Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom (Sukkot 5770)

1. From the Rabbi  - As the leaves turn gold.
 
Let me take a brief opportunity to thank everyone who helped make the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services at New London such a success. I was hugely heartened to hear such warm appreciation from so many; new members and old, guests and those of every age. This is however the best time of year to begin planning for next year, so if anyone has any suggestions as to how we might improve, while the metal is hot, please let me know any thoughts rabbi@newlondon.org.uk
 
And now for Sukkot.
 
Sukkot is a moment of national memory. The booths remind us of the tents in which we dwelled as we wandered through the wilderness. Sukkot is also a harvest festival – Hag HaAsif – and as a harvest festival the booths remind us of the flimsy shelters in farmers would spend their nights so they could maximise their time in the fields without having to make a daily commute from their permanent homes. At the end of Sukkot there would be a celebration marking the end of the harvest followed by an abandonment of the booths to the winter. Sukkot is the time of the year where we, as Jews, are most aware of our climate. The leaves on the trees seem to lose their green colour almost on a daily basis. The temperature is dropping. The question, for those of us who are planning a week’s worth of meals outdoors, is how long will the dry spell last?
 
And on the subject of the environment …
 
This year, over Sukkot, I will be looking at Jewish attitudes towards the environment. I’ll look at some of the core Jewish principles which I think should be at the heart of ecological ethic, as a people and as a community, and I will be looking at how Judaism approaches more complex issues than the obvious and frankly simple suggestions of cutting back on our emissions. There are a host of Jewish, and other, organisations, working to educate, persuade and inform us as we attempt to staunch the slide into ecological disaster. Let me recommend The Big Green Jewish Website, a joint initiative of the Board of Deputies and the Noah Project. www.biggreenjewish.org
 
That said, the more I learn the more I feel that there is very little problem with knowledge. We know what is going wrong. We also know what we can do about. I don’t think there is any failure in our sense of trepidation. I am sure we all feel bad about the polar bears and the Mauritians and the rest of it. The great challenge is letting these feelings intrude on our life choices – doing things differently.
 
I wonder if part of our failure to act differently is that we don’t believe in the power of our individual choices to, say, recycle more, drive less, switch off, turn down etc. I wonder if we consider the problem simply too big for our actions to count for anything, and therefore we excuse or justify our own inaction. It’s an easy pattern of though to fall into, but it is, I argue, entirely alien to the Jewish consciousness.

To the Jew every action is important, even ones that seem petty. Jews have, historically, cared about everything, down to the size of a tiny bug or the thickness of a hair – both halachically relevant issues. The Rabbinic mindset is not known for giving up on an issue simply because it seems too petty or insignificant, in fact quite the reverse. It is an approach which is, depending on one’s perspective, charming, brave or batty, but it certainly is an approach that should strengthen our resolve. It’s an oft-cited insight, indeed I included it in a weekly posting only recently, but it speaks to the very heart of our attitude towards the question of whether our paltry individual actions can make a difference; Maimonedes demands we see our selves and our planet as finely balanced between scales of merit and failure, every single act on the side of merit is capable of tipping the world to the side of safety. (MT Hil Teshuvah 3:8)
 
We are also, as Jews, forbidden from walking away. We don’t have to finish the work, but we must not desist from it, teaches Rabbi Tarfon, (Avot 2:16) and there is one other reason to act, even in a small way. Our individual actions are our bona fides. They allow us to call on our government and other governments to do more. We are entering a potentially massively significant time for the international community, in the run up to the UN meeting on Climate Change in December, and the British Jewish community is taking its place alongside other faith groups and NGOs to call on a just and strong international approach to heading off climate catastrophe. We are able to make this stand because of our commitment to the small actions.
 
Our actions do count, even the small ones, indeed there may be nothing that counts as much as each of us taking small steps, certainly there is no other way to undertake the long journey we all have ahead.
 
Chag Sameah and Shabbat Shalom,

Jeremy Gordon 

 2. The Week Ahead

Sukkot begins this evening. Here is a schedule of all services, we look forward to seeing you and invite you to join us for Kiddush in the Sukkah after each Yom tov service.

Erev Sukkot, Friday 2nd October - Evening service 6.30 pm 
1st Day Sukkot, Shabbat 3rd October - Shacharit 9.15 am Main Service, 9.45 am Minyan Chadash followed by a Communal Lunch (pre-booking required) Evening service 6.30 pm 
2nd Day Sukkot, Sunday 4th October - Shacharit 9.15 am, Special children's programme from 10 am followed by a Family Lunch (pre-booking required)
Hoshanah Rabbah, Friday 9th October - Shacharit 7.30 am     Evening service 6.30 pm
Sh'mini Atzeret, Shabbat 10th October - Shacharit 9.15 am The choir will be singing (Service includes Yizkor) 
Evening Service 6.30 pm (Simchat Torah Evening - includes Hakafot, singing and dancing)
Simchat Torah, Sunday 11th October - Shacharit 9.15 am Hallel and Hakafot. Special Children's programme. The service will be followed by a Kiddush/reception in honour of our Chatanim Tony Norton and Adam Arnold.

Babes in the Wood will meet on Monday from 11.00 - 1.00 pm as usual.

3. Dates for your diary...

Sunday 18th October at 6.00 pm - NLS Film Club - Voyage of the Damned 
937 Jewish Germans are offered safe haven in Havana, Cuba, in 1939. They depart Hamburg in high spirits, looking forward to their new life. However, the whole voyage is actually a Nazi propaganda scheme and the passengers are never really intended to be allowed ashore once they reach their destination. After weeks of unsuccessful pleas they are forced to return back to Europe. This is the first of two films on the theme of refugees to tie in with Mitzvah Day, when our work will be for organisations working with refugees.Refreshments will be served from 5.30 pm. Admisssion £6

Friday 23rd October - “Developing the Developing World Jewishly” with Dan Berelowitz (director of Tzedek) , and Rabbi Jeremy Gordon (one-time volunteer in Ghana) and a home-cooked Shabbat meal for the whole community. Cost: £12 (£8 concessions) Please book by 21st October

Sunday 15 November 2009 - Mitzvah Day
Mitzvah Day is a Sunday each year when synagogues, organisations and groups commit to a project that benefits our society and is “do-able in a day”. In the afternoon of Sunday 15 November, our Hall will be transformed into a cross between a warehouse, a sorting office and a loading bay! We’re collecting, packing and dispatching various goods to organisations that help refugees and asylum seekers. As a people, we’ve known what it means to be displaced so this is close to our hearts. If you would like to volunteer some time, contact Angela Gluck by clicking  here.
 
* NLS series on Prayer - history, theology & spirituality *

Sunday 1st November at 7.00 pm - INTERFAITH PANEL ON PRAYER featuring local clergy

Mondays  9th November - 7th December at 8.00 pm Choose from

Siddur Sat Nav  - with Rina Wolfson - Do you need help navigating the Shabbat morning service? Do you find yourself standing up and sitting down in all the wrong places?  If so, then this course is perfect for you.

Or  These are a few of my Favourite Prayers 
Nov 9th - The Trouble with Prayer - Rabbi Jeremy Gordon
Nov 16th - Kedushah - Chazan Stephen Cotsen
Nov 23rd - Yotzer Or -  Rabbi Jeremy Gordon
Nov 30th - V'hu Rachum - Chazan Jacqui Chernett
Dec 7th - Al HaNissim - Rabbi Jeremy Gordon

4. Bereavement

We are sorry to inform all of the loss of our member Henry Endleman. The funeral will take place today, Friday 2nd October, 12 noon at Cheshunt. We send our condolences to his wife, Beryl, children, Steven, Laurel and Nicky and all the family.

There will be no formal shiva, owing to Sukkot, but the family will be hosting a Ma’ariv service at their home on Monday evening at 8.00 pm. Please contact the office for the address.

5. Beyond NLS...

Living with Darwin - Religion & Science  - Sunday 29 November, 9.45am–4.15pm at London Jewish Cultural Centre.
The Assembly of Masorti Synagogues has planned a one day seminar entitled Living with Darwin: Religion and Science, to coincide with the 150th Anniversary of the publication of “On The Origin of Species”.  There is an impressive line up of speakers and it promises to be an exciting day. Tickets cost £25 / £15 concessions and includes lunch. To download the brochure and booking form click here 

Israeli Dance Institute 
We are recruiting dancers for our performing groups!!! If you have a good sense of rhythm, are interested in Israel, want good exercise and to meet new friends, and are aged between 9 and 50, why not try it out. Monday nights for ages 9 to 11, and 18 to 32; Tuesday nights for secondary school students and the over 32s.

If you do not fancy performing but would like just to dance and are aged 15 upwards, then come at 7.30pm on a Thursday evening. For details, please contact Yuval or Leo on 0208 209 3155 or 0208 209 3155 / info@idi.org.uk

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach

Stephen Cotsen