London: 18:24 Birmingham: 18:27 Hull: 18:19 Sheffield: 18:24 Southport: 18:30 Jerusalem: 17:44 London: 19:23 Birmingham: 19:30 Hull: 19:27 Sheffield: 19:31 Southport: 19:38 Jerusalem: 18:59 You can find details of this week's Torah reading, Maftir and Haftarah in our weekly Daf Hashavua by clicking here. Thursday 30 September, 2021 Hello, and we hope you had a wonderful and inspiring Yom Tov season. On Shabbat we will read the beginning of the Torah again, starting from the book of Bereishit. In it we are told that God created Adam alone to begin with. Why?
A mishna (Sanhedrin 4) explains that Adam was created alone due to the importance of maintaining peace among people, so that one person will not say to another: "My father is greater than your father."
That humankind shares the same ancestor suggests that we are all equal, whatever our background. This drives us as Jews to help people in need, whoever they are.
You may have seen a wonderful example of this on TV and in the papers last month after Bushey United Synagogue was overwhelmed with generous donations of warm clothing, educational materials and toiletries to support local Afghan refugees.
This week the Prime Minister awarded the community a Points of Light award to recognise their achievement. The United Synagogue is thrilled that the efforts of Rabbi and Rebbetzen Feldman, and the Bushey United Synagogue team have been recognised by the Prime Minister.
The outpouring of generosity from the Jewish community and beyond is heart-warming and we are so proud of the community for receiving this award. The community's wonderful response to support Afghan refugees is a tangible and practical way to make a difference to many people in need.
You can read more about the award here.
Willesden Jewish Cemetery shortlisted for top museum award
The United Synagogue's Willesden Jewish Cemetery has been shortlisted for a prestigious museum award.
The Association for Heritage Interpretation's 2021 Engaging People Awards celebrates the best heritage, nature, culture and science experiences in Britain and Ireland.
Willesden Jewish Cemetery’s House of Life heritage experience has been shortlisted for the ‘Untold Stories’ category, and is up against well-known names including the British Museum and the Museum of London. The winners will be announced in November.
You can read more about the award here and more information about Willesden Jewish Cemetery and the House of Life experience is available here.
We are very proud that Willesden Jewish Cemetery has been shortlisted for this award. Our beautiful and historic cemetery is the final resting place for so many of our community's loved ones and charts the history of London Jewry going back nearly 150 years. The award is testament to the hard work of the House of Life team and the enormous amount of time and effort they, and our many volunteers, have put in to maintaining and developing the cemetery.
Shabbat shalom,
Richard Verber Communications Director United Synagogue ISAIAH BERLIN ANNUAL LECTURE Baroness Hale of Richmond Join Hampstead for the 19th Isaiah Berlin Annual Lecture, which will be delivered by Baroness Hale of Richmond (President of the Supreme Court, 2017-2020). The lecture will be titled 'Is there anything wrong with rights?' and will take place on Sunday 24 October at 8pm on Zoom. The Chief Rabbi's D'var Torah for this week - Parashat Bereishit - will be available this evening on the Office of the Chief Rabbi's website. Click here to access it and see the Chief Rabbi's Divrei Torah archive. POTTERS BAR UNITED SYNAGOGUE Jonny Benjamin MBE Join Potters Bar as they hear from Jonny Benjamin MBE, an award-winning mental health campaigner, film producer, public speaker and vlogger. Sunday 10 October at 8pm, live on Zoom. Book your place by clicking here. COCKFOSTERS & N SOUTHGATE SYNAGOGUE CLC presents: Harold Schogger Since 1977 Harold has taught bridge to over 10,000 people, and many people in North West London and further afield now play and enjoy this wonderful game thanks to him. He will recount some memories of the world of bridge over his career as a player and teacher. Tuesday 5 October at 11:30am. This email was sent with love from the United Synagogue. If you no longer wish to receive this email, please unsubscribe here |