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20th February 2021 / 8th Adar 5781
Terumah / Parshat Zachor

Dear Member,

 

Please see below for 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. Please do not visit the Shul office for any reason. If you are due to make a payment, this can be done by debit/credit card by ringing Michelle on 020 8629 2783 or by cheque through the post.

 

If you know of anyone that needs our help please contact the Shul office.

This week's Cranbrook News is kindly sponsored by Frances Litkin in memory of her late husband, Leonard Litkin, and Warren Litkin and Hazel Selby in memory of their dear father, Leonard Litkin

Details of our Weekday Zoom services are detailed below.

 

Shabbat Shalom

 

Cranbrook US

News and Views
 

There are various Mitzvot which define the day of Purim. The first is reading the Megillah, the second is the meal to celebrate and commemorate the defeat of Haman, Mishloach Manot, the giving of gifts, and last, but certainly not least Matanot L’evyonim - presents to the poor.

 

We commemorate the event by reading the Megillah. The day is a day of celebration, of joy, and is reflected in the feast which should be eaten in the day, not the evening. It is also a day in which we increase the levels of connectedness, of bonds to our fellow man by giving each other Mishloach Manot – a present of two prepared foods to one another. Incidentally, there is an obligation to give one not many Mishloach Manot to one person, and the aim of these gifts is to ensure that there is enough food to ensure that everyone will have a Purim Seuda - a Purim feast.  This should be stringently kept this year during these troubling times of the COVID virus.

 

Our commentators tell us that the rabbinic commandment of giving gifts to the poor is more important than gifts to our friends. No less an authoritative commentator than the RAMBAM points out that it is better to give less Mishloach Manot and more Matanot L'evyonim.  

 

One should rather spend more money on gifts to the poor than on his Purim banquet and presents to his friends. No joy is greater and more glorious than the joy of gladdening the hearts of the poor, the orphans, the widows, and the strangers. He who gladdens the heart of these unhappy people imitates G-d, as it is written: "I am G-d who has the ability to revive the spirit of the humble, and to put heart into the crushed" (Isaiah).

 

The Abarbanel explains that this verse brought by Maimonides in Isaiah in the following way: the people in the time of Isaiah needed encouragement. They asked the following question: Where is G-d when we have been chased away from our land?  Where is G-d when people like Haman have the ability, with a simple conversation to contemplate and plan genocide to a nation whose only crime was its very existence? Where is G-d when we are supposed to be returning to our land, but we are still in exile now? These were exactly the questions that the Jewish people asked when they were in exile. Does G-d act this way towards his chosen people? The hearts of the Jews at the time of the Megillah were the hearts of the downtrodden, they were the spirits of the humble - people who had been downtrodden by the reign of an absolute tyrant Achashveirosh, and his henchman Haman. The Purim story reveals G-d’s hand in the world again.  He is there, and he cares about a nation which no-one in the whole world cared about, who would turn away and look to their own affairs as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.  Haman is killed, and the Jews again are in the ascendancy.

 

This is the lesson of the story of Purim - G-d is always with the downtrodden. He is always with the poor. We remind ourselves of that by giving money to the poor - acting in the same way as G-d acts towards us with the Purim story, and later on with the State of Israel in 1948, by unequivocally stating to the world that He still takes care of the other - his people, and they are His people which only He can take care of. This is the essence of Purim, and therefore this is a most important Mitzvah. It is therefore no surprise that Matanot L’evyonim is greater than the other Mitzvot of the day and has pride of place.

 

I therefore urge us all to take part in this important and vital Mitzvah - to take care of those people who have been forgotten - to remind them that they too have someone who will care for them, that they are not forgotten, like G-d does not and will never forget us.

 

I wish you all a very good Shabbos and a Happy Purim.

 

Rabbi Steven, Siobhan, Maya and Talia Dansky.

To listen to the Megilla readings open the Zoom application on your PC, iPad, tablet or mobile phone and enter the ID and Password.

Exercise for members offered by Jewish Care
 

We have the opportunity to participate in the programme offered by Jewish Care, particularly with regard to exercise.

The following is available:-

Monday - Chair Yoga with Dance is held from 12.00pm – 1.00pm
 

If members are interested in this they should contact Jewish Care on 020 8418 2114.

They will then be able to register to receive details of all events being offered and also given guidance to on how to set up a Zoom meeting.

Ladies Lunch & Learn

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!

There are occasions that we need men to help make a minyan at a levoya, this is a great mitzvah. We appreciate that during this difficult time men do not want to go out, perhaps some of our younger members would like to help out.

If you are interested please give Harold a call on 07434 580885.

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: March 13th, 20th & 27th;
April 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th.

 

To book any of these dates please call the synagogue office on: 020-8629 2780 or e-mail admin@cranbrooksynagogue.org.uk

Pesach 5781 - Shalom Magazine

Many thanks to everyone who has submitted articles for the Shalom Magazine. We have now closed entries for the Pesach 5781 edition.

However, if you have any contributions you would like to make, please email them to stanton.philippa@gmail.com and I will keep them on file for inclusion in the Rosh Hashanah 5782 [New Year 2021] Edition.

Philippa Stanton - Editor

Condolences to:
 

Harry Friede on the loss of his brother, Michael Friede.

 

Nadia Smith on the loss of her father, Jack Stepansky.

Freda Payne on the loss of her brother, Jack Stepansky.

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

Audrey Allen, Jack Alter, Judith Bara, Sandra Baum, Frances Baum,
Trudy Benson, Henry Bernstein, Barry Blitz, Samuel Blitz,
Melvyn Blitz, Martin Bloomberg, Adrienne Braham, Renee Bravo,
Eleanor Burack, David Carron, Nicola Cohen, Phillip Cohen,
Harry Cohen, Joseph Coram, Howard Crammer, Susan Crammer,
David Decker, Kay Demby, Kitty Dessau, Joan Dobin, Martin Field,
David Fineberg, David Franklyn, Hannah Garfinkle, Shirley Gold,
Susan Goldman, Zane Grant, Deana Green, David Greenberg,
Elizabeth Greyman, Edward Harris, Norma Hart, Helena Helman,
Shirley Herst, Michael Jason, Victor Kantor, Marsha Kay,
Ian Keller, Raymond Kennard, Sylvia Kopkin, Gloria Krist,
Julia Lawson, Brian Lee, Sharon Lee, Sadie Levy,
Karen Lichkin, Leslie Linder, Frances Litkin, Warren Litkin,
Sylvia Lixenberg, Solomon Macatonia, Denise Mallach,
Joy Mallach, Wendy Mallach, Barry Mandel, Harold Marco,
Mendel Markinson, Pauline Meardon, Claire Michaels,
Sandra Nerden, Sheila Penfield, Rita Phillips, Jeanette Pinkus,
David Reed, Philip Rome, Evelyn Rose, David Rosenberg,
Barry Roth, Susan Sanders, Sandra Scott, Ilana Scott,
Jacqueline Seldis, Joyce Senker, Rita Shaw, Keith Shenker,
Kevin Shine, Lisa Shine, Hyman Shinett, Alan Shone,
Helen Silver, Muriel Silver, Alan Silverman, Irene Silverman,
Alan Singer, Elaine Smith, Miriam Stein, Phyllis Stillerman,
Robbie Spill, Emma Tomas, Betty Turner, Kenneth Turner,
Warren Vickers, Millicent Vincent, Helen Walters,
Howard Walters and Anne Wickers.

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