October 2012

Shofarthe magazine of finchley progressive synagogue

פר שו

Beyond N12...

On the cover: Hula Valley, Israel

Left: Another Olympic memory: Ruben, Dora and Rafael with the torch

Copy deadline is the 10th of each month. Please email all content to shofar@fps.org

A big thank you to Sarah Aldridge and Paul Lichtenstern for the FPS calendar which is adorning many FPS homes and provides a great advertisement for the synagogue.

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From the Rabbi

After the introspection of the High Holy Days it is time

to look beyond our own patch to see what this fresh

new year might bring us, and what we might take into

the wider world beyond N12. In this sense, I’d like to

highlight our forthcoming Mitzvah Day which will be

returning in November – a little bit more about what’s

being planned on page 9. And before that, we are

looking forward to the FPS trip to our twin community

in Mogilev at the beginning of this month.

Of course, many of us have already travelled quite a distance, both

geographically and spiritually, to get to this corner of N12. Our FPS family

has ties, historical or personal, that stretch all over the world. In some cases,

the journey seems almost miraculous. I’m looking forward to learning more

about our individual journeys, and I can’t wait to see what follows next.

Beyond N12 is the theme of this Shofar. And

Jewish life beyond our experience in North

Finchley. It’s so easy to experience Judaism in

a parochial way closed in to our British and

London story of being a Jew. But there is, as we

know, so much more. I recently led the funeral

service for Bella Walls, a stalwart member of

FPS who together with her husband Jack had

been so key to the life of FPS and its gardens.

Bella’s journey from Germany to what was

Palestine to Finchley captures the wanderings

that many of our members have had to get

here. We have members from Russia, Ukraine,

Germany, France, Brazil, Switzerland, Italy,

Israel, Romania, the US, Poland and Peru to

name a few. And all have a story that follows

them. I love that about our community and

I hope that during our anniversary year the

stories of our many Jewish journeys will emerge

and perhaps create a map of the world leading

to Hutton Grove.

In the next few months our community is

making several trips beyond our synagogue.

A group will be heading to Mogilev, our twin

community in the Ukraine, taking practical

Jewish goods and bringing back news from

the East, as it were. Another group will be

joining with Nottingham Progressive to visit

Austerlitz where our Czech scroll is from. Neil

Pike from NPJC has spoken here at FPS about

the past Jewish life and history of the town

and now the group will be making positive

and creative connections with the existing

town and community. It promises to be an

important and exciting trip. Paul Anticoni of

WJR is planning an informative trip for Liberal

rabbis and members to see the work that his

WJR does for the vulnerable in the Ukraine.

In May 2013 the WUPJ holds its Jerusalem

conference and I hope a delegation will take

the opportunity to represent FPS and see the

intensity of progressive connections beyond

our own island.

We have members from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France,

Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, Israel, Romania, the US, Poland & Peru

to name a few. There is a an enjoyable tension between

being happy and content where we are

and having that irritable reaching after and

towards somewhere else to explore and seek

knowledge and experience the other, and

when we connect with it, all the better.

It was Proust who said; ‘When I went to

Venice I found that my dream had become –

incredibly, but quite simply – my address!’

From the Editorpat lehner rabbi rebecca qassim birk

beyond n12

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From the Chairlaura lassman

Several years ago I

went to Israel on a

Liberal Judaism tour

along with several

other Finchley

members and Mark

Goldsmith who

was our Rabbi at the time. It was a last minute

decision to go as my Jewish engagement rarely

extended beyond N12. I was either at FPS or

celebrating Shabbat and festivals with family.

My children were far more adventurous than

me having enjoyed LJY weekends, Kadimah,

Israel and Kayyitz tours while I was content to

stay home. Our ancestors all went on journeys

of discovery that were predicated on a change

of scenery and I wondered whether I could

journey spiritually without physically going

anywhere. That Israel tour changed everything.

Mark and I stood in the glass-domed

rooftop of Beit Shmuel, Jerusalem, the Culture

and Education Centre of the World Union

for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) and realised

that we were part of a remarkable and large

organisation. FPS, a constituent of Liberal

Judaism, is affiliated to the WUPJ along with

the Reform movement here and in the States,

progressive communities from Europe, South

America, South Africa, FSU, Australia, New

Zealand and Asia. From Jerusalem, the group

journeyed to the desert where I had a profound

sense of those ancestral journeys and an

understanding of how that environment might

bring one closer to God. The location provided

the first steps on another journey – on the back

of a camel – with Danny.

Stepping beyond N12 into the wider Jewish community is enriching, enlightening and

heartening.A year or so later, I went with him to the

European Region conference in Hamburg

which provided an opportunity to meet so

many people from both new and established

communities spanning our continent. There is

so much to learn from our sister congregations

and much also we can offer. Stepping beyond

N12 into the wider Jewish community is

enriching, enlightening and heartening. We

are part of a major Jewish movement that is

committed to social action as evidenced by

the Religious Action Centre in Washington, to

renewal through the growth of congregations

in Germany and the Former Soviet Union; one

that acts for justice and equality, democracy

and peace, personal fulfilment and collective

obligations. Its doors are open and you might

wish to consider connecting in Jerusalem in

May 2013 (www.wupjconnections.org).

After the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympic feel-good comes FPS’s 60th anniversary. We are gearing up for a year of celebration and building for the future. Over the coming months, events, activities and projects will be scheduled to make 2013 a year to remember in the life of the community.

We want to ensure that there is something to appeal to everyone. Make sure you complete the card to tell us what you would like by way of celebration and commemoration or email 60@fps.org. It can be any idea that appeals to you.

If you want to help organise or contribute to one of the projects please let us know by email (60@fps.org) or post to Jacquie Fawcett c/o the synagogue office.

We are looking for:

Designers Sales peopleResearchers and archivists CaterersProject,managers Bottle washersPhotographers Fund raisersGames makers Singers

60th anniversary celebrations

simchat torah invitation

Sunday 7 October at 6.30pm & Monday 8 October at 11am

Danny Rich & Laura Lassmanwill be Chatan Torah (reading the last verses

of Deuteronomy/Devarim) and Kallat Torah

(reading the first verses of Genesis/Bereshit)

and hosting Kiddush in celebration of the

festival and their recent wedding.

Everyone is invited to join them

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Sukkot at FPSlionel lassman & darren beach

Sukkot, a festival of colour, full of ritual and

warmth occupies the first week of October. We

have a very full schedule and everyone is invited

to join the celebrations

erev sukkot

Sunday 30 September 4.00pm - Make the Sukkah wonderful!

Bring your greenery, flowers, fruit, decorations,

offerings for the Kiddush table so that the we

have a feast for all the senses.

6.00pm - Smoothies and nosh

6.30pm - Family service and kiddush

sukkot morning

Monday 1 October11.00am - Festival

morning service

12.30pm - Lunch in the

Sukkah

chol hamoed sukkot

Saturday 6 OctoberA very full Shabbat starting with Shabbat

B’Yachad when we will welcome our new

students into Ivriah, giving them their own

miniature scroll

11.00am - Consecration Service and kiddush

5.00pm - Youth Club and Sukkot sponsored

sleepover when our young people will consider

homelessness and raise money for those who

do not have a roof over their heads

7.30pm - Daniel Cainer in concert, a fund raiser

for the President’s Fund

simchat torah

Sunday 7 OctoberAn opportunity to celebrate continuity as we

end the Torah readings and start again under

the Chuppah

5.00pm - Come and decorate the chuppah

6.30pm - Bring your flags and miniature scrolls

to join the party

The last verses of Devarim (Deuteronomy) will

be read by the Chatan Torah Rabbi Danny Rich.

The first verses of Bereshit (Genesis) will be

read by Kallat Torah, Laura Lassman. The whole

congregation is invited to join them for the

service which will be led by Rabbi Rebecca and

for a celebration kiddush to mark their recent

wedding.

simchat torah

Monday 8 October11.00am - A more reflective morning service as

the cycle ends and begins followed by Kiddush

lunch

12.30am - Simchat Torah Kiddush hosted by

Laura and Danny

make it a week to remember!

Grab a sponsorship form from the synagogue or email Sam if you have any questions at all!

Please email sam@liberaljudaism.org if your children are coming so we have an idea of numbers

have fun & raise money for charity!

raise 15 pounds for the event! the proceeds go towards world jewish relief

for school years 2-6

SponSored Sukkot Sleepover

8 october5pm

Fp

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outh club proudlY preSent

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Beit Tefillahservices at fps

Friday 5 October Kabbalat Shabbat

Kiddush in the Sukkah

Saturday 6 October Shabbat B’Yachad with Consecration

of our newest students at Ivriah

Friday 12 October Family Kabbalat Shabbat

Saturday 13 October Special Singing Shabbat

& Mogilev Expedition to speak

Friday 19 October Shabbat Resouled

Saturday 20 October Shabbat service

& Martin Zucker Bar Mitzvah

Friday 26 October Kabbalat Shabbat

with student Rabbi Rene Pfertzel

Saturday 27 October Shabbat Service

with student Rabbi Rene Pfertzel

Beit Knessetwhat’s happening at fps

cafe thursday

Every Thursday @12.30pm

yoga

Monday @7.oopmTuesday @7.30pm Contact Richard on 020 8349 9602

bridge club

Mondays @ 8.00pm in the Small Hall

book club

Wednesday 10 October @8.00pm, for details

please call Sheila on 020 8445 3284

We are reading ‘The Sense of an Ending’ by

Julian Barnes

film club

Sunday 14 October @7.30pm, ‘The Browning Version’. For details please see page 13

people

shabbat services - october

we warmly welcome new members

Debbie Dwek and Ben Hyde

with Thomas and James Hyde

congratulations and mazal tov

To the family of Martin Zucker

on his Bar Mitzvah

To Benji Aarons and his wife Tehila

who got married in Israel in August

And to Danny Rich and Laura Lassman

who celebrated their wedding in September

curtain up!

Wednesday 17 October @7.30 pm.‘The Last of the Haussmans’. For details please

see page 13

open mic night

The next Open Mic Night will be on 21 October

rosh chodesh

Our friendly woman’s circle, we welcome the

new month with spirituality, warmth, good

conversation and the odd glass of wine. For

details: Wika Dorosz, vdorosz@gmail.com.

Tuesday 16 October (Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan): Jewish HealingThursday 15 November (Rosh Chodesh Kislev): The Role of Women in JudaismThursday 13 December (Rosh Chodesh Tevet):

Jewish women in politics

our sincerest condolences

To Sarah Rosen Webb on the death of her

mother Gertrude Webb in Boston

To the family of Molly Walter, mother of

Meynell and Naomi

To the family and friends of Bella Walls,

widow of Jack Walls

And to the family of Pearl Barnett, mother

of Wendy Coleman

mitzvah day is here again!Put sunday 18th november into your diary and help fps join others across the country (and across the world!), to go out and work to improve our communities.

Current projects (to be confirmed) include:

entertaining the elderlypotting tulip bulbs follow up the visit

tidying and weeding a cemeterytree planting with the woodland trust

painting and decorating More details to follow!

If you have a project near to your heart that you think we should become involved in, contact sarah or andrea. this is your chance have fun and help others!

contacts: andrea narcin / andrea_narcin@yahoo.co.uksarah rosen webb / sarahrosenwebb@gmail.com

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Beit Midrashlearning at fps

cafe ivriah

An informal and lively Saturday morning chat

over coffee for Ivriah parents and others. With

the new earlier start to Ivriah, Café Ivriah will

now offer coffee from 09.30am and discussion

from 09.45-10.45am.

beit midrash on thursday

Our flagship evening of Learning has an

outstanding programme for this term.

On Thursday evenings 4, 11, 18, 25 October, 7.30-9.30pm (note new time) we will offer:

Science and Religion – conflict or compromise? Led by Adrian Lister, formerly

Professor of Biology at University College

London and now a Research Leader at the

Natural History Museum.

Tohu Vavohu Formless and void (Gen 1: 2): A Rabbinic perspective on evolution. Led by

Rabbi Danny Rich, Chief Executive of Liberal

Judaism.

Beginners’ Hebrew

Advanced Hebrew

Delving into Judaism (alternate weeks), for

conversion students and others. Led by Rabbi

Rebecca Qassim Birk

Adult Bat Mitzvah class (alternate weeks).

Led by Rabbi Rebecca Qassim Birk

Pilates for all. Led by an experienced trainer

Tea, coffee and cake break shared by all classes

Entrance is free with voluntary donation to

cover the cost of tea and coffee. Pilates is

charged at £40 for the four sessions.

Important: If you wish to attend October

Beit Midrash, please inform Adrian Lister on

AdrianLister@blueyonder.co.uk or just come

along to the first session. Places for Pilates need

to be reserved and paid in advance – please

contact Adrian as soon as possible.

lunch & learn

Every Wednesday 12.30 – 2.00pmHot learning topics with tea and cake – bring

a sandwich or lunch. Starts again 10 October

with an outing to the British Museum

fps breakfast shiur

Saturday 20 October – 8.45am / Professor Mark Pagel – What made us human?Human beings share over 98% identity in the

sequence of their genes to chimpanzees and

over 99% with the now extinct Neanderthals.

Why, then, did this one species – Homo sapiens

– go on to occupy the world and produce art,

music, religion and technologies while all

others have remained essentially unchanged

throughout their existence? We will explore

the uniquely human invention of cumulative

cultural adaptation and how that invention has

moulded our species psychology, morality and

behaviour.

Mark Pagel is a Fellow of the Royal Society,

Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the

University of Reading and an External Professor

at the renowned Santa Fe Institute in the USA.

He has travelled the world studying evolution

and the spread of cultures, is the editor-in-chief

of the award winning Oxford Encyclopaedia

of Evolution, co-author of The Comparative

Method in Evolutionary Biology, and author of

articles in many journals. His new book Wired

for Culture was published March 2012.

Breakfast Shiur in November: Eliott Karstadt

– David and Uriah: Temptation, Baths and

Corrupt Kings.

 

  At FPS on Saturday 6 October at 7.30pm In aid of the President’s Fund Tickets: £15.00 in advance; £20.00 at the door

Refreshments: Cheese and Wine included  

Rosh Hashana Family Day

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Arts at FPSYoga for Spirits

Meetings for Curtain Up! are held on the third

Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm, and the

next meeting is scheduled for the 17 October.

The play for discussion is The Last of the Haussmans at the Lyttelton. Note that it

closes on 11 October. Also note that a live

performance from the National Theatre will be

shown at the Phoenix Cinema on 11 October.

14 October 2012, 7:30 pm | The Browning Version

The Browning Version has recently been

presented in the West End in a superb revival

and was the topic of a Curtain Up discussion.

Written as a short, one act play, it may well be

the finest work by playwright Terence Rattigan.

When the decision was made in 1951 to create

a full length film version with Michael Redgrave

in the lead, Rattigan was asked to extend the

play. He agreed to do so and the result is one

of the great British films of all time. Whether

you saw the West End production or not, it will

be fascinating to see how Rattigan expanded

his masterpiece so successfully.

coming up

11 November 2012, 7:30 pm | Sunshine(2007) with Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz

2 December 2012. 7:30pm | The Goodbye Girl(1977) with Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason

When Rabbi Rebecca asked me to conduct

a workshop on the above topic it sent me

scurrying to research and establish links

between Yoga, Judaism and Spiritualism.

I asked myself 3 questions. 1. What is Yoga

and why participate? 2. What is Judaism and

why go to Shul? 3. What does Spiritual mean?

I could answer the first relatively easily,

with over 20 years’ experience teaching yoga

students. However, as a synagogue attendee

I struggled with my reasons and, more

specifically, wanted to take a closer look at

the nature of my relationship with my place of

worship.

It is here that I established links between

Yoga and Judaism. I went to both as a place of

refuge from the chaos of everyday life, to spend

quality time in a place that felt safe and raised

A few years ago, Sue Kelvin, who is a brilliant

actress and singer, did a one-woman show

at the much missed New End Theatre in

Hampstead, where she played the legendary

Sophie Tucker. Her songs were heard round

the world and her voice was unique. Sue has

reproduced Sophie Tucker to the life, in a show

written by her husband, Chris Burgess. It’s

funny, sad and very moving. Anyone who saw

it at the New End will not have forgotten the

experience.

Now FPS member, Sue Kelvin, is reprising the

show at

The Arts Depot N12Wednesday 24 October3pm Matinee & 7.30 pm,Thursday 25 October, 7.30 pm

Not to be missed!

my spirits and feeling of well-being. I felt good

about attending and uplifted as a result of

participating.

I also established that there were spiritual

undertones to both - Yoga (viewed as physical)

is ultimately a preparation for Meditation

(Stillness of mind), a practice where words

have no relevance, but being present without

distraction does. Regular Meditators talk about

experiencing a Higher State of Consciousness

and I would advocate that parts of a Synagogue

service or powerful sermon can resonate in a

similar way.

In Yoga there is a word “Sankalpa” which

means an intention to change something

in your life. Concentrating on this during

Meditation helps sow the seed inside you and

to strengthen the resolve - It compares in my

view to the introspection that takes place

during the High Holy Days .

A wonderful Indian Swami I had the

privilege to meet on my first trip to India talked

about happiness and sadness as impermanent

states and that we yearn for the former to

remain and the latter to end. I believe when

the dips occur then a spiritual connection has

a part to play to redress the balance and bridge

the gap.

People are generally hard on themselves

and suffer pain, stress, fear, and ailments that

are undesirable – both Meditation and Prayer

can be powerful antidotes - I would encourage

you to delve deeper and take up our Rabbi’s

CHAI challenge to come to Synagogue 18 hours

more than we normally do.

curtain up! sophie tucker

the screen on the grove

richard kravetz

Between 5pm and 7pm on :

September 22nd

October 6th: WJR sleepover

night

October 20th

November 3rd

November 17th

December 1st

December 15th

FPS YOUTH CLUB

FOR WHO? CONTACT INFORMATION

Young People of FPS! Come and get involved in a brand new youth club!

Games, trips, food and LJY-Netzer

madness!

DATES WHAT?

FOR SCHOOL YEARS 2—6

The new Youth Club is going to be run by Sam Grant—if you have any questions please do get

in touch : sam@liberaljudaism.org or 020 7631 0584: Looking forward to seeing you!

Between 5pm and 7pm on :

September 22nd

October 6th: WJR sleepover

night

October 20th

November 3rd

November 17th

December 1st

December 15th

FPS YOUTH CLUB

FOR WHO? CONTACT INFORMATION

Young People of FPS! Come and get involved in a brand new youth club!

Games, trips, food and LJY-Netzer

madness!

DATES WHAT?

FOR SCHOOL YEARS 2—6

The new Youth Club is going to be run by Sam Grant—if you have any questions please do get

in touch : sam@liberaljudaism.org or 020 7631 0584: Looking forward to seeing you!

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Hannah and I were very excited to welcome our

new Kabbalat Torah students this weekend, as

we joined the community in preparing for the

High Holy Days. The first session was only the

start of a whole term of exciting activities we

have lined up, which we hope will leave our

young adults with Jewish friendships, Jewish

memories, and Jewish learning. Activities over

the following months include visits to the

Jewish Museum and to Hoop Lane Cemetery,

contributing to the community’s Mitzvah Day

efforts, playing a day-long wide game across

LJY Netzer is the Liberal Judaism Youth

movement. LJY’s main event is Kadimah, the

2 week annual summer camp. At camp we do

things which anywhere else would be seen as

weird but not on Kadimah...

We pretend to be ninjas, play the strangest

games, sing crazy songs, sing slightly more

normal songs, sing all other kinds of songs,

eat amazing (vegetarian) food, meet the best

people ever, learn about Judaism, Israel and

many other things, pray, practise leadership

skills, learn completely random, unnecessary

skills such as how to eat a doughnut without

licking your lips and what to do if you ever find

yourself sleeping in a tent with a very large

spider.

At the end of your first Kadimah you say

“those were the best two weeks of my life” and

every year those words are repeated. I don’t

know how they do it, but somehow LJY manage

to top themselves every single year. Why wait...

sign up for the next camp!

Jess Lichtenstern

kabbalat torahkadimahFriday 5 October from 4.30 pmFriday Ivriah followed by Friday night service

Saturday 6 October from 9.30 amShabbat Ivriah

Shabbat B’Yachad Service including Kita Aleph

Consecration Service

Friday 12 October from 4.30 pmFriday Ivriah followed by Friday night Family

Service

KT weekend trip to Prague (home on 14th)

Saturday 13 October from 9.30 amShabbat Ivriah

Friday 19 October from 4.30 pmFriday Ivriah followed by Shabbat Resouled

Service

Saturday 20 October from 9.30 amShabbat Ivriah

Shabbat Service including the barmitzvah of

Martin Zucker

Kids’ Kehillah

Friday 26 and Saturday 27 October & Friday 2 and Saturday 3 NovemberIvriah half term

october at ivriah

rikudSaturdays 3.30-5.30

Dance your shoes off!Contact Denny Kingston on

020 8482 2149

mini-rikudSaturdays 12.30-2.30Bring a packed lunch!

London, and a three-day trip to Prague. All

this will mean that they return to the GCSE in

religious studies in January with energy and

enthusiasm, having built a solid social ground

on which to build their Jewish learning. Anyone

interested in helping out with any of our trips,

or who knows of other opportunities for us

to get our dynamic teenagers involved with,

please contact the Synagogue office.

Elliott Karstadt

16

Contactsfps who’s who

finchley progressive synagogue

54 Hutton Grove N12 8DR

www.fps.org

020 8446 4063

Charity Number: 1071040

Rabbi: Rebecca Qassim Birk

rabbi@fps.org / 07939 227480

Emeritus Rabbi: Dr Frank Hellner

Synagogue Manager: Pauline Gusack

pauline@fps.org

Community Manager: Angela Wharton

angela@fps.org

executive

Chair: Laura Lassman

chair@fps.org / 07957 545 569

Vice-Chair: Joan Shopper & David Aarons

01582 792 959

Treasurer: Richard Kravetz

020 8349 9602

Honorary Secretary: David Pelham

020 8445 8111

synagogue committees & groups:

Beit Tefillha, Contact, Education, Membership,

Events Plus, Babies & Toddlers, B’nei Mitzvah,

Hospitality Group, Security.

We are represented on the Board of Deputies

and Liberal Judaism. For further information,

please call the office.

shofar editor

Pat Lehner

shofar@fps.org

Editorial assistant Sarah Aldridge

FPS is a constituent of Liberal Judaism

21 Maple Street W1T 4BE

020 7580 1663

LJY Netzer (youth dept) 020 7631 0584

ashley pageinsurance brokers

Commerce House2a Litchfield Grove

London N3 2TN

Tel. 020 8349 5100

janet tresmanmediator & collaborative

family law specialist solicitor

consultant at newman law solicitors

10 Hendon LaneFinchley, London N3 1TR

Tel. 020 8349 2655

janettresman@newmanlaw.co.uk