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21st November 2020 / 5th Kislev 5781
Toldot

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

 

Remembering with love and affection our dear Uncle Jack Fogul on his yahrzeit of 11 Kislev. Philippa Land and Jacqueline Leader and family

 

Shabbat Shalom,

 

Cranbrook US

News and Views
 

The Torah tells us how Esau grows up to be a man of the field, a hunter.  Both of these descriptions - a hunter and a man of the field have connotations.  The first hunter mentioned in the Torah is Nimrod.  The sages are not very complimentary towards him.  He was the first to rebel against the Almighty, and was instrumental in the building of the tower of Babel whose purpose was to revolt against Hashem. The second description of Esau is a “man of the field”. This description is also familiar to us. Isaac, when waiting for his intended bride to arrive, goes to “commune in the field”.  The understanding of this communion is that Isaac here prays to the Almighty in the field, a place according to the kabbalists which is far away from mundane concerns.  

 

This provides for us a very complex view of Esau. On the one hand he connects to his father and his positive spiritual aspirations, and on the other with Nimrod who could not be further from Isaac and the legacy which he wishes to leave for future generations. 

 

The Torah portion later on reveals both of these elements in Esau. He is prepared to sell his spiritual birthright to his brother Jacob for a cup of soup on the one hand, yet on the other he is incredibly careful to respect his father. The sages in the Midrash comment they aspired towards achieving the level of respect that Esau provided for his father. He marries women who clearly are not interested in monotheism, and yet when his father tells him that the blessing which was supposed to be his was given to his brother he lifts up his voice and cries!

 

Isaac’s initial intention was to give Esau the blessings.  Despite Esau’s shortcomings, he thought that if only Esau could bring his light to the fore, he will be the perfect example of a person who is able to overcome his demons and do the right thing. The flaw in his argument was that Esau gets involved with his two wives who serve idols, who influenced him to the point that  he is unlikely to ever fulfil his full potential. As we know, the story pans out with a different plan, Jacob stealing the blessings from his brother.

 

Esau on some levels teaches us about ourselves. Each of us has light and darkness, and our challenge is to find a way to keep in the light.

 

Wishing you a Good Shabbos

Rabbi Steven, Siobhan, Maya and Talia Dansky.

Lunch and learn is an interactive, informal and inspiring discussion programme for women. Each time we learn a different topic based on Jewish concepts and find relevant, modern ideas that we can bring into our lives based on the wisdom of ancient texts. No prior Hebrew or Jewish knowledge required. Under non-Covid conditions, we used to meet in the shul and have lunch together.

 

As it stands, feel free to bring your lunch to the table and eat while we learn! 

Lockdown Unmasked: Talking about domestic abuse on Jewish Women’s Aid Shabbat

We are proud to support Jewish Women’s Aid Shabbat which is taking place on 21st November, to raise the issue of domestic abuse and sexual violence in our community.

 

As part of the international 16 Days of Activism to counter violence against women, JWA has launched #AMaskWontProtectHer to draw attention to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on domestic abuse in the Jewish community. In light of the second coronavirus lockdown happening now, this campaign could not be more relevant.

 

The pandemic has had a significant impact on domestic abuse nationally, but also in the Jewish community.

https://www.jwa.org.uk/

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: December 12th; January 16th, 23rd & 30th; February 13th, 20th & 27th.

 

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.

Our thanks go to all those who have co-ordinated the Volunteers and more importantly to the Volunteers themselves.

All in all, a wonderful effort which has helped forge Cranbrook United into a caring and compassionate Community.

However, the winter months are now upon us and whilst, Baruch Hashem, it would seem that a vaccine is not too far away, Covid-19 is still with us and we cannot become complacent in our efforts.

We do need additional Volunteers, both for making telephone calls and occasionally to help with shopping. If you are able to help with either of these Mitzvahs please contact the Shul office, details below:-

Telephone: 020 8629 2780                             

Email: admin@cranbrooksynagogue.org.uk

 

Your details will be passed to the relevant person and you will be contacted in due course.

Condolences to:

 

Sylvia Cohen on the loss of her husband, Laurence Cohen.

 

Maxine Stean and Robert Cohen on the loss of their father,

Laurence Cohen.

 

Michael Cohen and Philip Cohen on the loss of their brother,

Laurence Cohen

We wish Long Life to everyone who is observing a Yahrzeit this week:  

Helen Aaronson, Arnold Abrahams, Stephen Aidelkoff, Lynda Benisty,
Jonathan Benton, Shirley Benton, Michael Bien, Harvey Bourne,
Adrienne Braham, Betty Bush, Hilary Clapper, Sylvia Cohen,
Freda De Leeuw, Sophie Diamond, Colin Emden, Barbara Gallant,
Patricia Gedalla, Norman Goldstein, Alma Goodman, Brian Gordon,
Miriam Granby, Arnold Jackson, Rosalind Jessener, Susan Kalinsky,
Lillian Kirsch, Sandra Kisby, Philippa Land, Harry Lefcovitch,
Barbara Lennard, Mark Lennard, Edward Leon, Emanuel Levene,
Jean Lowi, Mervyn Lyndon, Edmond Mandell, Monica Mann,
Evelyn Masters, Esther Michaels, Diana Molava, Michael Monty,
Sidney Moss, David Rein, Frances Robin, John Rose, Irene Rosenberg, Sidney Schlesinger, Anne Schlesinger, Alan Shone, Alan Silverman,
Brenda Stanton, Rita Stedman, Barbara Swillman, Marcia Tomas,
Valerie West, Stanley Weston and Jeffrey Wiseman.

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 

Booking is via www.bereishit.org, the dates are the mornings of the 27-30th December.

Get your Company's name in print!

 

Not only do we need articles for the shul magazine, but we also need advertisements too. Adverts can be full size in colour, half page or quarter page.

 

Get your company's name seen by all our members, nearly 2000 of them. Contact the shul office for details.

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