1. Art and Diseño

18 SHEVAT 5775 | 4 FEBRUARY 2015 | PARSHAT YITRO | VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1
Welcome to Woodford Forest United Synagogue
Whether a member or visitor, we hope you enjoy your time
in our warm and welcoming community.
Dates & Times
Shabbat begins and
Kabbalat Shabbat
service: 16.44
Shacharit: 9.20
Parasha & Haftarah
pages:
Artscroll - 394 & 1154
Hertz - 288 & 302
Haftarah by Robin
Jacobs
Mincha after Kiddush
Shabbat ends 17.49
Maariv 10 minutes after
Shabbat ends
Weekday Shacharit:
Sunday 08.00
Monday- Friday 06.40
Ma’ariv: Monday,
Tuesday TBA
We are looking to boost
our numbers at our daily
minyan, and we invite
you to come along and
try it – whether you’re
familiar or not with the
services, please come
along.
Welcome to our new community!
On behalf of the shul’s management, we extend a warm welcome to
members of Waltham Forest Hebrew Congregation and Wanstead and
Woodford Synagogue, as well as guests, on this historic first Shabbat of
the new Woodford Forest United Synagogue. We invite all of you to
join us for a communal kiddush after both the Friday night and Shabbat
morning services to mark the occasion.
We are honoured to host Rabbi Gideon Sylvester for this Shabbat, who
has flown in from Israel to be with us. Rabbi Sylvester is the United
Synagogue’s Rabbi in Israel and is a former rabbi of Radlett United
Synagogue. He has also worked as an advisor at the Office of the Prime
Minister of Israel and directed the Beit Midrash for Human Rights at the
Hillel House of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We would like to
thank Rabbi Sylvester for his efforts in coming from Israel to share his
wisdom and inspiration with us.
 Rabbi Sylvester will be giving a shiur on Shabbat afternoon at
16.30 at the home of Sally & Phil Caplan - 5 Broadwalk, South
Woodford - entitled ‘Who is G-d and why should I believe in
Him?’ All welcome!
We would like to welcome Rabbi Yaakov Singer, who will be leading the
community in the coming months, along with his wife Shani and
children Yael, Michal, Yonatan and Zecharia. Rabbi Singer, originally
from Israel, teaches Jewish Studies at Wohl IJPS and is a former Rabbi
of Aish Birmingham. We are honoured to have secured the services of
Rabbi Singer, as we hope to create a vibrant and dynamic community.
If you would like to receive the shul newsletter by e-mail each week or have any news or articles contact
[email protected]
To contact the Shul office, e-mail Lynn at [email protected] or Beverly at [email protected] or phone 020
8504 1990
I am delighted to write a welcome message to the Honorary Officers and members of our
exciting new community in Woodford Forest.
From the very first discussions we held with the Honorary Officers of Waltham Forest Hebrew
Congregation and Wanstead and Woodford United Synagogue it was clear that this merger is
not about declining numbers or surplus buildings. Instead it is about delivering a new
meaningful Jewish communal experience to the members of both highly respected
predecessor Shuls.
The new community will have additional energy, scale and resources which can be used to
offer new initiatives and programmes to help all the members along their Jewish journey. Our
newly completed Strategic Review tells us that the US must build vibrant and engaging
communities. Here is a superb example of how we can help establish the building blocks which
will do just that.
I would like to pay a huge tribute to the Honorary Officers of both communities who had the
foresight to see the benefits of this merger, the ability to work tirelessly through the issues and
showed true leadership to their members so it became a reality.
Every so often we are presented with opportunities that change the status quo, that offer us a
chance to make a tangible difference to the lives of our fellow members. I believe this is one
such chance and I am so pleased the community has grabbed it with both hands.
I look forward to visiting you in the future to see at first-hand how these exciting plans are
developing and to pledge my support to help deliver the results we all want.
Stephen Pack
President
What British rabbis know that their Israeli counterparts don't
As they zealously guard their political power, Israeli religious leaders are losing their influence over
a generation of spiritual seekers: young, secular Jews. Not so in Britain.
British Jews want nothing more than to eat crumpets thickly spread with jam and drink tea
with the queen, but an unholy alliance of extremist rabbis and vicious anti-Semites spoils the
fun, making Anglo Jewry a sad, scary place to be. These stereotypes of British Jewry have
gained currency, and while Sara Hirschhorn avoided most of them in her recent opinion
article for Haaretz, she too describes a nervous community dominated by overly-strict
Orthodox rabbis.
My experience of the British Jewish community is markedly different to the one that
Hirschhorn describes. In fact, as the British United Synagogue's Israel rabbi, I believe this
organization of Jewish communities has much to teach rabbinical leaders in Israel. The
ingenuity of the British United Synagogue is that it provides a warm, welcoming umbrella for
tens of thousands of Jews whose lifestyles range from the most religious to the most secular.
British rabbis recognize that they are powerless. Unlike their Israeli counterparts, who can
enforce elements of Jewish law via legislation, they cannot coerce anyone into doing anything.
If they fail to inspire their communities, the result could be rampant assimilation. So they must
always deliver a Judaism that is appealing and relevant. In an effort to enhance their success in
leading communities, they all undergo training to ensure that they have not only the rabbinical
knowledge, but the professional skills too.
British rabbis dedicate their days to caring for the sick, supporting the bereaved, celebrating
simchas, and teaching Torah. They are community builders who do not distinguish between the
saints, the scholars and the sinners. They know that every Jew matters and every Jew has
something to contribute. Opening the synagogue doors wide and reaching out to include every
Jew is the United Synagogue's mission.
Today the United Synagogue shows increasing confidence. Its new learning program in
memory of the Holocaust Victims, "70 days for 70 years," has gone global. Its rabbis proudly
attend Limmud Conferences to teach the entire Jewish community. Tribe, the United
Synagogue's youth division, alongside Bnei Akiva and other youth movements, reach out to
young Jews across Britain, offering trips and educational programs. All this in an effort to stem
assimilation and connect young Jews to their heritage.
British Jews take deep pride in their leaders. Anglo Jewry's last two chief rabbis, Jonathan
Sacks and Immanuel Jakobovits, sat in the House of Lords and became internationally
acclaimed religious leaders. My teacher, the head of the Sephardi Community, Rabbi Dr
Abraham Levy, was also honoured by the queen for his work. Prime ministers and the heads of
other faiths took notice of these rabbis because they were great leaders with outstanding
moral authority. Chief Rabbi of Britain Ephraim Mirvis, who took office in late 2013, is following
in their footsteps.
British Jews exert great political influence and their voices are heard. At a Downing Street
reception just a few months ago, Prime Minister David Cameron spoke with glowing admiration
for the Jewish community, praising its ability to maintain its unique identity while integrating
into the mainstream of British society.
If only the Israeli rabbis could learn to be more like those in the United Kingdom. While Israel is
paradise for its religious-Jewish minority – which enjoys the state's synagogues and study halls,
among the most vibrant in the world – its secular majority is faced with an established
rabbinate that does not cater to them. Rabbinical leaders in Israel, who succeed magnificently
in so many areas, fail to capitalize on opportunities to inspire and engage secular youth with
their Jewish heritage. While they zealously guard their political power, Israeli religious leaders
lose their influence over a generation of spiritual seekers.
Israel is our home. Its scenery is the setting of the Bible, its people are the people of the book
and its soldiers are modern Jewish heroes. As a passionate Zionist, I am proud to live here and I
believe it's where we all belong.
But we dare not be arrogant. We should have the humility to learn from Diaspora communities,
especially that of Britain, to be more inclusive. Our rabbis must take the lead in demonstrating
how our faith can create a strong, tolerant society that will inspire Jews and cause the entire
world to respect the beauty and integrity of our faith.
This article appeared in Ha’aretz on 1st February 2015.
Woodford Junior Company of the JLGB is for Jewish boys & girls aged 7- 11 and meets after school
during term-time. To join in the fun and to make new friends, please call 8989 8990 – we look
forward to welcoming you.
The Norwood charity shop would really appreciate your help – check your clothes and anything
else, and bring them round to the shop. Profits all go to a good cause.
Neros
Our synagogue has an active link to Neros which was founded as a means of bringing together the
Orthodox Shuls in the area, in order to discuss and hopefully solve common problems and also
organise joint events. Details of local events organised by Neros can be found on its website
www.neros.org and by contacting WFUS’ Neros representative - [email protected] or
0208-989-0413
JACS
Thursdays between 1pm-3pm for music and guest speakers. Admission £2.50
Mazal Tov Section
Happy Birthday to all those who are celebrating birthdays this week, including Nicola Baker,
Natalie Bendon , Tony Miller and Coral Miller. If you would like your birthday mentioned in the
shul newsletter, please contact the office.
Stone settings – all at Waltham Abbey
Joe Shear
Avril Kent
Judith Saville
Dawn Pollock
Max Fishel
Norman Green
Phyllis Davies
1 March 11.30
29 March 15.30
19 April 14.30
26 April 15.00
10 May 15.30
17 May 12.30
17 May 13.00
Yahrzeits (with apologies to anyone whose information we don’t yet have)
We wish a long life to the following members on the Yahrzeit of their...
Father: Nicholas Levin, Sylvia Green, Janice Westbury, Greta Kaye, Michael Medalyer, Jane
Engelsman
Mother: Jane Morris, Myrna Kaye, Rosalin Medalyer, Carol Citroen, Raymond Carver
Brother: Ann Shear, Terence Katz
Community Cares
If you can offer help or know of anyone requiring help, please contact Coral Miller via the Shul
Office.
Fund-raising for Yom Haatzmaut: Quiz event
Sunday 8 February 2015 at Ilford Synagogue Beehive Lane. Doors open: 7.00pm Start time:
7.30pm. Donation: £18.50 per person including chicken shawarma, latkes, pitta, dips, salad and a
dessert (falafel available for vegetarians). If you are interested in making up a table call Sally
Caplan on 020 8989 3092. For tickets and further information please contact Redbridge JCC on 020
8551 0017 or email [email protected]
Communal Diary
Sunday 8th February Chabad Buckhurst Hill: Restaurant - Mexican - 8926 2376
Monday 9th February Chabad: An Evening with Sir Trevor Brooking - 8554 1624
Thursday 12th February RJCC: Paediatric First Aid Course Part Two - 8551 0017
Sunday 15th February RJCC: Hearts & Roses with Max Curto - 8551 0017
Sunday 22nd February Loughton: Louise Leech: Showbiz 2 Shabbat (Women Only) - 8508 0303
Wednesday 25th February Chabad Buckhurst Hill : Historian Stephen Burstin £5 - 8551 0017
Tuesday 3rd March RJCC : A senior diplomat on Israel’s general election - 8551 0017
Friday 3rd April RJCC : First night seder £20/person; £75 family of 4 - 8551 0017