Shabbat Shalom (T'zaveh) Shabbat begins at 5.19 pm 1. From the Rabbi To all who consulted and helped with the consultation on the role of women in the main service at New London, I offer my grateful thanks. I think it’s been an excellent, thorough and democratic process. A great number of you shared opinions and thoughts with me by letter, e-mail, in private conversations and, of course, at Kiddush. In addition, I’ve taken the opportunity to review the relevant passages of Tractate Megillah and I am ready to make the following recommendation to Council, in line with the constitutional position of the Synagogue. After careful consideration I have decided that the most appropriate way to go forward is to offer women aliyot and opportunities to read from the Torah on the same basis as men. I’ll admit it hasn’t been an easy decision; the various opinions were so evenly balanced it could have gone either way. That said in order that we preserve the unity of the Synagogue at this time of celebration for those who have wished to see this position adopted I feel that it is vital that everyone accepts this decision. Accordingly I decide that anyone, particularly any woman, who declines the honour of an Aliyah to the Torah in the Main Service should be expelled from the community with immediate effect. We will deal with the issue of replacing any expelled female members at a later date. Furthermore I offer the following warning to any member who might be tempted to plot to bring to an end my tenure as Rabbi at New London – I have stationed at the Synagogue gates dedicated members who can act as my eyes and ears on such nefarious matters. Such plots will come to no avail and any plotters will find themselves facing an end even more grisly than those who refuse to accept the invitation to receive an Aliyah. Among acceptable indications of displeasure with my decision I will, however, consider the donning of sackcloth and ashes or fasting as appropriate signs of distress. But those who wish to meet with me to discuss this decision are warned that seeking an appointment without my expression of interest in meeting with you is also to be considered dangerous and not recommended. That said I am capable of being swayed by the offers of good food and wine. You never know, a decision that prompts, for some, mourning, could yet be transformed into a time of great rejoicing. All is indeed in the hands of a God whose engagement in such matters is sometimes most difficult to perceive. Happy Purim to all. 2. Purim at NLS We are delighted to announce that the Megillah will once again be read by Lester Kershenbaum both on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Please join us for this highlight of the New London Year. Details of our full Purim programme are below. 8:45 (approx) "Queen Esther's Persian Feast" - Presented by L'Haim for the whole community. There will be a Persian buffet and music with (non-Persian) wine. Entertainment from world renowned street-magician Owen Lean and NLS's very own J-Factor (karaoke). Finally there will be a raffle with a variety of prizes not to be missed. Tickets - £10 in advance or £15 on the door. All proceeds will go to The Separated Child Foundation for Arrival Packs and Club Class projects (http://www.separatedchild.org/projects). 10:15 Shacharit in the Synagogue 11:00 am (approx) Megillah. Fancy dress strongly encouraged. There will be prizes. 3. The Week Ahead The Kabbalat Shabbat service this evening begins at 6.30 pm. Tomorrow morning, Shacharit will be at 9.15 am in the synagogue. Saturday evening and Sunday morning is Purim - see above for details. On Monday morning Babes in the Wood our popular mothers and babies group meets from 11.00 - 1.00 pm. The Executive meets at 7.30 pm at the home of elaina and Gerald Rothman. The Programming Committee meets on Monday evening at 8.00 pm at the home of Anne Cowen. On Wednesday, The Art Group meets from 10.00 am. The Services Committee meets at 8.00 pm in the Synagogue Next Shabbat, 6th March, There will be a Communal Lunch with Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, Executive Vice-President of the Rabbinical Assembly. Over lunch Rabbi Schonfeld will share reflections on the [international] state of ‘our kind’ of Jewish life and look at the successes and challenges that face the force of moderation. Tickets for the lunch cost £15 per head (children under 16 £10) Please book your places through the office no later than Tuesday 2nd March. 4. Green Fingers? We are looking for volunteers to help with the gardening rota for the Shul Gardens. If you would like to help please contact Steven@newhopeclothing.hk 5. Forthcoming Events/Dates for your diary Sunday, 7 March - Yom Masorti will be held at New North London Synagogue, as part of the 2010 European Masorti Conference weekend. The programme for Yom Masorti is wide-ranging - from Israeli dance to text study - and includes sessions with Hagai Segal, Dr David Cesarani and Julie Schonfeld (Executive Vice-President of the Rabbinical Assembly), as well as discussions on volunteering, education and fundraising. The day starts with an 'Ask the Rabbis' session, where our Rabbis will give the Masorti view on some of the more difficult questions that are frequently asked. Tuesday 30th March at 7.15 pm - Communal Seder (Second Seder Night) Sunday 11th April at 7.30 pm Yom HaShoah service with guest speaker Karen Pollock, Director of the Holocaust Educational Trust, followed by a performance of 'Songs of Ashes' by Julian Dawes, a setting of 15 poems by the Polish poet, Jerzy Ficowski, on the Holocaust. It will be performed by Lee Bisset - Soprano and Siobhain O'Higgins - Piano Admission free. 7. Social and Personal Bereavement Mazal tov 8. Green Tip of the Week (A new feature from the Green Team) It doesn’t have to be about money. I bought solar cells for the roof of my house. They cover most of the front face of the roof and look quite smart but it’s not just for appearances. The installation can produce enough electricity to run, for example, all the lights in the house twice over. Any surplus is sold. Whenever the roof’s making more power than we are using at the time, the National Grid buys all the extra power for more than double the typical cost. We are actually State Registered as a Power Station! All the formalities were managed by the installer. The expected payback time for the initial cost is longer than investors like, or everyone would be doing it. I do it anyway as I don’t wear jewellery: this power needs no oil politics, no coal sadness, and no nuclear danger. Please call me if you’d like to know more about domestic photovoltaic installation. David Burns 020 8445 0629 020 8445 0629 Shabbat Shalom and a Guten Purim Stephen Cotsen |
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