CTJC Bulletin Pesach 2019

CTJC magazine

Pesach

Nisan 5779 April 2019

CTJC Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation Magazine number 125

Contents From the Editor........................................................................................ 3 From the Chair ......................................................................................... 4 Community news ..................................................................................... 5 Communal information ........................................................................... 5 New CTJC Trustees................................................................................... 9 Pesach practicalities ................................................................................ 9 Pesach message ..................................................................................... 10 Shabbaton at Gunthorpe Hall ................................................................ 12 The Shabbaton weekend ....................................................................... 16 How to Eat Matzah ................................................................................ 17 Edgeware shul visit Thompson’s Lane ................................................... 18 Reflections on religious soundscapes in Cambridge ............................. 20 The Devil's Diary: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich ...................................................................................................... 23 A lost tradition and a found portfolio.................................................... 25 Jewish Women’s Voices......................................................................... 28 Faces in the Void.................................................................................... 28 Flourless chocolate chip cookies ........................................................... 30 Festival calendar 5779, 2019 ................................................................. 32 Views expressed in this bulletin do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor, nor of the Committee of the CTJC

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From the Editor Jane Liddell-King Shalom All, A huge thank you to Jonathan Allin and to Barry Landy who have given their time and expertise to producing this journal, and thank you to all of you who have generously contributed.

Like you, I am looking back to Purim and forward to Pesach. Perhaps you too are chewing over the differences between the wrath of G-d which, in the wilderness years, Moses mitigates, and human rage which we witness daily in war zones, on the street in knife crimes and, in rhetoric which threatens to explode into violence. Megillat Esther exposes human rage: Ahasuerus banishes, or perhaps drowns, Vashti, his wife, because she will not gratify him and his drunken companions; Haman is furious with the considerate and literally unbending Mordechai and, ultimately, unforgettably, the story of a woman’s courage and of Jewish survival, ends in vengeance and bloodletting which we are asked to see as justice liberating us from our enemies.

As we well know, the Haggadah is yet another liberation narrative.

Perhaps we are tempted to echo the triumphalist mode of Moses’ song as he and his people reach safety. Reading this for the very first time, a young friend of mine asked “Why does He big himself up? Do they always have to big themselves up?” Coincidentally, we had just watched a programme about the war in Yemen, a war in which, every ten minutes, a child dies, needlessly caught in a brutal power struggle.

As my young friend spoke indignantly, voicing her idealistic wish for a politics of compassion and egalitarianism, I struggled to remember a transformative Midrash, one that would convince her that her traditional Jewish heritage had at its heart, something vital, something to compel her attention, something that would make sense to her.

Eventually I found the much quoted Agadah, Midrash Avkir; B. Sanh 39b. It seems worth repeating here:

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When the Holy One was about to drown the Egyptians in the sea, Uzza, heavenly prince of Egypt, rose up and prostrated himself before the Holy One, saying Master of the Universe, you created the world by the measure of mercy. Why then do You wish to drown my children? The Holy One gathered the entire heavenly household and said to them: you be the judge between Me and Uzza, prince of Egypt. At that, the heavenly princes of the other nations began to speak up on behalf of Egypt. When Michael perceived this, he gave the sign to Gabriel, who in one swoop darted down to Egypt, where he pulled out a brick with its clay, enclosing a [dead] infant who had been immured alive in the structure. He then came back, stood before the Holy One, and said: Master of the Universe, thus did the Egyptians enslave Your children. Whereupon the Holy One sat in judgment over the Egyptians in accord with the measure of justice and drowned them in the sea.

In that instant the ministering angels wished to utter a song before the Holy One, but He rebuked then, saying, “The works of My hands are drowning in the sea, and you would utter song in My presence!”

Doubtless, you all know this by heart. But for my young friend and me it was more than a welcome matzo ball for thought! ‫חג פסח שמח‬

From the Chair Jonathan Allin Welcome to the Pesach CTC magazine. Once again we have a glorious, kosher lePesach, smorgasbord of articles.

No doubt the highlight of the year was our weekend at Gunthorpe Hall.

We want to repeat this, or a similar event, perhaps biannually. This is with the fundamental tenet that no-one is excluded because of expense. Thanks must go to Julian, Jo, and Helen for pulling off what to many seemed crazy and impossible in the time available. We’re also Page 4

grateful to the Centre of Community Excellence and the Office of the Chief Rabbi, who underwrote a significant portion of the cost.

The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the UK is rising relentlessly, and we cannot think that we are immune in our Cambridge bubble. We need to ensure our personal safety and our safety in shul.

Outreach is always an important function of our community, but it’s especially important in these difficult times. The rise in anti Semitism is at least partly caused by ignorance. Ros and Lauren regularly visit schools and host school visits, which does much to combat this ignorance. We also need to continue our support for the Board of Deputies and their unstinting outreach work. Robert Marks, as our Board of Deputies representative, provides an invaluable and informative link to the Board.

There is a strong likelihood that Thompson’s Lane shul will be rebuilt.

Although the students are the primary stakeholders, the local community must also have a voice. I’m hopeful that in the next month or so we can arrange a community meeting which will provide an opportunity to review plans, discuss ideas, and consider how we can (or should) be involved in the project.

Together with Lauren and our family, may I wish you ‫חג כשר ושמח‬.

Community news Congratulations

‫מזל טוב‬

The family of Susan Shay is proud to announce that Susan has been awarded a PhD from Cambridge University in Heritage Studies. We congratulate Dr. Susan Shay

New CTJC Trustees Barry Landy, Stefan Reif, Sarah Schechter (Trustees) At a meeting of the Trustees on 24 February, 2019, the Trustees elected Yoav Git and Jacob Benjamin Blaukopf as additional Trustees of the CTJC.

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Communal information Who does what Chair Treasurer Secretary CTJC community rabbi Magazine CUJS liaison Kiddushim Board of Deputies Gabbai and synagogue Building

Jonathan Allin Jo Landy Barry Landy Rabbi Reuven Leigh Jane Liddell-King Jo Landy Jonathan Harris Robert Marks Yoav Git Tim Goldrein

Services in the Synagogue Friday evening

Shabbat morning Sunday morning

In Term: Winter Ma'ariv 6.00pm Summer Minchah and Ma'ariv 7.30pm In Vacation: Check the website, www.ctjc.org.uk 9.30am in the Synagogue 8.00am in the Synagogue (most weeks)

Leining If you would like to learn to lein, take a service, or read a haftarah, please contact Yoav or Ben.

Learning, Talmud Shiur Usually 8.00 pm at 23 Parsonage Street, led by Prof. Stefan Reif. The group is currently studying Masechet Betza. The shiur is held on a convenient evening in those weeks when Prof Reif is in Cambridge. For more information email chevra@ctjc.org.uk.

Kosher meat and groceries Derby Stores (26 Derby St, Newnham, 354391) stock prepacked Kosher groceries and meat, and will buy to order. They get fresh from London midday Thursday, and stay open till 8pm. Sainsbury's in Coldham's Lane Page 6

also stocks a range of Kosher Goods including frozen chicken legs.

Ocado has some Kosher foods in its delivery list.

Kiddushim Kiddushim really help to make Shabbat morning special. If you would like to sponsor a kiddush, please email kiddushim@ctjc.org.uk.

Hospital visiting Contact Sarah Schechter (329172), Tirzah Bleehen (354320) for coordination if you wish to volunteer to help, or need to organise some visits.

Rabbi Reuven Leigh (354603), Barry Landy (570417), and others are prepared to attend hospitals to read prayers.

Due to personal privacy concerns the hospital no longer informs us when Jewish patients are admitted. If you wish to be visited, please let one of the above know when you are about to enter hospital.

Chevra Kadisha The Cambridge Jewish Residents' Association (CJRA) Chevra Kadisha, which follows orthodox rites, is available to members of the CTJC. Contact Brendel Lang, secretary (353301), Robert Marks, treasurer (07791 788 584), or Barry Landy (570417).

Religious events For services, bar mitzvahs, weddings, brit milah etc, contact Rabbi Leigh (354603) or Barry Landy (570417).

For up to date community information please visit the CTJC web site: www.ctjc.org.uk.

Subscriptions and donations Members who have not yet paid their subscription for this year (201819) should now do so, together with the Board of Deputies levy (£30), the levy to the Chief Rabbi’s Office (£8 which should be paid by each male member), and any donations to the UJIA, the CTJC, or the Cambridge Chaplaincy that you wish to make.

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Donations to the Community Rabbi Fund will be used to support our promise to contribute to our Rabbi’s activities.

The subscription fees for 2018/2019, as agreed at the AGM, are: Full family £205.00 Associate family £138.00 Full single £142.00 Associate single £91.00 These fees may be varied to suit individual circumstances. The Treasurer will be pleased to be consulted confidentially.

The subscription may be paid by direct bank transfer to sort code 2017-19 account 20199192, in which case please send an explanatory email to the treasurer at treasurer@ctjc.org.uk.

Alternatively send a cheque, payable to CTJC, together with this slip indicating how much is being paid in each category, to Jo Landy, 52 Maids Causeway Cambridge CB5 8DD Name: Address:

Subscription: Community Rabbi Fund donation: CTJC donation: Board of Deputies: Chief Rabbi’s Office: UJIA donation: Chaplaincy donation: Total: Visitors for whom membership is not appropriate are invited to make a donation.

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CTJC is a registered Charity, number 282849. Payment from tax-paid income can be made by Gift Aid, which will enable the CTJC to recover the tax paid. A suitable declaration is available from the Secretary at secretary@ctjc.org.uk.

To join the CTJC email list please send an email to secretary@ctjc.org.uk or chair@ctjc.org.uk.

Pesach practicalities Rabbi Reuven Leigh

Communal Seder Friday 19 April at 8:45pm and Saturday 20 April at 9:30pm Join us for an enchanting Passover Seder. Relive the Exodus, discover the eternal meaning of the Haggadah, and enjoy a Communal Seder complete with hand-baked matzah, wine, and a wonderful dinner spiced with unique and traditional customs.

Looking forward to celebrating with you! To RSVP you must visit and register at www.cuchabad.org/seder.

Sale of Chametz To sell your chametz please fill in the form at www.cuchabad.org/chametz and return to me no later than Wednesday 17 April.

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A Pesach message Board of Deputies president, Marie van der Zyl We live in challenging times. Over the past 12 months, it seems our community has been on the receiving end of more abuse, intimidation and insults than at any time in living memory. And the most troubling thing about this antisemitism crisis is that it does not emanate from the fringes of our society as in the past but from the main party of opposition.

There is a parallel to be drawn with the story of Pesach. Back in Egypt, we were slaves and we demanded our freedom.

When this was denied, our people fled in order to make new lives in their own land.

Of course, our situation is very different.

While there is antisemitism in the UK, we are free here and our community has and continues to live happily and contentedly. And while many of us aspire to make lives in Israel, we are certainly not fleeing anywhere.

Antisemitism is a problem we are meeting head on. When this time last year we said, “Enough is Enough� and we demonstrated outside Parliament, we meant it. I and my team at the Board of Deputies will not rest until the evil of anti-Jewish racism is banished from our political discourse.

We cannot achieve this on our own. At tough times like these we need friends both inside and outside the community. We and our communal partners need to cooperate to find a way through this most worrying of times and we all need to display a united front against the antisemites.

Recently, our lobbying played a part in Chris Williamson MP being suspended by the Labour Party after one Jew-baiting remark too many.

And it was our efforts and those of our communal partners which

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resulted in Labour adopting the international definition of antisemitism after much prevarication last summer.

Although antisemitism is undoubtedly our number one challenge of the moment, we are not a single-issue organisation. We exist to ensure that the UK’s Jewish community can live freely, happily and continue to practise our traditions. The Board of Deputies played a prominent role in campaigning for the terrorist group Hizballah to be banned in its entirety. I am happy to say that the Government listened and responded by ending the artificial distinction between Hizballah’s political and military wings.

We made a significant intervention into the Government’s legislation on organ donation. As we moved from an opt-in system to an opt-out one, we acted to ensure that Jews of all denominations were protected, by influencing Government to provide legally worded letters of guidance. We also managed to obtain compromises from the Department for Education on relationships and sex education that will allow all parts of our community to teach according to their ethos.

This is but a snapshot of the work we do week-in, week-out for our community over a vast range of issues. With your support we will carry on safeguarding our rights and speaking out on the issues that matter.

This festival of freedom reminds us how our ancestors suffered, and how lucky we are in comparison. Our aim is to ensure our children and grandchildren continue to prosper.

Chag sameach to you all.

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Shabbaton at Gunthorpe Hall Julian Landy Way back in the mists of time (2014) the community had a wonderful weekend away from Cambridge at Ickworth. It was hugely successful both socially and communally, cementing relationships built previously only on shul attendance.

Many of us have tried to recreate the experience. Somehow or other it was never quite the right time. There was always something in the way.

Late last year the committee of CTJC met as usual, one dark and stormy night. After struggling over the issues of our complicated community for many hours one brave and noble soul once again raised the subject of a second away weekend for the whole community. The same objections were raised as previously: too late, too early, too expensive, too much work etc. However, this time a brilliant decision was made: to delegate the problem so that the committee remained blameless.

Three of those present “volunteered� their respective spouses to organise something. Doubtless in the reasonable expectation that nothing much would happen.

The three reluctant activists talked and made a few calls. Obviously the best plan would be to return to Ickworth. But woe! Ickworth no longer permitted self-catering. So a new venue had to be located.

There are remarkably few places that permit a group of thirty or so people to self-cater. In fact, looking all over the region plus London and the East Midlands, there was just one.

Gunthorpe Hall is in the north of Norfolk, about ten miles from the coast. Jo and Julian agreed to do a reconnaissance in early January.

Both had various ailments that prevented them travelling. Eventually Helen went to inspect with Julian.

It is a strange place. In Cambridge or Jewish terms, it is a very long way beyond the back of beyond. A big house, with quirky decor and slightly Page 12

eccentric owners, was available. And they had a big kitchen which it was obvious Reuven would love to kosher. So it was booked. But for what date? After some thought it seemed right that the Chairman and his lovely lady had to be present. Which meant their availability determined our dates. By some miracle the chosen Shabbat was that designated “ShabbatUK” by the Chief Rabbi.

Now the volunteers met again to plan the details. One would do the money, one the room allocation, one the drafting and two the food.

Reuven was told the theme was to be Jewish food. And said he would give it some thought.

There were some amazing excuses why people couldn't attend. “My back hurts”, “My mother is having a baby”, “We are going on holiday the next day”, “It’s too far/cold/unknown”, “Oh, my cousin is running in the half-marathon”, “Where?”.

However lots of sensible people applied and attended. And on Friday 1 March the advance party arrived to kosher the kitchen and then cook on a massive scale. On the weekend theme of "Jewish Food".

We peeled and scraped and sautéed and roasted. By 3:30pm, when the others arrived, all was done and we were ready with tea and cakes.

Candle-lighting is always moving when done a mass scale. And then kiddush and motzei, for all thirty-two participants. Followed by a powerful bensching and allround schmooze.

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On Shabbat morning, after breakfast, our minyan started promptly at 10am. A very good time to daven. Using a Sefer Torah borrowed from Barry for the event. Then kiddush and another delicious meal.

In mid-afternoon Helen gave a talk on mindfulness while eating. After mincha Reuven gave a shiur on what constitutes eating in the Gemara. Then after maariv and havdala, we ate a wonderful dinner.

The highlight for many will have been the elaborate board game devised by Helen, on Jewish food. Her questions were fiendish, particularly those that required the identification of a smell relating to Jewish cooking.

We sat around the dining-table, making guesses that were almost all wrong. It was a hilarious evening with spirits fortified by mutual good humour and a little alcohol. The game must be used again; it was tremendous fun.

All along there was an extensive programme for children, led by Jackie and Rochel. From the frequency of squeals of delight, it was a highly successful programme.

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On Sunday morning, after breakfast, we spent a couple of hours clearing up. And left for home.

It was a wonderful weekend, which appeared to be universally enjoyed. It certainly both created and reinforced a real feeling of community and enlarged Cambridge family.

We are grateful to the Chief Rabbi's Community Fund for their generous support.

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The Shabbaton weekend Laila Goldrein I really liked the shul weekend so I am writing this report about it.

Accommodation The house was very grand and had lots of collected objects in its passageways and landings. It had lots of staircases and draperies which made it very good for hide-and-seek. Even the kitchen had lots of gathered items in it. The bedrooms were very nice, well placed and organised. The bedding was soft and the pillows were very comfy. Also the rooms had no more and no fewer beds than were needed.

Food The food was delicious and very creative. I especially liked chraimie fish and halva ice cream. The dining room was majestic and we all sat around one gigantical table and the food was placed on the sideboard.

Sometimes we ate in the kitchen which was an altogether less grand room.

Kids' programme The kids' programme was fun and we did stuff like making a Lego mishkan and meeting the sheep.

Sheep I loved the sheep! My special sheep was eleven. I hope we meet sheep again as they are friendly.

Thanks so much everyone who took part in the weekend!

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How to Eat Matzah Rabbi Reuben Leigh The overriding theme which dominated the recent wonderful CTJC Shabbaton was food. Not just because there was so much of it as you might expect from such an affair, but as part of the intense preparations for the weekend, the steering committee decided upon a range of creative ways to explore the mysteries of Jewish food culture.

From a Sephardi themed Friday night dinner to an Ashkenazi lunch and from a calming session on mindful eating to a riproarious late night food quiz.

Keeping with the theme I prepared a Shabbos afternoon learning session on the ins and outs of eating in halacha. To be more precise, the question under investigation was what does it mean when the verb to eat is mentioned in the Torah, either in the context of telling us how something is forbidden to eat (such as the prohibition to eat chametz on Pesach) or when it is telling us how we are obliged to eat something (such as the mitzvah to eat Matzah on Pesach)? Can we say we have eaten something if we only take a bite, a nibble, just a taste, or a small snack?

(Important disclaimer: It is always prohibited to eat even miniscule amounts of prohibited foods. The question is under what conditions would it be punishable) In short, for something to constitute a halachically binding act of eating it needs to fulfil four requirements: one must swallow (1) a specified amount of food (2), prepared in its usual fashion (3), in a specific timeframe (4). Now, each one of these requirements is subject to extensive wrangling by halachik commentators, with a whole range of opinions on the importance of digestion, the exact volume of food, the relevance of diverse food cultures, and the exact length of time in which it needs to be eaten. All of which has real life implications as we prepare for Pesach and are required ‘to eat’ matzah on seder night.

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Practically speaking, one should try to eat at least half a machine-baked matzah or a quarter of a hand - baked matzah within four minutes to fulfil the obligation of eating matzah on seder night.

These conditions and parameters on how to experience and relive the freedom of leaving Egypt suggest that, what awaits us, is an entirely new form of servitude and obedience. I wonder if, when Emmanuel Levinas called his collection of essays on Judaism Difficult Freedom, he had some of this in mind.

Chag Sameach!!!

The day Edgware came to Cambridge Carroll Raphael, Edgeware It was on Tuesday, 26th March that forty-five active retirees, all members of Edgware United Synagogue, came to Cambridge, principally to view the Cairo Genizah at the University Library. But that wasn’t the only highlight of the day. They had loaded their coach with Hermolis sandwiches, drinks, snacks, fruit, and sweets (seemingly enough to sustain a small army for a week!), but where to consume these goodies?

Cometh the hour, cometh the Shul. A couple of emails from the trip organisers to Rabbi Leigh and Jonathan Allin and up stepped CTJC in the form of Ros and Barry Landy. They were the perfect hosts, warm and welcoming, humorous and so generous, and all of the Edgware-ites fortunate enough to have met them were bowled over by their hospitality.

After davening mincha in your lovely Shul it was off to the Library for the second highlight of the day. So, a huge thank you to your wonderful kehillah from all at EUS.

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Edgeware shul visit Thompson’s Lane Ros Landy 26 March saw a joyous visit from an Edgware Synagogue culture group.

They lunched in the Cambridge shul and after an explanatory talk from Ros Landy about the founding and structure of the shul, walked around the historic city centre. They then visited the University Library where they enjoyed a talk on the Geniza and viewed its precious documents.

The lively group explored the family connections with people in Cambridge. One of the visitors had escaped Libya with his brother in 1959 by getting a place at the Cambridge Technical College and he has known Barry Landy since then. Many of the visitors had had children at Cambridge University. It was a fun visit with laughter and camaraderie.

Thanks were given to the London organiser, Carroll Raphael, and thanks were expressed to Rosalind Landy for facilitating the lunch arrangements and to Barry Landy for organising the shul heating, lighting and the Shabbat kettle.

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Reflections on religious soundscapes in Cambridge Reprinted by kind permission of the Woolf Institute.

Abigail Wood Senior Lecturer in Music, University of Haifa and Sir Mick and Lady Barbara Davis Visiting Fellow, Woolf Institute A hymn with choir and organ wafts through my window in central Cambridge as I sit reading on a Saturday afternoon.

A female undergraduate lets out an audible sigh of pride mixed with relief as she finishes reading a short passage from a Torah scroll in a side room at the synagogue on Thompson’s lane.

I share a recording of the adhan (Muslim call to prayer) with a colleague: this is a common sound in Haifa but not in Cambridge.

Walking through central Cambridge: a violinist playing “Despacito”, a street preacher, a folk band, two silent Jehovah’s witnesses.

The clicking of the side door to the synagogue at 7:50am draws one of the men already participating in the prayer service to poke his head around the corner: is the newcomer a man who will complete the minyan [quorum of 10] required in order to continue with the prayers?

Walking home in drizzly darkness from the library I hear intricate bell ringing - with a slightly lumpy rhythm - in Market Square: a rehearsal of the English tradition of change ringing.

Silence, as a few hundred people stand in central Cambridge for an interfaith vigil in memory of the Muslim worshippers killed in the Christchurch attack.

Much has been written about the musical practices of diverse religious communities, but focusing on the “music itself” often leads us to forget the much wider roles played by sound in everyday religious lives. The Page 20

sounds of religious community mark seasons and times; they can indicate a proud, self-conscious continuation of tradition or mark a moment of change; they can surprise outsiders or supply precise information to insiders about the life of the community: who has just walked through the door, who has learned a new skill, who joins in and who is hesitant or confused. Sounds can sculpt shared moments or can emphasise enduring religious claims to physical and spiritual territory: while we might rarely step beyond the door of the religious places of others, sound travels through walls and can often penetrate public spaces, competing for our attention with the bustle of secular life.

Sonic difference has often articulated points of difference among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. In recent years, media attention has focused on legal battles surrounding the Muslim call to prayer in non-Muslim countries: should religious sounds be exempt from city noise legislation? Such debates highlight the subjective nature of ‘noise’: while the adhan is often heard by outsiders as an intrusive sound, church bells are sometimes heard by the same listeners as ‘natural’ and desirable. Further, in European thought, “noise” often indicates an ethical, not just aesthetic, judgment. Musicologist Ruth HaCohen1 has recently traced the of association of Jews with “noise” through Western-Christian culture from the Middle Ages to modernity. From Chaucer, Pepys, and Shakespeare to nineteenth-century reports of visits to synagogues, an idealised harmony repeatedly figures as Christian, pure and Godly, whereas the unharmonious and chattering noise of the Jews was held to reflect their outsider status and moral inferiority. In turn, Jewish and Islamic religious thought about sound and music reflects concern for the precision in the sounds uttered in prayer and textual study, combined with suspicion of the power of music to lead the heart astray.

In Cambridge, the Christian foundations of the university continue to infuse the public soundscape: bells reverberating through closed courtyards remind College communities, today encompassing people of many and no faiths, that chapels lie at their geographical and architectural heart, and the cavernous Reading Room of the University library retains a cathedral-like silence and hushed decorum reflecting the cultivation of cultural spaces as new kinds of cathedrals in the nineteenth century, if now punctuated by the clatter of laptop keys.

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Yet sounds of cultural and religious difference are also shaping Cambridge research today, including the Woolf Institute’s “Living in Harmony” project and Matthew Machin-Autenrieth’s “Past and Present Musical Encounters across the Strait of Gibraltar” ERC-funded research group.

In the vibrant and loud Jewish tradition of Talmud study, the best chavruta (study partner) is one who challenges your thinking rather than echoing your own thoughts. Having spent the last ten years or so researching soundscapes in Israel, with a particular focus on the articulation of identity and inter-communal relations, the Visiting Fellowship at the Woolf Institute has given me a welcome opportunity to access a kaleidoscope of ideas and build new chavrutot, meeting and conversing with Cambridge colleagues working in similar fields.

Browsing the University’s unparalleled library holdings, hearing guest lectures on many topics at the Woolf Institute and further afield, and participating in seminars and reading groups has offered space for me to test and refine my own ideas among colleagues familiar with very different sonic and academic contexts. I am grateful to the Woolf Institute and its generous donors for the opportunity to spend a term in such a rich environment in which to research, discuss… and listen.

1

https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300194777/music-libel-againstjews

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The Devil's Diary: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich

By Robert K Whitman and David Kinney, Copyright 2016 Published by Collins, 510pp including copious notes and an index Barry Landy Alfred Rosenberg was the theoretician of the Nazi Party, certainly in his own eyes. As early as 1920 he planted in Hitler's mind the central myth of the Nazi Party, that a global cabal of Jewish bankers controlled the world and had betrayed Germany in the First World War. In due course he published “The Myth of the Twentieth Century” which sold more than a million copies and was, alongside Mein Kampf, a central text of Nazi doctrine. He was in the party from its inception not long after the end of the First World War right until the trial in Nuremberg in 1945/6 where he was condemned and hanged.

The central part of this book is the history of the Nazi Party from 1920 to 1946 as illustrated from the pages of Rosenberg's diary. This diary had been discovered when prosecutors were searching through the mountains of papers which had been stored in a fairy-tale castle by a larger than life figure called Kurt von Behr. These papers all belonged to Rosenberg and were being kept so that a proper history of the Reich could be written after victory; after defeat von Behr gave them over to the winners and committed suicide. In this vast cache of paper were found a 500-page handwritten diary which was Rosenberg's day by day commentary on the period. Mysteriously it then disappeared, not to resurface again until 2013. The first part of the book is the story of the finding, losing, and rediscovery of this diary. The bulk of the book is the now familiar story of the growth of the Nazi party from small beginnings, through Hitler's takeover of the German state, to the debacle of 1945, all seen through the lens of Rosenberg's eyes. Although he was the “philosopher” of the party, and demanded a status to match, he Page 23

continually lost out in power struggles as he was not really a man who did things, and in the stress of wartime actions and not words were needed. This interplay between people whose names and actions are horrifyingly familiar (Hitler, Goering, Goebbels, Himmler) and Rosenberg, who is less familiar, provides an illuminating counterpoint to the actual military facts and gives an insight into the madness at the core of the party.

Still loyal at the end of the war, he fled to Denmark trying in vain to escape the allied armies but was captured and put on trial with the other Nazi leaders in Nuremberg.

The final section of the book is about the unique Nuremberg trials, the first time in history that a proper legal process was put in place to deal with war time atrocities, and which has been well documented in many places.

Tying the whole book together is the life story of Robert Kempner, one of the Nuremberg prosecutors.

It is very interesting that after so much has been written, and so much discovered, about the people who led the Third Reich, a diary kept in secret and discovered and rediscovered by chance can shed more light on the characters of the principals involved.

I thoroughly recommend reading this book for any student of the history of the Nazi party and the Second World War.

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A lost tradition and a found portfolio Stefan C Reif At some point in the eleventh century, a competent scribe in Eretz Yisrael with a delightful Hebrew hand decided to commit to writing the text of the Passover Haggadah known to him from his youth. He probably then escaped the clutches of the Crusaders and settled in Egypt, taking his text with him. Like many of his fellow Jews from the Holy Land, he was anxious to ensure that his family traditions were not superseded by the liturgical customs of the leading rabbinic figures in Babylonia, then being preferred and promoted by many local Egyptians.

One of the folios of his Haggadah (T-S H2.152) came to Cambridge University Library with Solomon Schechter’s “hoard” of Cairo Genizah texts in 1897. It is a rich source of customs that were practised in the Holy Land, but not in Babylonia. For that reason, I have often lectured and written on it, drawing attention to its five and not four Hebrew questions in the mah nishtanah, to its instructions in Judeo-Arabic about how to conduct the seder ritual, and to its Aramaic version of the Exodus story. This trilingual division is in itself remarkable. It seems that our scribe was following a tradition to use specific languages for particular types of literary genre.

The order (but not the content) of the mah nishtanah in T-S H2.152 is that of the first or second-century, as recorded in the Mishnah edited around 200 c.e. by Judah the Patriarch. The first and second questions ask why we are twice dipping food into liquid and why we are eating matza and not ordinary bread. The fourth and fifth questions are about eating bitter vegetables and about reclining at the table. Most intriguing is the extra one in the middle, the third in this manuscript.

In the original text, apparently composed when the temple still stood, the question was why we were eating roasted lamb, and not all sorts of other meats. When this was no longer relevant, most communities abandoned the question. Not so the community in Eretz Yisrael from Page 25

which our learned scribe derived. There, they could not bear to abandon the original format so they adjusted the text. They asked why we used to eat roasted lamb when the Temple once stood. Of course, it is not very logical to ask a question about an item that is not present at the current seder but, as Tevye put it: “Tradition!!”

Some time ago, I was preparing an edition of the text of T-S H2.52 for a volume to be published by Brill in Leiden. I had long suspected that this folded piece of vellum was one of at least three or four such double folios (“bifolia”) in what was originally a handsome codex. I was aware that Yaqov and Roni Choueka of the Friedberg Genizah Project in Jerusalem were perfecting computer techniques for linking Genizah fragments scattered around the world in many different centres of learning. It therefore seemed sensible to inquire of Roni whether he could find any match for my Cambridge fragment. Could we recover more of the Haggadah penned by our scribal friend a thousand years ago?

Within a short time, a remarkable reply was received. It had been possible to identify at least one other bifolium that belonged to the same original manuscript. It was brought to London from Cairo by Elkan Nathan Adler (son of Chief Rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler) before Schechter’s pilgrimage to Egypt. Adler had suffered financial losses a quarter of a century later later and had sold his Genizah collection to the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York. The additional bifolium was still there in New York and bore the classmark ENA 2018.3. It covers a later section of the Haggadah known as the ge’ulah (redemption) benediction and includes part of a poetic addition, that is known to Sa‘adya Gaon (882-942) as an optional extra, and in his text commences with the words ‫“( אתה גאלת את אבותינו‬You redeemed our forefathers”).

My scholarly colleagues in the Seminary were kind enough to cooperate and to supply images of the relevant fragment so that some notes on its text could be included in my edition. The New York fragment is one of the few that testify to this extra piece of Haggadah text. Perhaps the remaining missing bifiolia will now be located in other collections. An intriguing and exciting prospect. Meanwhile, those who are interested can find the edited and annotated text, and some plates Page 26

of the manuscript, in my Jewish Prayer Texts from the Cairo Genizah, pp. 235-248.

T-S H2.152: Facsimile reproduced by kind permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library

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Jewish Women’s Voices Ros Landy A sparkling introduction to a largely unknown topic was given by Dr Vanessa Paloma Elbaz on 30 January, the subject being the songs of Jewish women of Northern Morocco. The language used is Haketia, a mixture of Arabic and Spanish written in Hebrew letters, the language of Moroccan Jews. What is fascinating is that the verbs of Haketia have Arabic roots, are written in Hebrew, and conjugated in Spanish fashion.

The history, geography, and literary roots were discussed first, before the lecturer moved on to performing the songs themselves.

Paloma Elbaz accompanied herself on a gut-stringed harp, although more traditionally there is percussion accompanying the lyrics. The songs were varied in age and origin. Explanations were given of the theme of each lyric and for the final song the audience was invited to sing the chorus and to tap percussion instruments.

Elbaz received a rousing round of applause at the end and there was animated discussion amongst the members of the audience. Everyone felt they had been transported to a different realm.

Faces in the Void Ros Landy On January 20 in Fitzwilliam College, Jane Liddell-King and Marion Davies gave a presentation on the Pardubice scroll/Sefer Torah which is on loan to Beth Shalom and from which they read. What a wonderful way to keep the Sefer “living”!

With alternating voices Jane and Marion delivered facts about the scroll’s history, the fate of the Jews of Czechoslovakia, interviews with some survivors of the Shoah, and several poems written by Jane on the themes connected with this time and topic.

By the most marvellous chance, Eva Clarke arrived to listen to the presentation. Eva is a survivor of the camps, having been born in one.

Her family came from the area of Czechoslovakia mentioned by Marion Page 28

and Eva was able to fill in for those present her family’s connection with the area.

The audience at this session was spellbound by the presenters.

Everyone felt that they had been educated and had been drawn in to recent European History.

There was complete silence at the end …. and then a burst of applause.

Jane and Marion get our sincere thanks for an expert and moving exposition of an area of near history in a most engaging and professional manner.

The coda to the fascinating afternoon was a mention of the beautifully produced book, with text and poems by Liddell-King and photographs

by Davies. There is a font of information about the survivors who are few in number and the book carries a glossary for expressions in other languages. It is a book to have and to treasure. The title is “Faces in the Void”, Liddell-King and Davies, published by Shaun Tyas, available from the authors.

Biographical note Marion Davies is a social worker and a prize-winning documentary photographer. Her latest book “Dispersal” was published by Historic England, and she is now taking presentations based on her first book, “Absence and Loss”, to Germany. The connection between Jane and Marion happened when the first images Marion had taken were shown at Michaelhouse, Cambridge. Both of Marion’s daughters are Cambridge University graduates.

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Flourless chocolate chip cookies Gluten-free and delicious Helen Goldrein Do you ever find yourself with loads of something that needs eating soon? That was what happened to me. I had a ton of almond butter that had to be used up, and I was looking to make something yummy so it would be devoured in double-quick time.

These delicious flourless chocolate chip cookies came to the rescue, and they disappeared before I could say “naturally gluten-free”! It wasn’t until later that I realised they’d be perfect for Pesach.

Since then, it’s been my year-round, go-to, chocolate chip cookie recipe. I love almond butter, and it’s packed with omega-3 and omega6 fatty acids and essential micro-nutrients like vitamin E, calcium and potassium. I won’t go so far as to suggest that these deliciously indulgent treats are healthy, but they do have significant advantages over a standard chocolate chip cookie. Each of these scrumptious cookies contains over 4g plant-based protein, and has only around half the fat and a quarter of the carbs of a regular choc chip cookie.

The nutty flavour is quite subtle and much less almondy than some other Pesach cakes. There’s delicious dark chocolate in every bite and the honey adds a delicate but fabulous flavour. They aren’t too crumbly or too soft, but are just right so you can even dunk them.

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Ingredients 250g almond butter 1 egg 115g sugar 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 125g dark chocolate chips

Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet with non-stick paper or a silicon liner 2. Mix together the almond butter, egg, sugar, honey and bicarb till well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix well. (It will look like a lot of chocolate chips!)

3. Scoop tablespoon sized balls of dough (about 30g each) and space well apart on the prepared tray. Bake 8-12 minutes until spread out and golden. If you like your cookies extra flat then press them down with a fork halfway through baking 4. Cool on the tray for a minute or two to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely 5. Eat and enjoy!

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Festival calendar 5779, 2019 Pesach 2019 Anyone who would like to attend a Seder, or who knows someone who would like to attend a Seder, is invited to consult Barry Landy (01223 570417) who will try to arrange a suitable host.

Derby Stores (Cambridge 354391) will take Pesach orders.

Friday 19 April

Saturday 20 April Sunday 21 April Thursday 25 April Friday 26 April Saturday 27 April

Fast of the Firstborn: Shacharit 7:00am Finish all chametz by 10:15am Burning of chametz by 11:39am Festival starts 7:49pm Minchah, Maariv TBA Shacharit 9:30am Minchah, Maariv TBA Shacharit 9:30am Festival ends 8:57pm Festival starts 7:59pm Minchah, Maariv TBA Shacharit 9:30am Minchah, Maariv TBA Shacharit 9:30am Shabbat and Festival end 9:10pm

Shavuot 2019 Shavuot is in University Term, so the services are organised by the students.

Friday 7 June Saturday 8 June

Sunday 9 June Monday 10 June

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Shabbat starts 9:02pm Shacharit 9:30am Shavuot starts at the end of Shabbat, 10:23pm Minchah, Maariv TBA Shacharit 9.30am Shacharit 9.30am Minchah, Maariv TBA Festival ends 10:25pm

Tisha B'Av 2019 Saturday 10 August

Sunday 11 August

Fast commences 8:30pm Shabbat ends 9:28pm Maariv and Eichah 9:45pm Shacharit 8:00am (expected to finish about 10am) Minchah 1:45pm or 6:00pm (to be decided on the day) Fast ends at 9:15pm

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CTJC magazine, Pesach 5779