London: 20:11 Birmingham: 20:00 Sheffield: 20:17 Jerusalem: 18:43 London: 21:16 Birmingham: 21:26 Sheffield: 21:33 Jerusalem: 20:01 As you will no doubt be aware, the UK government is running its new 'Eat Out To Help Out' scheme this month. The scheme was designed to help the restaurant industry, which has suffered greatly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Participating restaurants will be offering a 50% discount on meals, up to £10 per person, and will be valid every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until 31 August.
Many KLBD-supervised restaurants are participating in the scheme, and our friends over at KLBD have put together a full list of participating restaurants along with their contact details, which you can find here. I have to say, we've popped into a few restaurants and couldn't believe how cheap the meal was!
More seriously though, the scheme should support kosher restaurants. As Rabbi Elie Schoemann, KLBD’s director of licensing, told me: "Financially, the food and entertainment sector has suffered severely since the start of the pandemic. The restaurants that stayed open relied entirely on takeaway and have slowly been seeing a return of customers to the tables over the past few weeks.
"So far the restaurants have experienced an overwhelming response to the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme. Hopefully this boost will kick-start the industry back into action and we pray that the situation will only improve further."
As we start to make our slow return back to ‘normal life’, eating out at restaurants is something many of us have been missing over recent months, so, if you're comfortable doing so, why not make the most of this scheme by getting some great kosher food at discounted prices, whilst also supporting the restaurant industry! Shabbat shalom,
Richard Verber Communications Director, United Synagogue Save the date! Join us for the US Chesed conference Our Chesed Conference should have taken place earlier this year but due to Covid we have built a brand-new programme that we will be delivering online for the first time! You’ll have the opportunity to hear from a range of speakers on a variety of topics designed to help you learn new skills and increase awareness including mental health, domestic abuse, unemployment and bereavement. The US Virtual Chesed Conference 2020 will take place on Wednesday 9 September at 7:30pm. For more information and to register please click the link! CRP Q&A As a temporary CRP system has been introduced for the 2021/22 academic intake, the United Synagogue together with Stanmore & Canons Park Synagogue will be hosting an information session for parents and pupils to hear about the ways to earn points this year as part of applications to Jewish schools, as well as how the challenges posed to the CRP system by Covid-19 were resolved by the Office of the Chief Rabbi and the United Synagogue. This will be available to watch on TheUS.tv from tonight at 7pm by clicking the link below. NEW KOSHER PRODUCTS AVAILABLE NEW! Lexi's Crispy Treats Fullgreen Riced Cauliflower, Riced Sweet Potato and Riced Cauliflower & Broccoli are now KLBD Certified Parev, no logo. On the less healthy side, Lexi's Crispy Treat Marshmallow Bliss and Triple Choc Delight are Certified KLBD Dairy, with logo. Enjoy! Details below. NEW WEEKLY SERIES FOR FAMILIES Watch this week's Parsha Cast! We are delighted to bring you Parsha Cast - a brand new video series for families from South Hampstead United Synagogue produced by Rebbetzen Lauren Levin and Rabbi Eli Levin of South Hampstead and Tribe. Each week you get the lowdown on the weekly parsha in a short fun video with some questions to discuss with your family. View the series on TheUS.tv. WORLD JEWISH RELIEF Beirut Appeal World Jewish Relief, on behalf of the UK Jewish community, have launched an emergency appeal to provide immediate assistance to people in Beirut following last week’s devastating explosion. They will be providing food, shelter and hygiene support to the most vulnerable focusing their support to women, children and the elderly. Many communal organisations are supporting this urgent appeal. BURIAL SOCIETY Cemetery visits Visiting a loved one at this time of year usually takes place a few Sundays before the Chagim. The Burial Society is asking that this year with the need for social distancing, you should try and come during weekdays, and it would be appreciated if you could stagger visits over 3-4 weeks before Rosh Hashanah. KLBD Eat Out To Help Out As part of the government's new 'Eat Out To Help Out' scheme, participating restaurants will be offering a 50% discount (up to £10) on meals, every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until 31 August. Click the link below to see the full list of KLBD-supervised restaurants participating. WE'D LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK! Do you have your finger on the pulse? Finger on the Pulse is a focus group where our members talk to the United Synagogue and we listen. The next focus group is on Monday 17 August, when we want to hear views on "How did the US do over lockdown?". The good, the bad and the indifferent. 12 places maximum - please RSVP via the button below. What lesson can we learn from the sacrificial right in the temple for our coronavirus times?
In Parshat Re’eh, we are given a mitzvah ‘וַאֲכַלְתֶּם־שָׁ֗ם לִפְנֵי֙ ה׳ אֱלֹֽקיכֶ֔ם- and you shall eat from the sacrifice before the Lord your God. וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם בְּכֹל֙ מִשְׁלַ֣ח יֶדְכֶ֔ם – and you shall rejoice in everything you have put your hands to’.
One wonders, why this rejoicing with particular regard to ‘משלח ידכם – what you’ve done with your hands’ [at that particular time?]
The Kli Chemda gives a beautiful peirush here. He brings down the Rambam from the Mishneh Torah in Hilchot Shvitat Yom Tov, where the Rambam tells us that when we sit down to our Yom Tov meals we should do so in the presence of family. Both close family and extended family – and also ‘וכל הנלווים עליו – people who are dependent on us’. We should open our homes to the needy, enabling them to participate in our festive meal. And then the Kli Chemda asks, what happens if, for some technical or practical reason, those who are needy can’t get to our home? Well, he says, we learn from the passuk that we quoted from our Parsha: ‘וּשְׂמַחְתֶּ֗ם בְּכֹל֙ מִשְׁלַ֣ח יֶדְכֶ֔ם – and you should rejoice in everything that your hands have sent – a different way of translating it. Meaning that in such a situation you should prepare food parcels and send them to those who are dependent upon you.
And isn’t that exactly what is happening right now during these very challenging coronavirus times?
It is so difficult for us all because we love having people at our tables and now, the potential for הכנסת אורחים – home hospitality, is limited. However, that is not stopping us from showing kindness to others. We are witnessing an extraordinary level of גמילות חסדים – true selflessness and altruism – through the many food parcels which are being delivered to those who are dependent upon us. Right now during coronavirus times, Baruch Hashem, we are excelling in exactly what the Torah wanted us to achieve. In a situation in which, the needy can’t reach the food on our table, בְּכֹל֙ מִשְׁלַ֣ח יֶדְכֶ֔ם – we should guarantee that food from our table will reach the needy.
Shabbat shalom
COCKFOSTERS AND N SOUTHGATE SYNAGOGUE CLC presents: Neville Goldschneider Neville Goldschneider joined Camp Simcha in January 2005, and is now the CEO. He will be talkingl about his passion for working with children and what led him to Camp Simcha. This is a free event but booking is essential. Next Tuesday (18 August), 11am. This email was sent with love from the United Synagogue. If you no longer wish to receive this email, please unsubscribe here |