28th November 2020 / 12th Kislev 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. Details on re-opening will follow over the next few days.
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
Sponsored by Lynda Benisty in loving and treasured memory of her darling son Jay Michael Benisty z”l on his second yahrzeit 10 Kislev and her dear mum Jean Finn z”l on her third yahrzeit 12 Kislev. Shabbat Shalom,
Cranbrook US
News and Views I hope that everyone had a good week.
In this week’s parasha Jacob leaves everything that he has known - his home, his comforts and runs from his brother Esau, who is bent on killing him for taking his blessings away. Jacob is not only leaving his home, he is leaving a way of life. He is described in the Torah as: a perfect man, a man who sits in tents. The commentators explain that this means that he spent his time in study, in contemplation of God. However those days are gone. He can’t spend his time in calm and contemplation any more - he needs to constantly look behind his back, always on guard from a vengeful brother. Gone are the days that he can rely on his father Isaac for his food and lodging. He is penniless. All his privileges are gone, all that he has are the clothes on his back. This should be enough to cause Jacob to have high levels of stress and anxiety.
Even this doesn’t worry Jacob. What does worry Jacob is that his decision to take the blessings of his brother Esau was an immoral one. He is not afraid that he is penniless, not that he has nothing to eat, but that the ramifications of his actions, pretending to be someone he is not have alienated him from G-d. G-d comforts him and appears him in a dream, and says that Jacob doesn’t need to worry - He will be with Jacob, and guard him wherever he goes.
There are many things in the world that we have to be concerned about in this life. We are constantly worried about how to pay the bills, how our children are going to grow up, what will happen in the political spectrum, thinking about the world and the unfortunate situation in which the world finds itself.
Jacob is telling us that there is only one thing to really worry about - what is my ultimate relationship with G-d? How do I conduct myself? How do I react to others? There are certain things that we cannot control, but there is one thing that we can control, and that is ourselves.
Think about the things that we can control - where we can have influence, and make sure that we influence them in the right way, and that will create a chain-reaction to our friends, family and ultimately the entire world.
This is ultimately what it means to be a light to the nations. As an individual we have the capacity to be a role model to others in whatever sphere we are, in whatever social context we are, we have the capacity to inspire, to develop and to grow. When we act in this way, we become a ‘nation of priests and a holy nation’ - the ultimate purpose of every single Jewish person.
Good Shabbos from myself, Siobhan, Maya and Talia.
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! Times - Vayeitzei
Kabbalat Shabbat on Zoom at 3.05pm
Candle Lighting before 3.43pm
Currently there are no services in Shul.
Shabbat ends at 4.50pm Candle lighting and Shabbat Begins next week (Vayishlach) at 3.38pm.
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
Audrey Allen, Sandra Cohen,
Aaron Graham-McNeille,Harry Karker, Joy Peterson, Evelyn Rose, David Salamon, Anita Sears and Adele Trainis on their respective birthdays. Liz Benjamin on becoming a great grandmother. Sharon and Roger Segal on the birth of their grandson, Noah
Condolences to:
Craig Coverman, Susan Jay and Maureen Mariner on the loss of their mother, Bessie Coverman.
Michael Konyn on the loss of his sister, Bessie Coverman.
We wish Long Life to everyone who is observing a Yahrzeit this week:
Lynda Benisty, Barry Berg, Cynthia Berman, Millicent Boxer, Mitchell Brent, Estelle Carson, Sarah Cohen, Jacqualyn Conner, Natalie Conroy, June Davis, Simon Devan, Henry Esterson, Sonny Finberg, Stephen Freeder, Louis Freedman, Sidney Frenkel, Adrienne Frenkel, Harvey Golding, John Gordon, Pamela Grant, Heather Hawkes, Maurice Herman, Renee Jackson, Sylvia Jay, Howard Johnstone, Maureen Keizner, Helen Lazarus, Rita Lebetkin, Hetty Liborwich, Frances Litkin, Jean Lowi, Debra Mandel, Sara Mandel, Linda Martin, Stephen Mendel, Stephen Messias, Phyllis Morgan, Dennis Moss, Maurice Nieberg, Jason Palmer, Leslie Palmer, Stephanie Plawner, Adele Rose, Simon Rose, Ruth Salahi, Michael Seigar, Angela Simmons, Rita Stedman, Simon Stern, Cyril Stoller, Maureen Summers, Blanche Van Gelder, Ronald Weinberg, Sally Winstock and Martin Worth.
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! 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. 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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