London: 17:53 Birmingham: 17:55 Hull: 17:46 Sheffield: 17:51 Southport: 17:56 Jerusalem: 17:27 London: 18:52 Birmingham: 18:58 Hull: 18:55 Sheffield: 18:59 Southport: 19:06 Jerusalem: 18:42 You can find details of this week's Torah reading, Maftir and Haftarah in our weekly Daf Hashavua by clicking here. Thursday 14 October, 2021 My background is in science. After completing my PhD in Chemistry, I went to work for the Met Office, our national weather forecasting agency. I spent three great years flying around on the Met Office Hercules’ research aircraft developing future weather satellites. I also discovered that I had no potential for television weather forecasting.
Since then I’ve moved from working in the science community to the Jewish community (ask me privately which one has more arguments). But I’ve kept a keen interest in the science world. This year alone we’ve sadly seen a number of extreme weather events which have had a severe impact on society. Flooding in Europe this summer killed 180 people. A heatwave across North America broke records and resulted in hundreds of people dying. Israel lost 1,700 hectares of woodlands in wildfires near Jerusalem in August. Closer to home, flash flooding in London in July saw hundreds of homes and businesses damaged.
Scientists have shown that increases in frequency and severity of such extreme weather events are expected impacts of climate change, and we are now sadly seeing those trends affecting our lives. The science is also clear that while historically the earth’s climate has had cooler and warmer spells, the warming in the past decades is primarily due to human activities, mostly from the burning of fossil fuels, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere. This is why the upcoming Climate Change Conference in Glasgow (COP26) carries such significance. If governments, industry, civil society and citizens pull together now, we can avoid some of the worst-case scenarios in the future.
And this is what has driven the United Synagogue to introduce a new role to help play our part. This week we welcome Naomi Verber as our Head of Environmental Policy. Naomi was a management consultant for 15 years specialising in business change. Some of you will know her from Golders Green Synagogue where she stepped down recently as Chair or from the environmental charity Sadeh with whom she partnered to design and run Europe’s first kosher eco hotel. Working closely with the Office of the Chief Rabbi, United Synagogue Rabbis, Rebbetzens and lay leaders, Naomi will write and implement a strategy to guide the United Synagogue towards the adoption of policies designed to improve our ecological impact both in our communities and as an organisation. I know many of you will want to get involved and she would welcome hearing from you: Naomi can be reached via nverber@theus.org.uk.
Of course it would be daft to suggest that one person or one organisation can solve the environmental problems we face. But we must all play our part and, as communities, our potential impact is multiplied. The Mishna in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) teaches us that we may not be held accountable to complete the task, but nor are we at liberty to neglect it. Climate change, together with other pressures on our planet’s vital life support systems, are arguably the issue of our generation. And just as individuals and organisations had to act in the face of a global pandemic, so too must we act to prevent further global warming and biodiversity loss. As the Chief Rabbi has said, this is a religious priority. The decisions we take in the coming years will affect our children and grandchildren in profound ways and with this ambitious role we are committed to take steps to inspire and engage our rabbinic and lay leaders to lead our communities on this crucial issue.
Jewish Green Voices: Our community and eco-activism
To explore these important issues in more detail, on Tuesday (19 October) at 8pm we’re hosting a number of environmental champions who will share their varied Jewish journeys to eco-activism. Our expert panel will feature Rabbi David Mason, EcoSynagogue Co-Founder and Rabbi of Muswell Hill Synagogue, Talia Chain, CEO and Founder of Sadeh Farm and Jonathan Waxman, Renewable Energy Developer. The panel will be moderated by Michelle Janes, Co-CEO of The Jewish Leadership Council. Please do join us live on The.US.tv. The event will be available to watch on demand afterwards too.
EcoSynagogue
This week the Chief Rabbi convened a special event for Rabbis from across the UK, to learn how to make tackling climate change a priority for their communities. The Chief Rabbi also addressed an event run by EcoSynagogue where he warned that climate change “threatens our world” and said that “all of us together must play our part in guaranteeing that we fulfil our religious obligation to do what we can.” We thank the Chief Rabbi for his leadership. One of the best ways our communities can play their part is through EcoSynagogue which encourages shuls to have an ‘environmental audit’ to see how our buildings and communities can be more environmentally friendly. Many United Synagogue communities have already participated. Click here to find out more.
Shabbat shalom,
Steven Wilson Chief Executive United Synagogue Win a delicious KLBD Goodie Box! Last week we launched a prize draw exclusively for You&US readers. You could win one of three huge, fabulous KLBD Goodie Boxes filled with over 30 delicious KLBD-certified products! To see how to enter, and for full terms and conditions, just hit the link below! The closing date for the prize draw is Friday, October 22, 2021 at 12pm and it's one entry per person. You must be a UK resident to enter and over the age of 18. The winners will be announced in You&US on Thursday, October 28. Good luck! The Inaugural Sacks Conversation As we approach the first anniversary of Rabbi Sacks’ passing, The Rabbi Sacks Legacy Trust held the Inaugural Sacks Conversation featuring The Rt Hon Tony Blair and Matthew d’Ancona who discussed the continuing impact of Rabbi Sacks’ teachings and ideas on public policy and society today. You can read a transcript of Rt Hon Tony Blair’s opening remarks by clicking here, and you can watch the full event by clicking the link below. VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES Daytime volunteers needed! Some of our amazing US Chesed projects had to be put on hold during the pandemic but we’re thrilled we’re now able to restart them! We are blessed with some fantastic volunteers, but now we need more of you! We need volunteer cooks, waiters, drivers, packers and sorters. To see full details of the opportunities, click the link below! COMMUNITIES IN CONVERSATION Learning in memory of Rabbi Sacks zt'l To mark the first yarhzeit of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks זצ׳׳ל The Rabbi Sacks Legacy Trust is inviting people to come together to learn and teach some of his Torah. Five units have been prepared and if you, your shul, school or organisation would like to take part, please click the link below. JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP! The US in your pocket Join our WhatsApp group right now to receive a weekly dose of Torah, regular short Jewish thoughts and inspiring insights straight to your phone! You can join by clicking this link from your device. Please note, as with all WhatsApp groups, your phone number may be visible to other group members. YOUNG US Friday Night Dinner Together with Finchley United Synagogue, Young US will be hosting a fantastic Friday Night Dinner, with Kabbalat Shabbat, Kiddush and Cocktails, and Shabbat Dinner. Book your place now by clicking the link below! Friday 29 October at 6:30pm, at Finchley United Synagogue. TRIBE CRP course for parents & children Join Tribe for a 6-part online series exploring a variety of Jewish topics. The next CRP course begins on Wednesday 24 November, and completing all six 30-minute sessions ensures you qualify for your points in section 5 of the CRP form. To sign up for the course, click here. STARTING TONIGHT Student Bet Midrash Our vibrant Student Bet Midrash programme in partnership with Bnei Akiva and Mizrachi UK will recommence in person tonight with regular weekly programming for secondary school and university students. Over the next few weeks, we will be learning from Community & Conversation prepared by the Rabbi Sacks Legacy Trust in advance of the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Sacks zt''l. Dinner is provided. Please email Laurie at lreznik@theus.org.uk for more information. FIND OUT MORE United Synagogue nurseries We are blessed to have a number of wonderful United Synagogue Oftsed-registered nurseries. Each of our seven nurseries is professionally run and provides learning and play in a warm and safe Jewish environment. Click on the link below to see a booklet we've put together and meet our nurseries. WILLESDEN JEWISH CEMETERY Guided Walks Don’t miss out on your chance to book a free guided walk of London’s most surprising cemetery. Willesden's volunteer guides will cover some of the fascinating residents of the cemetery, from scientist Rosalind Franklin to Tesco founder Jack Cohen. Click the link below to find out more. What is Jewish history in a nutshell? Find out in this week's Dvar Torah by the Chief Rabbi! MUSWELL HILL UNITED SYNAGOGUE Brain Health Brain Health is important in our day to day life at work, retirement, and with our family and friends. Join Muswell Hill as they hear from Michelle Reshef from Dementia UK, who will share what Brain Health is, the risk factors for Dementia, and more. Sunday 17 October at 8pm. KENTON UNITED SYNAGOGUE Kenton presents: Rachel Kolsky Join Kenton as they hear from Rachel Kolsky, a prize-winning London Blue Badge Tourist Guide who focusses on the 'human stories behind the buildings'. Rachel grew up in Kenton and will be sharing her memories of the community in the 1970s. Sunday 17 October at 8pm on Zoom. COCKFOSTERS & N SOUTHGATE SYNAGOGUE CLC presents: Dame Margaret Hodge Dame Margaret Hodge has held several cabinet positions in the Blair and Brown Labour Governments. More recently she was Chair of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee between 2010 and 2015. She is currently Parliamentary Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement. Tuesday 19 October at 11am. HAMPSTEAD UNITED SYNAGOGUE The Meaning of Life Join Hampstead as they hear from Rabbi Dr Zarum, who will be unpacking 'The Meaning of Life' in a three-part series, both in-person and on Zoom. The first session will take place on Wednesday 20 October at 8pm. Book your place by clicking the link below. This email was sent with love from the United Synagogue. If you no longer wish to receive this email, please unsubscribe here |