July-August 2020
the magazine of finchley progressive synagogue
Kabbalat Torah Graduation
From the Editor... Who
would have thought at the start of March that by July we’d be deep into a world of home working, mask wearing and queuing twenty deep outside Waitrose? A world of perfecting the art of Zoom calls and forgetting what it’s like to ride on a tube train. But here we are, rooted to our own mini-worlds while peering at life outside from afar, and more than ever we are conscious of the world around us. That’s why this month I thought we could look at the world around us, the living history that makes us who we are, where we are and I guess why too. How did we get here - to London, to Finchley, through various lands and taking various different paths? How can we understand our present and our future without understanding a little bit about the past that we see everywhere? A few years ago I wrote a book about London’s Cemeteries (you can still find it here and there). One of the things that
darren beach
fascinated me most about that subject was that walking through the rows of headstones and ornate sculptures you could feel the rich sense of lives gone by, and the changing social history and all that makes London the place it is. Our own history is around us whenever we step inside a synagogue, the rich heritage that we all feel a part of no matter our own background. It’s with us when we spend time with those we love and respect from older generations, who provide unbreakable links to the past. For my part, it still blows my mind at times to think that I have a son who was born in the 21st century, and had a grandparent who was born in the 19th century. History can be linked easier than we think. We are all doing what we can to help everyone stay in touch and I hope Shofar is playing a part in that. We always want to hear about what’s going on in our community, so please keep your stories coming. Enjoy the summer and let’s hope things get under control and we can all see each other in time for the High Holy Days.
Photo: Finchley Central station. Read Darren’s piece ‘Finchley’s Lost Train Line’ on page 15
Cover: Kabbalat Torah Graduation on Zoom.Photo: Zoe Jacobs
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Copy deadline is the 10th of each month. Please email all content to shofar@fps.org
From the Rabbi
rabbi rebecca birk
Darren
could not have thought of a more demanding theme for this July’s edition of Shofar. This moment we are living in is steeped in history and the changes happening require a constant looking back to understand historical context and forward to see where new generations are taking us. I turn 50 this month and so reminiscing back and forward feels appropriate. I find myself now allowed out - cycling around London and noticing blue plaques. Who got one and glaringly who didn’t. My grandparents lived in the former home of H.G. Wells. When we read War of the Worlds at school I was charmed by the connection. Meanwhile I look back now and see the inequality. Florence Nightingale’s plaque was erected in 1912, Mary Seacole, a fellow Crimean War nurse, received her plaque only in 2007. For me the conversations around my dinner table or at my picnic spot are around two moments in history (there are more but I felt this was enough for light Shofar reading). Inequality and lack of justice. Both, as ever, are in the history around us. As a rabbi I feel both duty bound to speak and at times not to speak. But here I want to share my appreciation of the history we are living in and offer food for thought over the holidays. 1. At the end of June, Israel and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu were just days away from annexing large swathes - up to a third - of the West Bank. During the quiet of Covid 19, plans were made that will be devastating for Israelis and Palestinians. I am well aware of fellow Jews who abhor diaspora commentary. Many Zionist organisations have shared profound concerns from security strategists in Israel. I’m deeply saddened and at
times incensed that our beloved Israel will be making a step that eradicates so many paths to peaceful co-existence and the long held hope of a two state solution. Israel’s declaration of Independence, written and signed in May 1948, stares reproachfully, I believe, from the pages of our Siddur Lev Chadash: [it] will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. History is around us. My parents volunteered together during the Six-Day War and returned to London to marry. By the Yom Kippur War in 1974 me and my next sister were born and a familial devotion to Israel had been passed to us. This is a critical moment. 2. Black Lives Matter is not a call for politically correct speech and gesturing but a long expressed call for justice. History is very alive this summer as we listen and respond with Continued on page 5 3
From the Chair I am writing my last Chair’s piece on Pride Sunday. As this Shofar issue’s main theme is history around us I am reminded of how far the LGBT+ community has come since I was a young person. My late father had a close friend, Gerald who with some difficulty came out as gay in the 1960s when homosexuality was decriminalised. Sadly, Gerald like countless other gay men, could not live a fully authentic life as he had had to keep his sexuality a secret. More recently the Civil Partnership and Marriage Acts have enabled lesbians and gay equality so long denied to us. There’s still a long, long way to go. As we have seen over the past few days, with the Black Lives Matter and Black Trans matter demonstrations, racism and discrimination are still endemic in our society.
cathy burnstone
I feel heartened that Liberal communities including our own synagogue are engaged in trying to redress these wrongs. It is true that it has taken the Black Lives matter and other movements to highlight the terrible injustices for Liberal Judaism to fully engage but the important thing is to maintain the momentum to make a difference. I feel proud to be part of a liberal community and have always felt welcomed as has my exCatholic (Carmen is clear she is not a lapsed Catholic) wife.
hannah grossmith-dwek bacp child/adolescent counsellor I am an experienced, accredited counsellor offering support for young people and their families. Based in East Finchley Please contact me on: Tel: 07855601335 Email: Hannah@gdwek.com Website: www.hgd-counselling.com
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Renovating Our Synagogue Building We wanted to update you on our plans to renovate the synagogue building resulting from discussions and consultations we’ve had since the autumn of 2018. Although the coronavirus lockdown has slowed down the process we have been moving forward with ideas and design and hope to apply for planning permission soon. The proposed changes are modest but important improvements to the 1960s building which has been added to piecemeal over the years. It has never before been looked at holistically by the congregation and Board with the help of an architect. We urgently need to replace our leaking roof and make it more environmentally friendly. So we are planning for solar panels and a green roof which will also make our main sanctuary more light and airy. We plan to expand the Small Hall to make it a more useful space for social events and services that don’t fill our sanctuary. Even though we started this work before coronavirus, expanding the Small Hall would also make it easier to hold socially distanced services by broadcasting them
richard greene & rabbi rebecca birk
through from the main hall. Expanding the Small Hall will reduce the number of spaces in our car park. We see that as a long-term environmental benefit discouraging members from driving or encouraging car sharing, but we are also in talks with churches in the area to investigate the possible use of their car parks. As streets around the synagogue have permitted parking on Saturdays, we do not expect our members to park on the street during services any more than they do now. Other changes to the building are largely internal: replacing windows for environmental reasons; enlarging classroom windows to increase light and views of the garden; rendering the exterior brick work to protect it and make it more attractive; adding skylights over the main corridor; and possibly swapping the kitchen and office space so the building works better for its users. The architect’s drawings are on our website at www.fps.org. We’d love to hear your feedback or answer any questions you have. You can reach us at building@fps.org.
from the rabbi / cont. from p.3
a fervour and integrity that feels new. I recognise for me, and maybe countless others, we may have thought we cared enough and thought we were doing what we could but I now see this was not enough - both within the Jewish community, and also regarding how Jews of colour have felt within our boundaries and our fellow humans in the wider world. I believe the reduction in our busyness during these weeks of pandemic lockdown have opened our hearts and minds to listen. SHEMA, even. And that is the beginning of something new, vital and necessary. Our
children are already learning more than some of us ever did. It’s a good thing and I look forward to much more. Being mindful of history around us makes us engaged citizens, it also makes us good Jews. Deuteronomy in the portion Ki Tissa insists don’t be indifferent, ‘lo l’hitalem’. It may have been written about lost property and suffering neighbours but every commentator has drawn this out. Stay alert and care. Go well into the summer.
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Notice Board
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Not Just A Building It does not need to be said that the last few weeks have been momentous. We have moved from a social community engaged with each other through the axis of Liberal Judaism to a community which cannot meet in person but is anything but distanced. As both a synagogue and council member, I have watched as FPS has confronted our changed circumstances and embraced the challenges brought about by Hutton Grove being off limits and being replaced by prayer and community online and on Zoom. But there is something else. For the first time, I have felt something more compelling and more immediate than regular, almost reflexive Shabbat attendance. I have felt as if FPS has entered my home in an almost tangible way. There are meetings and events attended by every member of my family and they are all happening in our home. Doors, left ajar, emit the sound of Ivriah being taught; strategy being discussed; of morning meditation, of KT and of prayer and reflections. I have attended council meetings, services including wonderful Bar Mitzvahs, watched the KT graduating class lead a service (with pride and delight) and sat in the background as a topic has been cogitated upon and dissected at Café Ivriah. I have listened to searching debate at Biennial and taken part in the community Seder, replete with a bouncing wooden frog, which kept our household at least amused. I have ‘enjoyed’ the products of a challah making session which went awry, with Rabbi Rebecca sabotaging Tamara’s best efforts. I have seen Facebook posts about good works and showing some fascinating and curious amateur photography. I have read the weekly emails and more recently caught snippets of the anxious discussions about the reopening of the synagogue and collecting for communal prayer.
sam king (council member)
I could go on. I appreciate of course that I am very, very lucky. We have generally been well, we have a busy household and are company for each other. The children’s schools managed to get them to do some learning and have tentatively started the process of getting the children back in class. We have managed to live if not in absolute harmony, then in peaceful co-existence.
“I have felt something more compelling and more immediate than regular, almost reflexive Shabbat attendance. I have felt as if FPS has entered my home in an almost tangible way.” Like many of you, I miss things about going to the building. I miss helping out at Ivriah when called upon to do so by Zoe. I miss the frantic call, while shopping in Waitrose, to tell me that Josie is gunning for me because I am at risk of failing to meet and greet, or have forgotten that I am on kiddush rota that day - if FPS is not just a building, then Josie is not just a pillar. I miss the informal formality of Council meetings around the big table. I will miss meeting with each other for the AGM. So I, like many, am impatient as we make plans for the difficult process of unlocking and opening up. I am looking forward to gathering in person again. I am eagerly anticipating hearing the harmonies (although I think I did win the first prize in the lottery, since I still sit next to Tamara at home Sim Shaloming with gusto - regrettably the counter-voice is very Continued on page 8 7
FPS People’s Page people mazal tov to
in July
Pharrell Jarmon James who celebrated his Bar Mitzvah on 13 July Irris & Sid Singer on the Bar Mitzvah of their grandson Tal Ann Goldstein on the birth of another grandchild Dr Elliott Karstadt upon his ordination as a Rabbi KT graduates Rachel Andrews, Rachel BalintKurti, Jess Hermer, Leo Pavell, Noah Pavell, Ollie Pelham, Alex Raphael, Elias Rosenthal, Maya Stubbings and Alexander Treganna; All FPS students whose GCSE, A level, university courses were abruptly ended by the pandemic
condolences to
happy birthday to
the following members who celebrate milestone birthdays in July and August: Sheila Aarons, Stuart Gould, Edgar Jacobsberg, Howard Diamant, Bernadette Goorwich, Janette Orkin, Elizabeth Sulkin, Eva Rosenthal, Katy Jackson, Louise Balint-Kurti, Rabbi Rebecca, Claire Pierce, Karen Mainegra-Stewart, Nina Steiger, Hannit Singer
John Rubinstein on the death of his mother Rae in America 50/50 club draws, april winners:
1st 2nd 3rd
Vincent Lassman Watts £20 Elah Golan £10 Corinne Oppenheimer £5
50/50 club draws, may winners:
1st 2nd 3rd
Barbara Shulman Ayla Jacobsberg Toby Helfman
£20 £10 £5
50/50 club draws, june winners:
1st 2nd 3rd
Barbara Shulman James Lassman Eden Silver-Myer
£20 £10 £5
50/50 club draws, july winners:
1st 2nd 3rd
Mollie Helfman Jeanne Stein Fergus Myer
£20 £10 £5
happy anniversary to
Alan & Patricia Hinson celebrating their 20th
not just a building / cont. from p.7
substandard). I hope to experience again that moment of anxiety as at the end of the year some unfortunate ‘volunteer’ averts ritual humiliation by successfully lifting the Torah despite the weight being dangerously unevenly distributed. And I even think nostalgically about the faulty sound system. While I am impatient, I also don’t want to
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lose the things I have gained and the way in which I have found new ways to be connected. I don’t want to forget what we have missed, but I also don’t intend to risk discarding the good things that have come of this. I hope that the way we have grown as a community under siege from the virus will stay with us.
Beit Tefillah
services at fps
services- july / tamuz leading into av
services – june / sivan leading into tamuz At the time of writing, FPS services are being held via Zoom video conferencing. Links to access them will be included in FPS emails. Friday 3 July
6.30pm KT Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 4 July
11.00am Shabbat B’Yachad celebrating KT graduation
Friday 10 July
6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 11 July
11.00am Shabbat Service celebrating Pharrell Jarmon James Bar Mitzvah
Friday 17 July
6.30pm Shabbat Resouled
Saturday 18 July
11.00am Shabbat Service joined by Liberal Jewish Synagogue & Mosaic Wembley, led by Rabbis Rebecca Birk, Rachel Benjamin & Igor Zinkov
Friday 24 July
6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 25 July
11.00am Shabbat Service Celebration of Dr Elliott Karstadt becoming a Rabbi
Friday 31 July
6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
services- august / av leading into elul Saturday 1 August
11.00am Shabbat Service
Friday 7 August
6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 8 August
11.00am Shabbat Service
Friday 14 August
6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 15 August
11.00am Shabbat Service
Friday 21 August
6.30pm Shabbat Resouled
Saturday 22 August
11.00am Shabbat Service
Friday 28 August
6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 29 August
11.00am Shabbat Service
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Beit Knesset At the time of writing, all FPS activities are being held via Zoom video conferencing. Links to access will be included in FPS emails. bridge group
Closed during lockdown rosh chodesh tamuz
Monthly celebration of the New Moon by women who enjoy meeting, sharing and learning. Rosh Chodesh Av Wednesday 22 July with Susan Cohen, social historian with a special interest in the history of nursing and medical services in the First World War. In the current pandemic the work of medical services has come to the forefront of our attention, and Susan’s talk will focus on the role nurses played during the First World War. Rosh Chodesh Elul Wednesday 19 August Life during and after the lockdown: a conversation led by Sheila Lassman and Wika Dorosz. Contact Wika Dorosz on vdorosz@gmail.com for more information and Zoom link book club
Wednesday 8 July & 12 August @ 8.00pm Book Club meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Contact Sheila King Lassman skinglassman@gmail.com or Edgar Jacobsberg e.jacobsberg@gmail.com
community events, all welcome!
learn
Thursdays @ 1.00pm An hour’s learning with Rabbi Rebecca – with or without your own lunch. 2 July: Balak - Unlikely Teachers: The Talking Donkey 9 July: Pinchas - Women Changing Things: The daughters of Zelophehad 16 July: Mattot Massei - Journeys and Endings pilates
Our excellent instructor Tali Swart teaches several classes a week on Zoom, all levels. For schedule and payment information, contact taliswort@btconnect.com cafe ivriah
Sundays @ 10.00-11.00am, running on Zoom. All welcome to join for a friendly chat and topical discussion (bring your own coffee!) Suggestions for discussion topics are welcome to Adrian on adulteducation@fps.org 5 July: “What does it mean to be a part of an inclusive community?” with Michael Lassman 12 July: Members present their proposed charities for this year‘s HHD Appeal 19 July Parashat D’varim “Remembering and Sulking” with Rabbi Rebecca 26 July Chris Nash on FPS and Israel
delving into judaism
Wednesdays 7.00pm. Adult class with Rabbi Rebecca exploring the building blocks of Judaism plus Hebrew classes. 1 July - Prayer 8 July - Torah 15 July - Jewish Time
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save the dates!
12 September Start of Ivriah Year 10 September FPS AGM 17/18 September Rosh Hashanah 27/28 September Kol Nidre/Yom Kippur 2/3 October Sukkot 9/10 Simchat Torah
Beit Midrash
coming up at fps
justice series
Thursday 2 July: Dr Laura Janes, Legal Director of the Howard League: Young inside - the work of the Howard League for Penal Reform for young people in prison Thursday 9 July: Sam Grant, Policy & Campaigns Manager at the human rights NGO Liberty: The campaign to end immigration detention Thursday 16 July: Rabbi Rebecca Birk, FPS: Justice in Jewish tradition Thursday 23 July: Rabbi Danny Rich JP: Is a socially just society just a fool’s dream?
a rich panoply series
30 July: Giants of Progressive Judaism 6 August: Judaism and Greece 13 August: Hidden treasures of Jerusalem All presented by Lionel Lassman
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Notice Board dog follows Brogan at every step. At night, he sleeps in Brogan’s bedroom, usually on his bed leaving very little space! Chips seems to grow every minute and already weighs 25 kilos. You can see both the black of the Lab and the rust of the red Setter. But he’s classified as a mongrel! I’m sure you’ll agree he’s a very handsome dog and photogenic. Apparently, Chips will grow to between 50-60 kilos. And I think by then he’ll be taking us for walks! Don’t you agree? Charlotte, Brogan & Don in St. Albans need garden-work or handy jobs this summer?
chips the puppy
A little black puppy arrived at our home on 5 February 2020 cuddled up in Brogan’s (my younger son) arms. And so it has been since almost 24/7 - with Brogan doing all the training. Another puppy in the litter was homed by one of Brogan’s friends and called Rockie. Brogan called his Chips (so it was Del Boy’s early days of Rock and Chips). But after seven weeks, Chips was nearly four months old when“Lockdown“ struck. He had already started to grow big! His father is a black Lab/cross red Setter and mum an Akita. All big dogs. An Akita is a Japanese Mountain Dog, a bit like a Husky. But Chips has given us a huge distraction during this time. Now at six months Chips is a toddling two-year-old (in human years). Definitely his “terrible twos”. He can be very naughty and into everything. “I must investigate, whether it moves or not” - is his motto! He loves his walks, his food and his investigating. Chips and Brogan have bonded well - the 12
We are three best friends who met on LJY summer camp: Ruben Qassim,the son of Rabbi Rebecca, Raphy Klinger Fixler, a loyal member of FPS and Aron Finkelstein, active member of Northwood Liberal synagogue. We are trying to earn money to go travelling in the upcoming year. All three of us have gardening experience, with one being a full-time gardener. With jobs being hard to come by given the current situation, we’ve decided to use our skills to make money independently. The services we can provide include: • Mowing lawns • Trimming hedges • Weeding and watering flower beds and lawns • Power-washing driveways • Other general garden work & small bits of DIY contact us: NLgardencare@outlook.com or phone 07702 174 500
FPS Social Action
deb hermer
fps stands by barnet care workers in their fight for a real living wage
This week members of FPS stood shoulder to shoulder with care workers to demand the government pays the sector a real living wage. We took this ‘action’ as part of FPS’ social justice work and alongside other members of the Barnet branch of Citizens UK, a charity which organises communities to take action for the common good. As a social justice team in FPS we are angry that the government doesn’t pay care workers - an essential service for so many of the people we love - a real living wage. A wage that allows them to live with dignity after coming home from a hard day’s work. So when we were offered the opportunity to take part in this campaign we jumped at the chance. First we organised a Zoom session to hear directly from FPS members with recent experience of the care sector.. It was a poignant event. Three members – Margot Katz, Steven Valens, and Alison Pilpel - told us with openness and honesty how care workers had looked after their loved ones when they needed it most. After hearing these testaments we were convinced that we wanted to do what we could to help. So along with other members of Barnet Citizens, we decided to take part in Citizens UK national day of action on July 2 to ‘bless a care home’ and help put pressure on the government to commit a further £1.4 into the social care budget. The blessing took place in front of managers and staff in the garden at Kenwood Care Home in Alexandra Grove. At a social distance we heard Rabbi Rebecca and Abubakar Ali, Chair of the Somali Bravanese Welfare Association thank the carers for their hard work and bless
the home by acknowledging the skill, love and strength that keeps it going. The event was beautifully chaired by Ellie from Archer Academy and Tahmina from the Middlesex University Students Union in Hendon. Margot from FPS talked about the outstanding and tender care both her parents received at the end of their lives. Everyone including the care staff were touched by her words. Matt Plen from Masorti Judaism explained that the campaign to adequately fund social care to the real Living Wage (£10.75 in London) would continue by convincing local council leaders and MPs to pressurise the Chancellor of the Exchequer to release the additional funds in his autumn statement this year. Our blessing ended with a lovely version of Lo Alecha (‘It is not your duty to complete the work but neither are you free to desist from trying’), led in makaton by Zoe and an even greater determination to continue to fight for carers to get the living wage they deserve. If you want to join us and help carers get a decent deal please use this automatically generated letter to write to your MP: https:// actionnetwork.org/letters/ask-your-mp-tosupport-a-real-living-wage-for-careworkers
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Join Our Council! Yes, you! With
Shofar this month comes the announcement that we will be holding our AGM online on Thursday 10 September and the nomination papers for FPS council. Cathy Burnstone is stepping down this year after three years as chair and two members of council are obliged to step down but eligible for re-election – so we will be holding elections and we need to elect at least one new member of council in September. Could that be you? So, what is the synagogue council and what’s it for? Our Council is elected by FPS members at our AGM to be responsible for overseeing and managing all the activities of the synagogue. It’s made up of three officers – the chair, the treasurer and the honorary secretary – and five ‘general members’ (one of whom is also vicechair) and can also co-opt additional members. The overall role of council is to lead the synagogue community, to represent synagogue members, and to foster the flourishing of the synagogue community. It is responsible for the strategic direction of the synagogue – our plans and aspirations for the future - and for making decisions about our priorities and commitments; for example, what activities we can and can’t support. At a practical level, council is responsible for the management of the synagogue: its building, its employees, its money and its activities. In addition to being a synagogue community, a house of prayer, a house of meeting and a house of study, FPS is also a registered charity and a company listed at Companies House. Members of council are the trustees of the charity and the directors of the company. We meet monthly for ten months of the year on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 pm. 14
tamara joseph
You need to be able to attend regularly and to read the agenda and papers circulated in advance. At the meetings we receive reports about different aspects of the life of the synagogue and strategic issues and management decisions are discussed. In making decisions we operate democratically but we generally work by consensus. So, who should consider becoming a member of council? Well, lots of different kinds of people! It’s obviously desirable for Council to be broadly representative of all the members of the synagogue. And while it’s important to have particular skills on council, we need to have those skills between us as a group – we don’t all need to have them. The only real requirement is that this is a job for people who feel a part of the FPS community and are connected to and involved in community life. The community expects and likes to see council members involved in the life of FPS and it’s important to be connected with what is going on at FPS in order to contribute effectively to council. That doesn’t mean that you have to be at synagogue all the time and it doesn’t mean that services have to be your thing. We think it means that you need to be participating in FPS activities at least three times a month. That looks a bit different at the moment when we are in lockdown but includes things like attending Beit Midrash, Café Ivriah, Lunch and Learn, volunteer activities, social justice activities and so on, as well as services. If you have any questions about what it’s like to serve on council then please do get in touch with us! Any council member would be very happy to talk to you. Our names and e-mail addresses are on the back of Shofar. Come and join us, and help FPS be the best community it can be! Contact honsec@fps.org.
Finchley’s Lost Train Line Ever
wondered what that footpath you’re walking along used to be? Or that sootdarkened bridge over nothing in particular? North London is full of the ghosts of railways past, and the Finchley area is no exception. This was an age of radical development of London’s outer boroughs, with new suburbs full of inexpensive mock-Tudor houses built alongside tube line extensions as Metroland extended into what was then still Middlesex and Essex.
Not many people know that there were two Edgware stations. Beside the tube station, on the site of what is now the Broadwalk Centre stood Edgware railway station. The LNER (London and North Eastern Railway) had run a steam line to Edgware since the mid-1800s, which joined up with what is now the Northern Line at Finchley Central, stopping at Mill Hill (Hale Lane) and Mill Hill en route. By 1933 most of London’s disparate train network had come together under one umbrella, and the ambitious ‘New Works’ programme that followed included a large programme of extending and electrifying the Northern Line. This project involved electrifying
darren beach
the line from Finchley Central to Edgware (thus merging the two Edgware stations), electrifying the ‘Northern Heights’ line from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace via Muswell Hill, and extending the Northern Line from Edgware as far north as Brockley Hill. Imagine all that existing now! However, it was of course not to be. War damage hit the railway system as hard as any heavy industry, and once the war was over available funds had to go towards reconstruction and maintenance. Extending the Central Line into the new western and eastern suburbs took priority, and the line to Edgware was never electrified. Steam trains continued to haul freight along the line before the track was lifted in the mid-1960s. The Northern Heights project was abandoned and increasing car use led to its demise in 1954; the track bed is now the muchloved Parkland Walk. Meanwhile, the aborted extension of the Northern Line north of Edgware never happened either; all that remains is a rather lonely stretch of stone that would have been a viaduct, now used mainly by local graffiti artists. But what about Mill Hill East, you cry? Well, it survived by virtue of the fact that it was needed as part of the war effort. The station reopened in 1941 as a single line from Finchley Central, used to ferry soldiers to the nearby Inglis Barracks and to serve workers who were building Halifax bombers at the site. The only remnant of the Edgware branch is 100 metres of track or so before the buffers. You can still walk part of the line through The Hale to Edgware (though the M1 motorway has got in the way a bit since then) and trace some of it through bridges, footpaths and the odd remnant of trackside paraphernalia. The history is all around us. 15
Torquay to Tel Aviv In 1978 Braham and his wife embarked on an extensive trip around Europe - by caravan - before heading for Israel. We rejoin them in part three as they arrive in Jerusalem.
We headed to Ramat Rachel Kibbutz on the outskirts of Jerusalem, with a camping area that overlooked the Judaean Hills to Bethlehem. They made us very welcome with meals and showers as one of their first ever visitors. Jerusalem is a fascinating city and we spent nearly two weeks there. Using the Kibbutz as our base we drove to Hebron, a major trouble spot. However, being ‘innocents abroad’ we didn’t realise and visited the tombs of the Patriarchs and the bustling market only to find camel heads for sale (not sure why). The heads without the bodies lose their rather superior look! We also visited Bethlehem, interesting but touristy. I thought Jerusalem would have the best cheesecake so I ordered one in a cafe. But it didn’t taste very good so I asked “are you sure this is cheesecake?” and the waitress replied “you asked for cheesecake, what else am I going to bring you?’. When I said it didn’t taste like cheesecake her response was ‘can I help what it tastes like to you?!’ This isn’t a criticism but epitomises for me the cultural difference between our two countries. From Jerusalem we drove to Ashkelon on the coast and parked at a well run campsite. Again we were surrounded by Israelis telling us where and how to park! Apparently Ashkelon was where Samson brought down the temple and we were shown pieces still lying around – believe it or not... Onto Gaza City (wouldn’t do that today) and wandered around soaking up the atmosphere. The next morning we drove to Beersheva on market day, which was noisy and fascinating. Bartering Bedouins on their camels everywhere. That afternoon to Ein Gedi on the 16
/ the final episode | braham fredman
Dead Sea, 40 degrees Fahrenheit – phew plus! Up Masada by cable car next - although some crazy people were actually walking! We noticed a group of American teenagers with their Rabbi who announced ‘as we are all Americans let’s sing ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’ on top of Masada! Trump would have been proud. The following day we drove through the Negev Desert to Eilat. En route we saw a group of Bedouins sitting cross legged under a sackcloth open tent, avidly watching ‘Upstairs Downstairs’ on TV – quite surreal. Now it really was hot (45 degrees), some days we would just stand in a supermarket for the air conditioning. From Eilat we crossed into the Sinai Desert, belonging to Israel then. At night we had a choice of not sleeping in the caravan or sleeping outside and being bitten by mosquitos! Next, Neviot (now called Nuweiba), a relatively unknown beach resort and less than an hour from Eilat. Then back to Jerusalem. We set off at 5am whilst it was still reasonably cool and stopped for fuel on the edge of the Negev. But the engine wouldn’t start – I fiddled under the bonnet without success and at 9am (already ‘very warm’) I went to a Kibbutz to ask for help. A mechanic came but no luck. Finally I rang the Peugeot agent in Eilat who arrived two hours later: a fuse had blown and without a spare he removed some silver paper from his cigarette pack, wrapped it around the fuse and said ‘that will get you back to Jerusalem’. It did! This was the end of our journey and we arrived back in Torquay mid-September. I handed the caravan back to the original dealer to sell on our behalf. Later I saw his ad which read Almost New Caravan, Only Used For One Holiday! – poetic licence you might say.
Kabbalat Torah Group
zoe jacobs
We are so proud of our Kabbalat Torah group. Their graduation services last weekend were representative of the group for the past two years – joyful, thoughtful and full of ideas. I really enjoyed being in the service with my friends, putting it together was fun and meant that we all had our own part to play in it. Taking an online collaborative service is exceptionally difficult, never mind the communal creativity required to plan it! They did so extraordinarily well, and that is down to their hard work and dedication, their creativity, and their teamwork.
As they said in their service, they have done a lot together as a group: “we went to Amsterdam as a part of our Holocaust education unit, and we’ve also had sleepovers, bake-offs, escape rooms, services, bar and bat mitzvah’s, fortnightly meetings, fundraisers and we even did the Duke of Edinburgh walk together - all which served the purpose of making us more connected to our community and tightening our bonds of friendship.” And their service was the final moment of this programme. They chose to take this service together. “It was a very
empowering and special experience to do with my friends” says Rachel, while Jess said “putting it together was fun and meant we each had our own part to play”. The theme of their service – apart from an excellent array of modern music chosen to fit the themes of different prayers – was Jean-Paul Satre’s quote “we are our choices”. They have chosen to be together for two years – our traditional Kabbalat Torah programme – and now have chosen to do another programme designed specifically for them. Their choices are community, friendship and their absolute determination that their generation will make the world a better place. They have proven it already.
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pharrell jarmon-james bar mitzvah
My name is Pharrell and I have been a member of FPS for about five years now. But I only started attending Ivriah a year and a half ago. I have already learnt so much at FPS such as blessings from the Torah and the Hebrew language. I enjoy playing video games in my spare time, but I have a passion for football. Although I live in Tottenham, I am an Arsenal supporter. My Torah portion is Pinchas, the 27th chapter in the book of Numbers. It is about how the daughters of Zelophehad went to the tent of meeting to reclaim their late father’s inheritance.
Photo: FPS Family Quiz try to balance spoons on their nose(!)’
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For my charity project I had initially planned to run for a charity called Centre Point, an organisation that supports homeless people getting off the streets. But because of the current lockdown I was unable to achieve my goal. I have not yet decided what I will do for my project, but I will make sure to do one. It is an honour to have my Bar Mitzvah with FPS and I hope to expand my knowledge at FPS.
ivriah online: what’s it really like?
Miri says: I thought at first that Ivriah online wouldn’t work. However, it is surprisingly effective and efficient. I enjoy our lessons and find it easier than I thought it would be to pay attention and learn. The only problem is that sometimes someone loses connection. It is easy to forget that you are on mute but after a while, you get used to unmuting yourself when you want to speak. On the whole the technology works. Hebrew is great and I think it works well but would work better in a classroom. For me it is actually easier to be on time for lessons as I don’t have to travel to the synagogue, which takes nearly an hour usually as I live in Camden. If we had to do this again maybe we could have one or two weeks where the whole lesson is spent doing something like a cookalong. For example, if it was Purim we could make Hamantaschen. The teachers have been incredibly helpful and kind. I’d like to say thank you to them and Zoe for making Ivriah online possible. Phoebe says: Despite the lockdown, Zoe and all our teachers did a wonderful job of keeping Ivriah online. It has been very hard staying on track where we left off, but we have managed to revive. I honestly don’t think it’s the same, because EVERYTHING is on the laptop. Anyway, we have done lots of fun games, like “Hebrew Snakes & Ladders”, “Hangman” and stuff like that. Ivriah is still fun to do and learn from: so far we have learnt about the Tabernacle, Joseph’s
rainbow dream coat and a lot of Hebrew words. Raffy adds: Our teachers Evie, Evyatar and Alex have taught us lots about Joseph and his technicolour dream coat and I enjoyed playing all the games too. Joseph’s jealous brothers threw him in a well, sold him to a slave-driver and dipped his coat in goat’s blood to pretend that he had died. But in the end he became Advisor to the Pharaoah of Egypt and when his family came back asking for food during a famine, there was great happiness when they were reunited. I’m pleased that we could all see each other on the computer screen, but it’s nothing like real life. I’m looking forward to being reunited with everyone.
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Contacts
fps website: www.fps.org
finchley progressive synagogue
Life President: Sheila King Lassman
54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR 020 8446 4063 www.fps.org facebook.com/finchleyprog Rabbi Rebecca Birk – rabbi@fps.org
Vice Presidents: Renzo Fantoni, Josie Kinchin, Alex Kinchin-Smith, Laura Lassman, Lionel King Lassman, John Lewis, Paul Silver-Myer, Andrea Rappoport, Joan Shopper
Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner
contacts
Community Development Manager: Zoe Jacobs – zoe@fps.org Musicians in Residence: Franklyn Gellnick, Dean Staker Synagogue Manager: Pauline Gusack pauline@fps.org executive 2020
Chair: Cathy Burnstone, chair@fps.org Vice-Chair: Anjanette Pavell, ViceChairAP@fps.org
Board of Deputies Reps: Janet Tresman, Stanley Volk Beit Midrash (Adult Education): Adrian Lister adrian@fps.org Beit Tefillah (Rites & Practices): Valerie Joseph valerie@fps.org Keep In Touch Team (contacting members): reached via Pauline in FPS office Website Editor: Philip Karstadt fpswebsite@fps.org
Treasurer: Chris Nash, treasurer@fps.org
Shofar Editor: Darren Beach shofar@fps.org
Honorary Secretary: Tamara Joseph, honsec@fps.org
Shofar Team: Sarah Rosen-Webb, Deb Hermer
board members
Sam King, sam@fps.org Phillip Raphael, security@fps.org Ann Pelham, apelham@fps.org Roy Balint-Kurti, roybk@fps.org
FPS Office: administrator@fps.org The Finchley Progressive Synagogue is a company limited by guarantee (Company No 9365956) and a registered charity (Charity No 1167285) whose registered office is 54 Hutton Grove, Finchley, London N12 8DR
President: Alan Banes
ashley page
janet tresman
insurance brokers
mediator & collaborative family law solicitor
Commerce House 2a Litchfield Grove London N3 2TN
Altermans Solicitors 239 Regents Park Road, London N3 3LF
Tel. 020 8349 5100
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Office phone: 0208 346 1777 Email: janet@altermans.co.uk