February 2022
the magazine of finchley progressive synagogue
Synagogue Beautification
From the Editor... I’d never actually read these wintery parshas before. They’re ever so pedantic. ‘Take this’, ‘Do that’, ‘Make this’, ‘Add that’. In addition to the egregious tale of the golden calf, this February’s Torah portions provide a complete instruction manual on how to specifically bedeck the newly appointed priests and how to precisely construct the Tabernacle. Ikea could really learn a thing or two. From incense holders to lamp stands, Moses is instructed how to fabricate each facet of the Tabernacle and what materials to use. We learn what haberdashery was required to weave vestments and are entrusted with the recipes for holy oil - although, to concoct this for ourselves or anoint just anyone with it would be cause for the harshest of sanctions - in this case, expulsion from one’s family. Although his designs are never as prescribed as God’s were to Moses, my father is one such craftsman with a similar calling. Trained as a silversmith, Harold Rabinowitz began his metalworking journey as a maker of contemporary jewellery. With an interest in learning metal raising techniques (forming flat sheet metal into three-dimensional forms), he sought out the tutelage of Ludwig Wolpert, a German Jewish goldsmith from Israel and father of contemporary Judaica, based in the Tobe Pascher Workshop for Modern Jewish Art at the Jewish Museum in New York City. Through his residency at the workshop and training from Wolpert and another contemporary Judaica artist, Moshe Zabari, my father developed sophisticated metalworking skills 2
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and an interest in designing and producing contemporary Judaica, himself. What began with the making of a single silver kiddush cup at the age of 21 evolved into a lifelong career designing Jewish ritual objects and synagogue articles, arks, bima furniture, and stained glass windows. Influenced by Modern artists Constantin Brancusi and Henry Moore, my father’s style incorporates curvaceous abstract shapes and forms with contemporary Hebrew calligraphy. Growing up in a home that placed such significance on the aesthetics of ritual objects gave me an appreciation for the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into synagogue beautification. Ark - Dix Hills Jewish Center, Long Island (left); Torah Crown - Jewish Museum Berlin (right), both designed by Harold Rabinowitz
In fulfilling the Talmudic concept of hiddur mitzvah - the beautification of a mitzvah, the beautification of ritual acts - we are inspired to honour God by imbuing our religious implements and spaces of worship with beauty. This month, we’ll hear from those in our community who have done just that, as well - to thoughtfully organise spaces and create alluring and decorative objects to gracefully enhance our physical environment at FPS. We’ll also take a peek at some synagogue interiors from around the world, glimpsing at how various Jewish communities have applied their own aesthetics, regional influences, and understanding of hiddur mitzvah to their surroundings.
From the Rabbi I love synagogue buildings. This may come as no surprise, but I really enjoy them and the more eclectic, the better. I have driven my children crazy over the years, as we discover one in every city we visit. I loved the white, clapboard-fronted synagogue in Stellenbosch, Capetown, blending into the Dutch architecture. I became rather familiar with the grand Georgian building of Westminster Synagogue, tucked as it is within Rutland Gate in Knightsbridge; unrecognisable except for its mezuzah and the discreet ark as you turn left at the top of the grand staircase, gazing over Hyde Park one way, and towards the bimah, in the other direction. I recall the grand domes of Florence’s synagogue and the extraordinary scale of Budapest’s, the largest synagogue in Europe, when I accompanied our teenagers there in 2016. The ornate carving of Rome’s Great Synagogue, with its royal blue cupola, failed to thrill Rafael - we saw it the same day as the Sistine chapel. Synagogues in the Diaspora so often blend into the architecture and buildings around them. That’s what makes them so characterful and so representative of the people that make up their congregations. We are really hoping this year will be our moment to mend and improve our modest synagogue building. It is the right time; its parts need drawing together and we will benefit from where we pray and gather, becoming both more beautiful and environmentally efficient. We also know we must maintain the particular
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personality that is us, FPS. Because much like a home, every synagogue tells the story of its inhabitants. I recently heard the writer Malcolm Gladwell explain that when he really wants to describe someone, a character in a novel or just a friend, he rarely does it from what he sees of the person. He will describe their bedroom or kitchen instead. The books piled up next to the bed, the plants on the kitchen windowsill, the table wide enough for guests to sit informally. Enough stuff around to demonstrate this person is relaxed and open. Even the lists on the fridge and photos of the family tell him what matters. Likewise, our notice boards and piles of prayer books - events advertised and chairs ready to be laid out. I hope our synagogue tells a good story. But I also know there is room to improve and ameliorate the building a little more. Our unintentional tag line during Covid became ‘more than a building’ because we were and indeed are. But we do have a building and there is a peculiar energy we all get from being there and meeting face to face, as God describes the communication with Moses - peh el peh - different from any other prophet or judge before or after him. We know it’s human nature to be inspired by our surroundings. And we want that for our sanctuary, for our building, and for our relationship with God and each other. Photo: Tempio Maggiore, The Great Synagogue of Florence
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From the Chair I
n the cold, dark days of January, Tu B’Shevat reminded us that the sap is rising and spring is on the way. As the first snowdrops and catkins appear, we are able to bring a few flowers inside, and as coronavirus restrictions relax, making
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it easier for us to come together in person again, it’s a great moment for our new Shofar editor to be encouraging us to think about the beautification of our building. I’m very happy to surrender my space this month to give room on Page 13 to more of the wonderful pictures you have shared with us.
introducing the fps gpc
A couple of months ago a few of us responded to Rabbi Rebecca’s request to clean the FPS silverware. With refreshments provided by Pauline, it was a lovely morning having a chat and a polish. With this meeting in mind, I had the idea of forming a General Purposes Committee. This was put to Rabbi Rebecca, Zoe, and Tamara, who all agreed. The aim is to secure a bank of volunteers who would perform various tasks on an ad hoc basis, such as assisting with catering, weeding, silver polishing, and very minor DIY - all with hot beverages provided. We currently have ten members and the first two projects were to move the siddurim from the hall to the Sanctuary and to redesign the FPS shop, which in turns meant we could move the Tree of Life to a more prominent position. These now largely complete, there are more jobs on the horizon! Does the idea of joining appeal to you? There is no obligation whatsoever to attend any particular working party. There is a General Purposes Committee Group on Whatsapp where notices of future sessions are posted. If you would like to join, please email me with your mobile number and we can add you to the group: barbara@fps.org Hope to see you in 2022! Barbara Shulman
Cover: Stanley putting up a new shop display cabinet in the sanctuary
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Copy deadline is the 10th of each month. Please email all content to shofar@fps.org
From Zoe R
abbi Rebecca found Temple Michah in Washington, DC using the line ‘a messy synagogue with a soul’ and wondered whether it fits us here at FPS, too. When I first came to FPS, I asked different people to give me a tour of the building. The stories they told; from ‘This is where I stand to get the best kiddush’ to ‘I met my now-bestfriend in this classroom’, to ‘I always find myself sitting on this side of the sanctuary’ gave me such an insight into the community. Indeed at my interview at FPS, I said that I wanted these tours so I could get to know individuals and the community as a whole. I would, I said, begin to accessorise my office – offering people an insight into me, in return. Nearly five years later, I imagine my office is indeed a reflection of me. For those who haven’t popped in, it is furnished with various thank you cards, a pack of Maltesers (my emergency rations), a big poster of lessons I’ve learnt along the way and need to remember, and innumerable framed quotes from JK Rowling to Roald Dahl, Anne Frank and Winnie the Pooh. There is something I love about choosing a few powerful words, taken from a wider whole, to sear onto my heart. And my desk is, unfortunately, often cluttered… ‘A cluttered-up desk is a sign of a clutteredup mind’. This quote is from 1947 and was used as the motto ‘Live, Laugh, Love’ might be used now; as a pithy phrase to print onto gifts. Neatly, but sadly erroneously, Einstein is said to have quipped ‘If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty
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desk?’ These two opinions (whoever said them) often take up space in my head. Am I more efficient, more focused, when my surroundings are neat and clean? Or is there something truly freeing about living in a whirlwind of creative chaos? The latter, it seems, might be an artistic dream – not a practical reality! In the synagogue, we’ve decided to abandon Einstein (in this area only!) as we slowly and purposefully beautify the spaces around us. I am writing in January – the time so often used as motivation for a fresh start – and it does indeed seem we are re-energised to clear more efficiently and swiftly. With the potential of much bigger building beautification on the way, we’re taking these smaller steps thoughtfully, choosing the simpler tasks that will have the greatest impact. You’ll notice the cleaner, sleeker entrance hall, with both the siddurim and (newly revived) shop popped neatly in the sanctuary, offering our Tree of Life pride of place as people arrive. The library and our Ivriah resources have also had a revamp (enormous thanks to our own Juliette Harding for her help), enabling our fantastic teachers to spend more time teaching and less time scrabbling for a pencil sharpener. The simplification of our environment not only keeps us calm, but highlights the beauty we have in the synagogue. From the incredible art to the beautiful needlework, Judaism and our FPS story is woven (literally) into the fabric of the building. Throughout this edition of Shofar, congregants are sharing their memories of making the artwork. I hope our determined clearing enables you to enjoy the beauty in your next visit… and be ready for more changes to come! 5
Mitzvah Day’s Food Bank Aid Delivery Two days before Pesach 2020, a few weeks into the pandemic, Naomi Russell watched a news report of drivers of luxury cars arriving at food banks. She was shocked at the sudden deprivation of those drivers – sure they had a car and probably a nice home - but following their summary redundancy, they had found they were in an existential crisis and were bereft of any income with which to pay their mortgage or make their car payments, and even worse, to feed their families. Naomi, of Highgate, saw that ‘hundreds of people were suddenly out of work and literally couldn’t put food on the table. People who would have had a salary now have nothing and have to wait six weeks to get into the benefit system’. She decided to do something and wrote to Mike Freer MP, asking him to write to the synagogues in his constituency, requesting that all the chametz which congregants were about to throw out be donated to those who were hungry. Mike responded immediately and within minutes, offers of food were being received. Naomi collected the food and transformed her garage into a food bank distribution centre. And with collections of food becoming ever more frequent and voluminous, 18 months later, through the generosity of the landlord [no rent nor rates], what was Chimichanga restaurant in Finchley’s Great North Leisure Park, is now the permanent residence of the Food Bank Aid hub and is open 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, the hub receives and sorts dry goods and preserves, toiletries and tins, fruit and vegetables, before distributing them to 17 food banks around North London. Over 11,000 people benefit from neighbourly donations on a daily basis and 6
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indeed (sadly) across the country as a whole, there are now more food banks than outlets of McDonalds. FPS selected Food Bank Aid as one of our High Holy Day charities in 2020 and 2021 and have been working with them closely ever since. Margot Katz championed their cause and has been wonderfully supported by Peggy Sherwood and Alison Rees, with the three of them being the FPS Community Ambassadors for Food Bank Aid. On Mitzvah Day this year, the synagogue presented Naomi with a cheque for just under £4,000. The children of Ivriah went shopping for food and created children’s gift bags, and they helped deliver multiple carloads of supplies to the hub, along with several other members of the FPS community who had organised street collections with their neighbours. Naomi told everyone about how Food Bank Aid is organised and we were shown the hub with three volunteers already sorting our donations, which Naomi told us will be in people’s homes within the next three days. By now, those of state pension age will have received a Winter Fuel Allowance from the government of between £100 - £300, and Food Bank Aid has set up a new initiative called Eat or Heat, requesting that those residents who do not need that additional income make an equivalent donation to Food Bank Aid www.justgiving.com/foodbankaid. As well as doing a mitzvah by feeding those who are hungry, the act of doing the mitzvah, itself, is also a reflective mitzvah for ourselves. If nothing else, it helps us as individuals and as a community to maintain a perspective about life and how, generally speaking, we are in a very privileged position.
FPS People’s Page people welcome to new members
condolences
Olivia Sopel; Roger and Carol Frankel
Marilyn Branston on the death of husband Neil; Raymond Dwek on the death of brother-in-law Richard Abram
mazal tov
Robert Bud on his MBE for services to the Science Museum!; Myra and Gunter Lawson on their 60th wedding anniversary in December; Gillian & Barry Jay on their 60th wedding anniversary in January; Siam Goorwich & Greg Williams on their engagement; Eden SilverMyer & Tom Fry on their new home in Didcot; Elliott Karstadt & Yael Tischler on their move to Finchley; The O’Connor family now living in Liverpool
rosh chodesh group
The last Rosh Chodesh meeting of 2021 was held on the last night of Chanukah and celebrated the end of an era, as Wika Dorosz handed the organising baton on to Andrea Narcin. We presented gifts and said thank you for an amazing run of meetings with topics ranging from Fashion and Modesty, Jewish Humour, Women Philosophers, to Lilith and Eve, Death, Food, and Decluttering. All this with many personal stories and much reminiscing. Wika really has been amazing as organiser and
Rosh Chodesh Chanukah candle lighting
happy birthday to the following members
who celebrate milestone birthdays in February: Andrea Collett, Daniel Dolan, Renzo Fantoni, Nina Jacobson, Mary-Jane Low A note about Family Announcements. Please let the office know when you have good news to share, grandchildren born, photos, joy to mark. We want to capture them all. So please help us not to miss your life cycle moments. shofar@fps.org/pauline@fps.org
deserves a well-earned break – though I’m sure she has already launched herself into many more activities. Her shoes are not easy to fill! The New Year started with a small group of us meeting up on Zoom to share our musical favourites, ranging from Opera to Jazz - a very diverse and interesting set of choices. After a short discussion, the idea of Women in Engineering was put forward for our next meeting, so the next Rosh Chodesh will be at 8 pm on Tuesday 1st February, and we will be talking about Women in Engineering. At present we are keeping our options open as to whether to meet on Zoom or in person, depending on how the Covid situation develops. If online, I will send out a link nearer the day so if anyone would like to attend, please email me and I will add you to the mailing list. Please do join us, and if you have a particular interest in the topic, please do contact me to help plan it! andrea_narcin@yahoo.co.uk See you there. Andrea Narcin
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Beit Tefillah
services at fps
Join us either at FPS or via Zoom, Facebook or FPS YouTube channel
services – june / sivan leading into tamuz
services- february / tevet - shvat
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Friday 4 February
6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 5 February
11.00am Shabbat B’yachad Service
Friday 11 February
6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 12 February
11.00am Shabbat Service
Friday 18 February
6.30pm Shabbat Resouled
Saturday 19 February
Shabbat Service online and in person at LJS for LJ@120
Friday 25 February
6.30pm Kabbalat Shabbat Service
Saturday 26 February
11.00am Shabbat Service
Beit Knesset
community events, all welcome!
monday afternoon club returns!
Following the phenomenal response to the Chanukah tea, the idea evolved to resurrect the Monday Afternoon Club. I remember my parents, Selina and Hymie Shulman , enjoying this time to socialise. Sadly, they both died many years ago but I can imagine them being highly amused that I am helping Beverley Kafka in restarting the MAC. The Club will meet on the first Monday of the month, beginning on February 7, from 3-5pm when tea, coffee, and cake will be served. A voluntary donation (privately gifted into a money box) will cover the cost of refreshments. There could possibly be a rota of activities and all suggestions will be considered. Does this appeal to you? If so, please email me at barbara@fps.org including any dietary requirements. Hope to see you there! Barbara Shulman 9
Beit Midrash
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coming up at fps
Creative FPS
community members
creative projects at fps
Over the years I have been involved in several ‘beautifying’ projects at FPS. Let me just highlight two of the most ambitious and satisfying ones. Both were executed by almost the same group of FPS members under the guidance and supervision of the artist Linda Gevertz, who we will hear from, in more detail, in the next article. The first - dating back to 2002 - involved creating two large tapestries in the sanctuary: one representing Day and the other one Night. They are mostly embroidered, with the use of some other techniques as well. At the synagogue, you can see the names of the people involved on a small wooden plaque underneath. Here are some photos of the work in progress:
The tapestries took us a couple of years, but we enjoyed it so much that we decided to expand into making embroidered covers for the chairs on the bimah. Here we followed our individual inspiration, so they are all very different, as you can see in the photo. The group had bonded and we began
looking for the next project! We decided to make several silk tallitot for women - again, with very individual designs but conforming to the same unusual colour scheme, so they are all quite distinctive. In keeping with our liberal values of gender equality, we were keen to encourage women to wear a tallit in services. (They are available in special pouches in the cupboard under the prayer books in the corridor - just ask a welcomer!) It was a steep learning curve, as we had no experience of painting on silk, tying the fringes etc. I remember we started by going to an exhibition of silk painting. But we were ready for the 60th anniversary of our synagogue in 2013! Wika Dorosz fps shul beautification - a retrospective
I am writing this article after a phone call from Monica Rabinowitz, our new Shofar editor. Gosh, now I will have to rack my brain and go back nearly forty nine years and four rabbis that’s how long my husband Leon and I have belonged to FPS. Continued on page 12 11
Creative FPS fps shul beautification / cont. from p.11
I was always painting from a very young age and at fifteen, I went to the City and Guilds Art School for a four year Fine Art degree in Etching and Engraving; afterwards, a two year course at the London School of Printing. At the shul, I ran both Gan and the Guild, catering for all the kiddushim and celebrations with a hard-working team of volunteers. Frank Hellner, who was our first rabbi, suggested we have covers made for the lecterns, which were box-like; dark and heavy in every respect. After some research, we appointed the young Lee Sinclair, instead - now a retired bespoke furniture maker - to build the new lecterns you see today. The money that was charged for the kiddushim was applied towards this purpose. The next project was the six chairs we still sit on; again designed by Lee Sinclair, originally with cream-coloured fabric. Each chair was paid for by a member of the congregation. Next, we had Mark Goldsmith as rabbi. The synagogue was going through a period of decoration and it was decided to cover the chairs. With a team of synagogue ladies, I based my designs on the first days of the Creation. It took a year - we each worked at home and met every few weeks at my home to review the progress. Mark now came up with the idea for two wall hangings to decorate the very blank and colourless walls - an extension of the one you see today - was in progress and we were given a narrow space behind what is now the library. This took a lot of designing and the hangings are a combination of painting, embroidery, collage in fabric, and relief. I decided to stretch a large canvas that stayed on one of my easels, which 12
community members
we would bring out into a classroom to work on. Some were done in situ and the reliefs were taken home and brought together. It took two years to do the Day tapestry. The candle sticks were copies of mine and the tallit were inspired by my husband Leon’s and David Pelham’s stylishly colourful one. We then had Neil Janes as our rabbi. During that time, water had been coming down from the flat roof above the ark and my husband and I had repaired and relined it many times. A member of the shul passed away and a large sum of money was left as a bequest, and with it, it was decided to redo the entire ark. Once again, we used Lee Sinclair. The organ at the time was usually in one place and a wall hanging, designed by myself, embroidered by Sara Rosen-Webb, still hangs there today. Now we come to our present Rabbi Rebecca, who had the idea to record all the babies blessed by creating a binder. We are now on our second. This was new to me, so I studied the binders at Westminster Synagogue where the Czech Scrolls are displayed. Rebecca also had the idea for womens’ tallitot. I enlisted the help of the late Ilse Dorset’s daughter, who gave us a master class in silk painting, and a few of us embarked on our own designs, which was not an easy task. Without naming individuals, I would like to thank everyone who has helped and put up with my criticisms. I cannot be doing repairs forever, so if someone would like to take my place and enjoys using their hands - either painting, embroidery, sewing, building, or many other projects - I would be happy to train you. It is a very worthwhile job - the outcome has stood the test of time. Linda Gevertz
Synagogues Around the Globe These photos of beautiful and eclectic synagogue interiors were contributed by FPS members who have travelled to far-reaching destinations. The collection of images convey a range of forms, construction methods, building materials, regional characteristics, and time periods.
community members
Have you had the opportunity to visit any of these synagogues? Whether from memory, knowledge, or imagination, consider where in the world each of these synagogues might be located… (answers can be found on page 14)
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start the year as you mean to go on
I decided to donate my hair to The Liitle Princess Trust and raise muchneeded funds for them to make wigs for young people who have lost their hair to cancer. A friend, a couple of years ago, came into school and announced that she would be cutting her hair, which she had grown from birth, and would be donating it to charity. It immediately got me thinking how brave and kind she was - to have the hair she had grown all her life, cut and given to other young people who needed it more. It really inspired me! And so I decided to follow in her footsteps and grow my hair through COVID. So, for the last two years, my hair took its course.
Finally, my hair was long enough to cut. I was so nervous! After having long hair for so long, the thought of cutting my hair short terrified me. But, I kept my focus and constantly reminded myself of my friend and why I am doing this. I cut my hair on Thursday 6 January 2022. With the encouragement and support of my family and friends, I was able to raise in excess of £700 for the charity which will make a real difference. I was overwhelmed by the support I received. I really didn’t expect to raise this amount of money. I am very thankful to everyone who donated. It taught me that if I set my mind on something, with courage and determination, I can achieve anything I want to. And...my hair is short now, but it will grow back in no time. I hope this inspires others, like it did me… Lilibeth Rabbett
Synagogue Interiors From Around the Globe 1. Synagogue Rykestrasse, Berlin, Germany; 2. Sinagoga, Pesaro, Italy; 3. Great Synagogue of Rome, Italy; 4. Belfast Jewish Community, Northern Ireland; 5. Norrkoping Synagogue, Sweden; 6. Kazinczy Street Synagogue, Budapest, Hungary; 7. Salat al-Azama Synagogue, Marrakesh, Morocco; 8. Central Sofia Synagogue, Bulgaria; 9. Etz Hayyim Synagogue, Crete, Greece; 10. Sephardic Old Synagogue, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 11. Temple Beth Sholom of Roslyn, NY, USA; 12. Spanish Synagogue, Prague, Czech Republic Photo credits: Rabbi Rebecca Birk, Richard Dale, Barry Kafka, Josie Kinchin, Monica Rabinowitz, Peggy Sherwood, Beverly Sperry, tbsroslyn.org
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Above: Our Ivriah class has a virtual trip to Haifa; right: Maia helping Lilibeth with her Hebrew at Ivriah
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Contacts
fps website: www.fps.org
finchley progressive synagogue
Alan Banes
54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR 020 8446 4063 www.fps.org facebook.com/finchleyprog Rabbi Rebecca Birk – rabbi@fps.org
Vice Presidents: Cathy Burnstone, Renzo Fantoni, Josie Kinchin, Alex KinchinSmith, Laura Lassman, Lionel King Lassman, John Lewis, Andrea Rappoport, Joan Shopper
Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner
contacts
Board of Deputies Reps: Janet Tresman, Stanley Volk
Community Development Manager: Zoe Jacobs – zoe@fps.org Musicians in Residence: Franklyn Gellnick, Dean Staker Synagogue Manager: Pauline Gusack pauline@fps.org
Beit Midrash (Adult Education): Adrian Lister adrian@fps.org Beit Tefillah (Rites & Practices): Valerie Joseph valerie@fps.org Community Support Coordinator: Beverley Kafka, beverley@fps.org
executive 2021
Chair: Tamara Joseph, chair@fps.org Vice Chair: Ann Pelham, apelham@fps.org Treasurer: Roy Balint-Kurti, treasurer@fps.org Honorary Secretary: Paula Kinchin-Smith honsec@fps.org board members
Gordon Greenfield, gordon@fps.org Beverley Kafka, beverley@fps.org Sam King, sam@fps.org Mike Rocks, mike@fps.org
Website Editor: Philip Karstadt fpswebsite@fps.org Shofar Editor: Monica Rabinowitz shofar@fps.org Shofar Team: Deb Hermer, Wika Dorosz & FPS Staff; shofar@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: Paul Silver-Myer, paulsm@fps.org Life Presidents: Sheila King Lassman,
ashley page insurance brokers Commerce House 2a Litchfield Grove London N3 2TN Tel. 020 8349 5100
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