G-d, who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
One of the fundamental beliefs of Judaism is that life does not begin with birth nor end with death. This is articulated in the verse in Kohelet: "And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God, who gave it."
In the first instance when the soul is above, it reflects on the world and the challenges contained herein and is thus reluctant to leave its spiritual cocoon. Hence it is born against its will. Once here however, the soul comes to discover that it can achieve so much in this realm which will ultimately propel it to a level even higher than where it was prior to its initial descent. It therefore wants to continue engaging in this world and ultimately dies against its will.
We may all receive some reward in this world, but the ultimate reward however is in the hereafter, when the spirit returns to G-d who gave it.
Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet is the Senior Rabbi of Mill Hill United Synagogue
MUSWELL HILL UNITED SYNAGOGUE Visit the zoo! Join Rabbi Natan Slifkin, also known as "The Zoo Rabbi", for a live tour of Israel's Biblical Museum of Natural History. Tour the animal world of the Bible and ask any questions you want. It's the next best thing to actually visiting! All welcome, tickets £5. COCKFOSTERS AND N SOUTHGATE SYNAGOGUE A Street Map of Jewish History Cockfosters and N Southgate's online learning programme invites you to join them for a four-part series exploring the personalities behind Israel's street names. The third lecture will be broadcast over Zoom on Tuesday at 11am. All welcome. This email was sent with love from the United Synagogue. If you no longer wish to receive this email, please unsubscribe here |