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Editorial Rosh Hashanah Message from Rabbi Cohen Rosh Hashanah Message from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis Ladies’Guild Column Events Mazal Tov A Farewell to Friends Another Saturday Night Out with a Difference The Harbin Community The Wooden Etrog Box My Trip to Ypres The Imperial War Museum, New First World War Galleries The Kingsbury Jewish Aid Society Mignonette and Stanley Aarons in Conversation Dealing with Diabetes A Long Shlepp – North to South Israel Our Future's Foundations The Board of Deputies President’s Rosh Hashanah message New Year Greetings
1 2 4 6 7 8 9 11 15 19 21 26 28 29 33 34 37 39 42
We are happy to welcome you to the sixth edition of the Kingsbury Courier.
The Ladies’ Guild are to be congratulated for their ongoing coffee mornings
and lunches, which have been outstandingly successful. At each coffee
morning, one of the members or friends gives a short talk on a subject of their
choice. Alternatively, everyone discusses topical issues “What the Papers
Say” which always evokes lively debate.
The daily minyanim need your support – young people have married recently
and moved away and numbers inevitably have diminished.
May we respectfully inform you that the price for Pesach or New Year
Greetings in future editions of the Kingsbury Courier will rise from the
longstanding £5 to £7.50p per insert.
Should you wish to insert your simcha in our Mazal Tov section, please let us
know. No charge.
We take this opportunity to wish all our readers a Shanah Tovah - A Happy
and Peaceful New Year 5775.
We hope with the help of the Almighty that events in Israel will come to a
speedy and satisfactory resolution. Our thoughts are with all the families
whose husbands, sons, brothers, fathers and relations are presently serving or
have served with the IDF. May Hashem grant peace in the Holy Land.
Joint Editors Irene Glausiusz and Leslie Rübner
Footnote: Irene Glausiusz is hoping IY”H to continue co-editing the
Kingsbury Courier at long distance from her new home in Reveva in the
Shomron.
E-mail: shulmagazine.kingsbury@gmail.com
Page 1 The Kingsbury Courier Rosh Hashanah 2014
The Kingsbury Courier Page 1 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Rosh Hashanah Message from Rabbi Cohen
It is 5.30am on Shabbos morning, the sky ahead of me is a mixture of
hues of blue and orange as it begins to light up, waiting for the sun to
break over the horizon. I am part of an Ashkenazi Minyan led by a
Chasidic Chazan with an American reading the Torah. To my left is a
Sefardi Minyan, to my right a Chasidic Minyan and behind and in
each direction along the length of the Kotel are even more. I am told
that in these troubled times people are staying away, but on this
Shabbos morning on the week before the 9th
Av a wide spectrum of
the Jewish People stand together in prayer at this very special time of
the day.
We are soon to approach the holiest days of the year. Rosh
Hashanah, with its Shofar recalling creation, crowning G-d as our
king, reminding us of the commitment we made at Mount Sinai,
helping us look forward to a Messianic era and calling us to return
and improve. Yom Kippur, when we stand in prayer and remove
ourselves from this world, emulating angels. Sukkot and Simchat
Torah; times of joy when we show our reliance on the One Above
and our commitment to His Torah.
Which is the Holiest? The Talmud gives us a guide by which to
determine the sanctity of a day. Come to Shul on a weekday when we
lein and you will notice that we call up three men; a Cohen, a Levi
and a Yisroel. Rosh Chodesh and Chol Hamoed, days when we have
Musaf but work is permitted, we call up four. Yom Tov, when most
work is forbidden, bar that which is allowed for food preparation, we
move up to five, and Yom Kippur, when no work is permitted, we
have six. There is one day, however when we increase the number to
seven, this most holy of days which is given even greater honour than
Yom Kippur is none other than our weekly Shabbos! That one day in
The Kingsbury Courier Page 2 Rosh Hashanah 2014
2
seven when we remind ourselves that it is not we who run the world,
when we take a break from work, media, telephone, emails and even
Facebook! Time with our families and our communities; in the words
of one great Jewish thinker, ‘more than the Jews have kept the
Shabbos, the Shabbos has kept the Jews.’ It helps us reconnect with
who we really are.
This year on Parashat Noach 24th
/25th
October is ShabbatUK, and we
are joining part of an international initiative where Jewish individuals
and communities worldwide join together to enhance their Shabbos.
Each of us can find some way to enrich our Shabbos experience,
invite some friends over to join you or join in with one of the
communal events that will be happening near where you live. Look
out for the pre and post Shabbos events as well, the Challah bake and
concert.
There is another aspect of Shabbos that begins this Rosh Hashanah;
that of Shemita–the Sabbatical Year–when Jewish farmers across the
length and breadth of Israel are enjoined to leave their fields in G-d’s
hands, reaffirming that the land and all that is in it is His. Over the
course of the year we will look at ways we can help these courageous
individuals and learn how to correctly deal with produce from Israel.
This year we wish a fond farewell to Rev. Gershon and Irene
Glausiusz as they make Aliya after decades of outstanding service to
many communities in this country, especially our own community. I
owe Rev. Glausiusz a personal debt of gratitude for all the help he
has given me over the last ten years, when either my teaching or
family commitments have clashed with Shul responsibilities.
On behalf of myself, Rivky and our children I wish you a Happy
New Year, and may you and the whole of Klal Yisrael be blessed
with a year of peace, good health and prosperity.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 3 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Rosh Hashanah Message for 5775
from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis
In our prayers for the High Holy Days we
say Simcha le’artzecha vesasson le’irecha
- Give joy to the land and elation to the
city of Jerusalem. Following a traumatic
and difficult summer it is our fervent
hope and prayer that the New Year
ushers in peace and security for Israel
and the entire region.
Aspiration for happiness is central to our
Jewish psyche. We are encouraged to celebrate what we have in a
key passage in the Book of Genesis, which we will begin to read on
Simchat Torah.
The Talmud (Chulin 139a) asks a surprising question: where can
Haman be found in the Torah? Surely nowhere! The answer is
mystifying: he appears in the Biblical account of the Garden of Eden.
We read: “Hamin ha’etz…” With these words, God confronted
Adam and asked whether he had eaten of the forbidden fruit of the
Tree of Knowledge. The Hebrew Hamin has the identical spelling to
Haman. On this basis the Talmud declares “This is where Haman can
be found in the Torah”.
As we often find in our sources, a creative interpretation of the
Hebrew language is the vehicle for an insightful teaching – in this
case about inner peace and happiness. The entire Persian nation paid
homage to Haman. Only one person, Mordechai, refused to bow
down to him. Instead of being content with what he had, Haman
The Kingsbury Courier Page 4 Rosh Hashanah 2014
fumed and obsessed about the one thing he lacked - Mordechai’s
submission.
The Torah provides us with a guide to all situations that confront us
in life. In asking where we find a phenomenon like Haman in the
Torah, the Talmud answers by identifying him with the precedent of
Eden. Instead of being happy with their bountiful blessings, Adam
and Eve were miserable about being forbidden the fruit of one single
tree. This destructive dissatisfaction led them to lose their paradise.
A year ago, as I took up office, I called on you to ‘Come with me’ on
a journey. During my first year in office, I have enjoyed immensely
the privilege of visiting the majority of our communities in the UK. I
have been deeply impressed with what I have seen. Our
congregations boast spiritual and lay leaders of the highest calibre.
Many dedicated and selfless men and women give contributions of
inestimable value to their synagogues through their deep and
unwavering commitment. We are blessed with warm and hospitable
synagogues that stage beautiful services and provide a welcoming
home for wonderful people, some of whom might otherwise be
forgotten.
Unlike Haman, we recognize and rejoice in our many achievements
and take pride in the work of our hands.
While feeling gratified and fulfilled we should not, however, be
complacent. There is far more that we can and should be doing to
breathe new, fresh and exciting life into our synagogues and
community centres. With this in mind, I look forward to being your
active partner on this journey, in our quest to build on our
attainments to date in order to achieve even greater success in the
years to come.
Valerie and I extend our warmest wishes to you all for a happy,
joyous, healthy, peaceful and successful New Year.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 5 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Once again the Kingsbury Synagogue Ladies' Guild have been
busy. Apart from Kiddushim every week, for Yom Ha Atzmaut
we had a breakfast sponsored by Irene and Rev. Gershon
Glausiusz and our speaker was Rev. Glausiusz. For Yom
Yerushalaim we held a buffet and the guest speaker was Rabbi
Jonny Hughes from Richmond Shul. Both events were well
attended.
The coffee mornings have been outstandingly popular. One
month, Stephen Hearne, a member of our shul, spoke about his
work as a special constable. This was most interesting, as is our
current affairs programme. In August we are holding a lunch
instead of a coffee morning.
If anybody is interested in joining us for coffee once a month you
will be most welcome, or if you would like to know about any of
our future functions, please contact either:
Sharon Linderman - Chairlady
e-mail:
sharonlinderman@msn.com
Tel: 0208 204 8051
On behalf of the Ladies' Guild may we wish Rabbi Cohen, Rivky
and family, the Honorary Officers and the Kehilla a very Happy
and Peaceful New Year.
Cynthia Jacobs - Treasurer
e-mail:
harvncynjacobs@btinternet.com
Tel: 0208 205 1310
The Kingsbury Courier Page 6 Rosh Hashanah 2014
04 May 2014 There was a Yom HaAtzmaut breakfast
sponsored by Irene and Rev. Gershon Glausiusz.
12 May 2014 the Ladies’ Guild organised a
coffee morning.
31 March 2014 we celebrated Joan Fish’s 92nd
birthday.
27 May 2014 Yom Yerushalayim. Guest speaker
Rabbi Johnny Hughes.
09 June 2014 Steve Hearne, a community policeman,
talked about his work.
07 July 2014 at a coffee morning we discussed
current affairs. Mr Tobias was there.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 7 Rosh Hashanah 2014
30 June 2014. Mazal Tov to Ruth and
Wayne Birnbaum on the marriage of
Sami to Yaeli Freilich (pictured
above).
Just a few of the Simchas in our Community since Pesach
26th
July Mazal Tov to Rayner
and Michael Barnett on the
occasion of their Golden
Anniversary
28th
June 2014 Mazal Tov to
Shoshannah and Shalom Bloch
on the birth of Canna Zipporah
- a grand-daughter to Jeffrey
and Esther Glausiusz and great
grand-daughter to Irene and
Gershon Glausiusz.
May 2014. Mazal Tov to
Raphael and Rochelle Schiff
on the birth of a grandson, a
son for Avital and Refael
Salab, and a great grandson for
Evelyne Schiff.
May 2014. Mazal Tov to
Rabbi Dr. Julian and Ros
Shindler and on the birth of a
grandson, a son for Rivka and
Noam Levy.
August 2014. Mazal Tov to Stephen and Roz Phillips on birth of a
grandson, Yonatan Chaim, a son for Abigail and Zvi Ormonde.
April 2014. Mazal Tov to Dr. Gerald Green on the engagement of his
granddaughter, Sabrena, to Yaakov Leibovitch.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 8 Rosh Hashanah 2014
A Farewell to Friends By Leslie Rubner
It is no secret that the
Rev. Gershon and
Irene Glausiusz are
about to make aliya.
In the past we have
said farewell to many
members who were
either moving to a
different part of
London or to Israel.
Lawrence Myers
moved to Israel only
a couple years ago,
and his absence has
left us with an
irreplaceable
vacuum; it will be
likewise with the
Irene and Gershon.
Gershon’s beautiful
leining, his extensive
religious knowledge
and deep wisdom
will be greatly
missed.
Irene has just compiled a book written by some of the evacuees of the
Second World War. She spends one day a week helping out at the Imperial
War Museum, she was involved with the Association of Friendship Clubs
until it closed down and last, but not least, Irene is the joint editor of this
magazine. We sincerely hope she will carry on with The Kingsbury
Courier from Reveva, Israel.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 9 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Rev. Gershon Glausiusz in deep
discussion with the Chief Rabbi.
When I arrived in this country in
1957, my family lived in Stoke
Newington and were members in
the Beit Knesset Torah Etz
Hayim, the “69”, Rabbi Shloymé
Baumgarten’s community, where
the Glausiusz family was one of
the pillars of the Kehilah. So my
association with Rev. Gershon
goes back some way. Rev.
Gershon was active in the
Federation of Synagogues as
spiritual leader of Ohel Shem, a
by now defunct shul, and later
became the minister of the
Cricklewood United Synagogue,
a position he held until his
retirement.
After we moved to Kingsbury,
one Shabbat morning, walking
home, a bearded gentleman
joined me, saying that it is better
to walk together than separately.
This person was the Rev.
Gershon whom I did not
recognise. As we were from a
similar background, both of us
from Hungary, we struck up a
friendship. I feel privileged to be
their friend. Irene and Gershon you will be greatly missed by Kingsbury.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 10 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Another Saturday Night Out with a Difference By Harvey Jacobs
As I mentioned in my previous article in the Kingsbury Courier, in May
1969 the soup run was split so that a second run could be established in
the East End. The originators of the soup run were the Simon
Community, but when the split took place St. Mungo was founded to
differentiate it. The moving force behind St. Mungo was Jim Horne, a
Glaswegian. (St. Mungo is the patron saint of Glasgow). He set up the
organization in a house in Clapham, at the back of Clapham Junction
station. Jim lived on the top floor with his wife and a very large Alsatian
dog. The rest of the house was to be a sort of hostel for people who
were sleeping rough but wanted to rehabilitate themselves into society.
And, of course, there was the kitchen where the soup was prepared. At our JYVS group meeting, it was felt that the commitment might be
too much for the small number of eligible members in our South
London group. To spread the load, my friend Sammy and I decided we
would put the idea to other JYVS group leaders at a Leaders' Training
weekend in Manchester. The idea was greeted enthusiastically by other
London leaders, mainly from NW London, and we decided to set up an
inter-group Soup Run group. We kept to the same parameters - no one
under 16, at least one driver from a group and no less than five or more
than eight people on any night. We would do Saturday nights, as we had
been doing. Each group had a rota so that any one group would
volunteer about every five or six weeks. My new co-leader in South London was Jeff Galvan, and we would go
out every week so that new recruits to the soup run wouldn't be left to
fend for themselves. We had to arrange cover when a Yom Tov was on
Saturday night and also over Pesach. Suitable locations for distributing the soup had to be found and this we
left to Jim Horne and his regular staff. These locations were all
interesting, with some including the spice of adventure and danger -
Petticoat Lane, outside the Salvation Army hostel, Spitalfields Square,
The Kingsbury Courier Page 11 Rosh Hashanah 2014
the railway arches at the back of Liverpool Street Station, various
abandoned Peabody and Guinness Trust buildings, Cable St. and Kings
Cross/St. Pancras Station.
Preparing the soup in the early days was always an experience,
depending on what was available and what was scrounged by Jim from
local butchers, grocers, greengrocers and bakers. One night we were so
short of ingredients that Jim disappeared and came back with a large
bone. I asked where he got it from as he tossed it into the pot, and he
replied that his Alsatian could have it back after we had made the soup!
There was always something going on in Spitalfields. During the week
it was the site of a big fruit and veg market, similar to Covent Garden,
but at night those who were sleeping rough moved in. A huge bonfire
was built in one comer of the square using abandoned pallets and boxes
and the men would sit around it, talking, arguing or sleeping, and
drinking of course. They were always pleased to see us as much for new
faces as the soup. Jeff and I acquired nicknames once they got used to
us, Jeff being Thelonius Monk, and me being Rasputin (I think it was
something to do with a wild black beard). We came to Spitalfields one
night and the men were very subdued. When asked what had caused
their gloom, we were told that a couple of the men who were sleeping
rough had covered themselves with large pieces of cardboard to keep
warm, and a lorry driver, not realising that there was anyone
undemeath, had backed over them.
Going under the railway arches was, in retrospect, one of our more
dangerous stops. The arches were boarded up, abandoned premises and
the men sleeping there could be unpredictable if disturbed. Some of
them were definitely odd and one had what appeared to be some sort of
shrine that he had made using old toys and other odds and ends. Mostly
we gave them a shake and asked if they would like some soup and
bread. Some were pleased to have the food but many tended to be
solitary individuals and told us to go in no uncertain terms, although
others were glad to talk.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 12 Rosh Hashanah 2014
The Salvation Army hostel in Petticoat Lane always had about half a
dozen people outside. They were mostly those who had wanted a bed
for the night but had arrived too late, after 10.00pm. The clients here
were men who were striving to better themselves but not always
succeeding. They always welcomed our arrival and were very chatty.
One night, as we were handing out soup and bread, the officer in
charge, a major I think, put his head out of the door and asked if we
would like to look around. We, of course, said yes so he gave us a
guided tour. There was a mess hall where their clients could have a
basic breakfast and supper, some large dormitories, sleeping twenty or
so men. Most of them slept with their possessions and boots under their
heads to protect from theft. These beds cost between 2/6d (half a crown
– twelve and a half pence - Ed) and five shillings (25p). There were
some individual sleeping cubicles with doors that cost ten shillings a
night. There were also bathroom facilities. Many of these men had
casual jobs such as kitchen porters, waiters, market porters etc., all low
paid and irregular. It was very interesting to see the inside the Sally Am
Citadel as it is called.
The Peabody and Guinness Trust buildings were built as tenement
blocks by those charitable foundations to provide cheap housing for the
poor and their families. Accommodation was fairly basic with a kitchen,
living room and one or two bedrooms, with loo and bathroom facilities
shared on each floor. In some buildings, the kitchen was communal too.
Construction was sturdy, but by the 1960's local councils were building
new council housing and rehousing residents of what were seen as a
bygone age. We knew of a few of the flats that were occupied on an ad
hoc basis so we used to check them out - it was all part of the adventure.
One Xmas day we went out during daylight to make an extra special
food delivery. We stopped near the docks in Limehouse and a number
of our regulars were there. Suddenly there was a little altercation and a
number of the men disappeared. They came back a few minutes later
and I spoke to one that I had known for a while and asked what was
The Kingsbury Courier Page 13 Rosh Hashanah 2014
going on. He told me that the guy they hustled away had tried to pick
my pocket so they took him round the comer to teach him a lesson!
Our last stop was in Vallance Road (off Whitechapel), not to give out
soup, but to refuel ourselves and get breakfast from the all night Blue
and White Beigel Bakery. We used to buy smoked salmon filled beigels
and eat them sitting in our cars. We would then retum to Clapham to
return the urns.
Once an amusing incident occurred when going to the West End with
Cynthia. We were in Piccadilly Circus and were approached by a
gentleman of the road who asked for a couple of bob for a coffee (code
for an alcoholic beverage) I said to him “Hello Korky. How about me
buying you a coffee to take out?” He looked at me and laughingly said
“Oh, it is you, Harvey. You caught me out.” (The words are slightly
altered but that was the gist).
After about four or five years St. Mungo became more professional,
with full time workers, and the various voluntary groups who helped out
during the week were thanked for their effort and commitment. By then
we were getting bread and rolls from the Lyons bakery in Cadby Hall
and rotated tins of soup from Heinz. The bread was from packaging that
had split so couldn't be sold and Heinz warehouse system rotated stocks
in their warehouses on a 3 year schedule so that although not out of
date, they donated goods to organisations such as St. Mungo to free up
space.
It was a worthwhile experience for all the JYVS members who
participated over the years and I think we all learned a lot about another
aspect of life that we might never have encountered otherwise. A big
thank you to all the young members of JYVS for their time and effort
over a long period which for many encompassed GCSE's, A levels and
Uni.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 14 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Harbin Synagogue
The Harbin Community By Leslie Rübner
In 1895 the Russians leased a land concession from China to build an
extension of the cross-country Trans-Siberian line, the Chinese Eastern
Railway, across Manchuria.
Tsar Nikolai II was eager to
establish a Russian
economic hold on the
territory and, to this end; he
offered Jews a life without
restrictions and without anti-
Semitism in Manchuria.
Jewish newcomers were to
be free to settle anywhere,
but most of them established
themselves in the premier
city of Harbin (“place of
drying fish nets” in
Chinese), nesting at the
convergence of the Songhua and Heilong or Amur Rivers. Jews from the
Pale of Settlement as well as from just across the border, from Siberia, had
heard the Tsar and some of them packed their belongings, collected their
families and undertook the arduous journey to Harbin. The first Jew,
S.I. Bertsel, arrived in 1899. Indeed, just as the Tsar had promised, the new
railway offered good opportunities for the newcomers to thrive financially
and the local Chinese, not being Christians, had no tradition of anti-
Semitism.
In February 1904, in search of raw materials for her industries, Japan
attacked Russia. Right at the start Japan realised that they had bitten off
more than they could chew. Russia had limitless resources, manpower and
money, the Japanese desperately needed funding for their war effort from
the international money market. By April the vice-Governor of the Bank of
Japan, Baron Korekiyo Takahashi, was dispatched to London to organise a
line of credit. But he was offered only half the amount required and on the
The Kingsbury Courier Page 15 Rosh Hashanah 2014
most humiliating of terms. Before returning home Talahashi was invited to
a formal dinner party given by one of the bankers. There, he was
desperately complaining to all who would listen about the difficulties he
had in obtaining capital. The Jewish banker, Jacob Schiff (who
hated Nikolai II for the pogroms in Kishinev on April 6–7, 1903), a
partner in the American investment bank of Kuhn-Loeb, was sitting next
to Takahashi and he arranged for his bank to underwrite the Japanese
loan. Takahashi and Sieff became lifelong friends.
After 1919, the Japanese and White Russians (White Russians were
fighting the Reds also known as the Bolsheviks) joined forces against the
Soviets and were fighting side by side in Siberia. The White Russians,
especially General Gregorii Semononv, rabid anti-Semites, were each
issued with a copy of the “Procotols of the Elders of Zion”. This libellous
forgery was taken as the absolute truth by these people.
Captain Norihiro Yasue, a Russian language specialist in the Japanese
Army, who translated the “Protocols” into Japanese, was posted to
General Semenov’s staff, and Koreshige Inuzuka, a naval officer, who was
stationed on a battleship off Vladivostok, and a few others, after reading
the “Protocols”, came to the firm conclusion that the Jews, not having a
country of their own, had been conspiring for years to make the entire
world do their bidding. These two military officers and a small band of
fellow travellers began collecting data about this “Jewish threat”.
Newspaper and magazine columns were published on the subject by these
“Jew experts”. In 1926 Yasue was sent to Palestine to investigate Jewish
intentions. Yasue travelled up and down the country, speaking to the
Jewish political leaders, trying to elicit proof for his prejudice.
Japan was struggling with the problem of over population and it seemed
logical to persuade some of the Japanese to relocate in the newly
‘independent’ state of Manchukuo. It was imperative for Japan to develop
and exploit Manchukuo’s vast natural wealth, but capital was not easily
available in the early 1930s. The plan was to bring to Manchuria Jews from
Europe, paid for by American Jewish finance and investment and a grateful
American Jewry would influence the U.S. government to acquiesce to
Japanese colonial interests in East Asia and Oceania
The Kingsbury Courier Page 16 Rosh Hashanah 2014
The Jewish Cemetery in Harbin, the
People’s Republic of China. The
Chinese take good care of this
cemetery, putting Eastern Europe to
shame.
The Harbin Jewish population
grew to 20,000 by the 1920s.
There were Jews in every walk
of life. The community was
proud of the two synagogues,
the Old Synagogue and the
New Synagogue, a library and
Talmud Torah, an elementary
and a secondary school. They
had a hospital which treated
everyone, a home for the aged
and their own cemetery. The
Jewish owned
Hotel Moderne could boast a
restaurant, a cinema, a billiard
room, a bar and a barber shop.
There were about 20 Jewish
newspapers and magazine publications in Russian (except one in Yiddish).
With the arrival of the fiercely anti-Semitic White Russians everything
changed. There were discriminations, abductions and kidnappings of Jews
by the White Russians.
In 1931, the Japanese Army invaded Manchuria and in 1932 occupied
Harbin. The city became part of the puppet state of Manchukuo.
Gisuke Ayukawa, an industrialist who created a major steel works (later
Nissan Industries), imported scrap metal from the U.S.A. Through his
business activities he had extensive contact with American
Jews. Ayukawa and the “Jew experts” together with the Japanese foreign
minister discussed the idea of settling Jews in Manchukuo. And so, in June
and July 1939, two memoranda “Concrete Measures to be Employed to
Turn Friendly to Japan the Public Opinion Far East Diplomatic Policy
Close Circle of President of USA by Manipulating Influential Jews in
China,” and “The Study and Analysis of Introducing Jewish Capital” were
reviewed and approved by the Japanese in China. They named the project
The Kingsbury Courier Page 17 Rosh Hashanah 2014
the “Fugu Plan” because, like this fish delicacy, wrongly handled it will
poison you. Should the plan succeed, those participating would reap all the
benefits, but if the project failed the consequences would be dire. They
were planning to settle from 18,000, up to 600,000 Jews with complete
freedom of religion, culture and education. Emissaries were sent to the
U.S. to talk to prominent Jews. Gisuke Ayukawa was trying to arrange for
his suppliers to contact Washington and influence American policy
(how naïve can you get!). Dr. Abraham I. Kaufman, the head of the Harbin
Jewish Community, tried to persuade Rabbi Steven Wise, honorary
president of the American Jewish Congress, to use his considerable
influence to the same end. Rabbi Wise did not even bother to reply.
While these activities were going on, in Harbin the situation for the Jews
deteriorated. White Russian criminal gangs carried out systematic
harassment of the Jews, while the Japanese looked the other way (the
Harbin Russian Fascist Party was established in 1931 two years before the
Japanese occupation of Harbin). Citizens were kidnapped, tortured and
often murdered by the occupying army and its White Russian
collaborators. Simeon Kaspé, a 24 year old naturalised French concert
pianist, the son of the Russian born Joseph Kaspé, the owner of the
Hotel Moderne, a large jewellery store and a chain of theatres, was
kidnapped by White Russian bandits in 1933. When, on the advice of the
French consul, Joseph refused to negotiate with the kidnappers, they sent
him his son’s ears. Simeon was tortured for months and all this time Japan
ignored both the French Consul’s protests and widespread international
outrage. 95 days later, Simeon was found shot dead in a shallow grave. As
a consequence, instead of coming, the Jews began leaving Harbin
and Manchukuo for Shanghai, or if it was at all possible, abroad.
On 7th
December 1941 the Empire of the Rising Sun attacked Pearl
Harbour in Hawaii and the U.S. entered the War on the side of the Allies.
The Fugu Plan had been overtaken by events. As a footnote to this, I have
to mention that although, towards the end of the war, the Japanese had
confined all stateless Jews of Shanghai into a ghetto where
they underwent all sorts of hardships, nevertheless thousands of Jews in
Harbin, Shanghai and in Japan survived.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 18 Rosh Hashanah 2014
The Wooden Etrog Box
By Michael Roodyn
The wooden box sat
on my mother’s
dressing table for as
long as I can
remember, so it must
have been in front of
her for the better part
of 75 years or so.
She kept in it all sorts
of knick-knacks -
buttons, needles, pins, rings and small ephemera. On reflection, that box,
hexagonal in shape, had been a part of my childhood as well. I never gave
it any real attention because, after all, it belonged to my mother then.
After my mother passed away,
and the inevitable and painful
clear-out of her possessions and
clothes, I had the opportunity to
examine the box more closely and
what I discovered is the reason
I’m writing this now.
As it sits in front of me, 16.5cm
high, 12cm in width and 10cm in
depth, I shall make a crude
attempt at its description. The
box was probably made of olive
wood during the Mandate period,
probably between 1935 and
1939. The front has two
intertwined olive branches framing the 10 Commandments, with Hebrew
inscriptions surrounding the top. Along its seven sides are scenes
The Kingsbury Courier Page 19 Rosh Hashanah 2014
depicting sites in Eretz Yisroel. The front depicts, I think, the Kotel, the
Western Wall, as it was at the time it was made, and it has a small lock,
although the key was lost many decades ago. The inside still has the
original material, though slightly stained.
This would be an appropriate moment to narrate how the box came into my
mother’s possession. The story begins around 1938 when my maternal
grandmother brought my mother over from Lodz to Hendon to stay with
her grandparents, my great-grandparents. My grandmother then made the
fateful journey back to Lodz to re-join her husband and son. A few years
later all three had died at the hands of the evil Nazis.
My great-grandfather was very
frum by the standards of the day
and he and my great-grandmother
looked after my mother until 8th
October 1947, giving her a
traditional Jewish upbringing. At
Hendon Shul, on that day, when
my father, resplendent in the
uniform of an RAF Squadron
Leader, a rank he held as a young
doctor, married my mother. The
only action he ever saw, in
uniform, was when his car
collided with a bridge on the North Circular Road when returning to his
base at RAF Uxbridge!
At some point my great-grandmother must have given the box to my
mother following her husband’s death. There it remained on various
dressing tables throughout their 65 years of marriage.
Let us now stop referring to it as a box, because it has morphed into an
heirloom and the box can now be used for its proper purpose for seven
days of the year, at Succoth, to keep my ethrog, as it did for my great-
grandfather and as it will do, G-d willing, for my son and his children.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 20 Rosh Hashanah 2014
The Menin Gate
My Trip to Ypres By Odelia Glausiusz Aged 14
A pupil at Hasmonean Girls School
This year I had the good fortune to partake in a history trip to Ypres, a
town steeped in the history of one of the bloodiest wars our world has seen.
Although the town was speedily rebuilt at the end of World War One, our
tour guide told us that after the war, if you were to stand at one end of
Ypres and your friends were to stand at the other, you would not be able to
see them. This piece of information really gives you a feel for the
magnitude of the destruction that fell upon Ypres; it was not merely
damaged, but totally destroyed. The war had turned what was once a
thriving, industrial town, into a barren wasteland.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 21 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Wreath from the Hasmonean Girls’ School
However, you would never guess all that had happened there (Ypres is now
a quaint, pretty town), if not for the many cemeteries and war memorials
that appeared every
few miles of our
coach journey.
Our first stop was at
the Passchendaele
Museum, dedicated
solely to World War
I. It started with
exhibitions of
soldiers’ uniforms
from different
countries, and
various artefacts
from WW1,
accompanied with
interesting facts.
Next we explored the
replica tunnelling
that the museum had
produced. They were
very realistic, and
really gave me a feel
for what it must have
been like to be a
soldier living in the
trenches. It was quite
dark, with flickering,
dim lighting, which gave it an eerie feel and I was actually feeling quite
scared, even though I knew that it was just a museum! There were different
rooms in the tunnels; the one I remember most vividly was the
commander’s, as he was given the privilege of his own room, whereas the
soldiers had to sleep on hard wooden bunks. The commander, however,
had his own bed that even had a thin mattress! There was also a small table
with a map on it, and an oil lamp. In another room there was a lifelike
The Kingsbury Courier Page 22 Rosh Hashanah 2014
A massive dip in the ground. The site of a bunker that had been
packed with explosives, then blown up by the Allies. Over the years a
pool formed – surrounded by grass and trees.
waxwork of a soldier cleaning out his gun. The long, windy tunnels then
finally came to an end and we were back in the museum again. The next
part of the museum showcased the different weaponry used in WW1.
There was a big room that had shelves of bombs, and another with rifles
and bayonets. I was struck by how big the bombs were - I had expected
them to be quite small. We were then led to replica trenches which were
fascinating, although I was particularly interested in seeing some of the
real trenches, but apparently they’re closed on Mondays! Also, our tour
guide told us that some trenches are too dangerous to visit. The replica
trenches were all lined with sandbags and thin wooden slats. There were a
few rooms which, if I remember correctly, were bomb shelters that were
lined with corrugated iron taken from the real trenches, and so looked very
rusty in places and were peppered with bullet holes. I thought this was all
intriguing, because you get a real sense of how this war was fought, and
the terrible conditions the soldiers had to endure.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 23 Rosh Hashanah 2014
The grave of a Jewish soldier, Lance Corporal S.
W. Harris, who served with the 20th
Battalion
Australian Infantry. He died 9th
October 1917.
Finally, we walked
through a replica
house that the
American soldiers
would have built for
accommodation,
before having lunch
in the beautiful
grounds. We then
went back on the
coach to set off for
our next destination.
We stopped by a
memorial, which we
all examined, before
walking down to a
remarkable site. It
was a massive dip in
the ground, the size
of a house, covered
in lush green grass
and trees. At the
bottom was a small lake of water that must have collected over the years.
Our tour guide told us that in it the allies had dug a few bunkers, packed
them all with explosives and set them all off at once. The noise was so loud
that it could be heard in Dublin! What really struck me was that this site is
now very pretty, as you can see in the picture, but was once the site of
terrible destruction and death. In fact, under the very ground that we stood
on were probably the bones of the dead soldiers killed in the explosion.
Next, we arrived at a massive cemetery where thousands of soldiers are
buried. It was very well-tended, with flowers growing in front of each
white gravestone. We were each given a poppy and we had to choose a
grave on which to lay down our poppy. Our tour guide told us to try and
remember the name of one soldier and the date he died, because the sad
The Kingsbury Courier Page 24 Rosh Hashanah 2014
truth is that most of those soldiers are forgotten, and this should not be the
case, for if those soldiers had not given up their lives for their country, we
might not be here today. The soldier that I remembered was F. Robinson;
he died around the 16th
March 1915. We then laid a wreath down on the
memorial in the centre of the graveyard, on behalf of our school, to say
thank you to the soldiers.
We then went to a much smaller graveyard that the Germans had built, for
the young soldiers, who were really still children, who died in the war. The
wretched fact is that those teenagers were used as cannon fodder.
Next we stopped at the town centre of Ypres, which was very pretty, and
we visited the chocolate shop ‘Leonidas’, which was opened just for us.
We were offered excellent deals, so everyone bought lots of Belgian
chocolate to take home with them! We were then free to roam around the
town square for a while, before visiting the Menin Gate.
The Menin Gate is a huge arch, and every inch of its high walls is filled
with the names of the fifty thousand soldiers whose bodies were never
found. The sheer number here is simply overwhelming, and it is really
dreadful to think of the number of people who were killed as a result of the
war; altogether there were over 16 million deaths.
Every evening the people of Ypres hold a ceremony in memory of the
soldiers who died, and the arch was soon packed to the brim with the
people of Ypres, and also lots of other school children. It was a very grand
ceremony, trumpets were blown, and everyone fell silent, whilst
representatives from different schools laid wreaths, including our own.
The ceremony was the perfect end to our trip, and I can truly say that I
learnt a lot from our trip to Ypres. However, I think the main message that
I got from the trip is the immense bravery of the soldiers who fought in
World War One because if the Allies had not won the war, who knows
what the outcome would have been for all of us.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 25 Rosh Hashanah 2014
The Imperial War Museum
New First World War Galleries Review by Irene Glausiusz
The Imperial War Museum re-opened to great acclaim on the 19
th
July 2014 after a long period of extensive refurbishment, showcasing
new galleries to portray the story of the First World War
commemorated on the 5th
August, exactly 100 years after the
outbreak of hostilities. On entering the exhibition, visitors are met with an unfolding film
portraying life in Britain from the years 1900 to 1914. People are
going about their everyday lives, travelling mostly on trams - when
the average wage was £1.40p a week and a pint of beer cost 2p; when
the richest 1% of society controlled 70% of the nation’s wealth; when
one person in twenty emigrated in search of a better life abroad,
mostly to America, Australia or Canada; and a child could leave
school at the age of twelve. Moving on, the exhibition has lots of inter-active push button films
which are fine for children. Poison gas canisters are shown as a “Deadly New Weapon”. On 15
th
April 1915 the Germans released a cloud of chlorine gas on Allied
troops at Ypres. The Allies were horrified, yet in September at Loos
the British launched their own. Wandering around, visitors can see
what the shell holes looked like; how they gathered great pools of
water and, if a soldier fell in, he would most likely drown. Images of
the Belgian areas before the war are compared to the
peaceful Kent scenery and the picture changes to show the
devastation caused by the explosives - nearby a quotation “G-d’s
lovely earth wrecked beyond recognition”.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 26 Rosh Hashanah 2014
There are extracts from popular newspapers and details about the
official documentary “The Battle of the Somme” which was shown
in cinemas during August 1916 - it was estimated that 20 million
people saw it. Many hoped for a glimpse of a son, brother or
friend. The Government used this method because it wanted to
motivate the Home Front about how important it was to support the
soldiers. Admission to the exhibition is free, but entry is timed.
Understandably, during the school holidays there are huge crowds
wanting to see everything, but in a month or two, waiting will be less
of a problem. If you have time, visit the Lord Ashcroft Galleries of “Extraordinary
Heroes” to see his collection of Victoria Cross and George Cross
medals, citations and memorabilia, built up since 1986. I looked in
vain for any Jewish sounding names but there were none in the
Ashcroft collection, although for the record, five Jewish men were
awarded a VC during World War One. I couldn’t resist having a quick look around the “Family at War”
exhibits encompassing the Second World War, which included an
Anderson Shelter which children could squeeze into, a 1930’s type
kitchen with ancient gas cooker and a hand operated mangle for the
washing. Lots of posters encouraging parents to evacuate their
children to places of safety and films about the blitz. You can’t miss a car on the ground floor - or rather the mangled
wreck of a car blown up by a suicide bomber in Baghdad - displayed
alongside a pristine ambulance and a huge upright V2 rocket. This is just a brief snapshot of what is on offer. It might take a few
hours to see everything! Log onto IWM.ORG.UK for more
information. Nearest tube station Lambeth North on the Bakerloo
line.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 27 Rosh Hashanah 2014
The Kingsbury Jewish Aid Society By Pat Goodman
The Kingsbury Jewish Aid Society began over 35 years ago, comprising
11 Kingsbury couples, with the aim of raising money for Jewish Care.
We have held many functions over the years, including supper quizzes,
entertainers, walks, car rallies, film shows, theatre groups and speakers.
Over the years we have sadly lost 8 of our original committee members,
but the remaining 14 – with the help of good friends – held our last
function on Sunday 3rd August 2014. This was our yearly “Walkabout”.
We had over 80 people in 22 different cars heading to a mystery
destination; this time it was St Albans. Once there, they had to walk
around a prescribed route looking en route for the answers to 45 written
questions. Then, on completion, return to the Bushey Centre for
refreshments and the answers.
The day was extremely successful - we did not lose anyone, everyone
appeared to return with smiles on their faces and thanked us for a lovely
day - though we could not really be responsible for the weather, which
was glorious! We raised over £700 for Jewish Care.
Unfortunately we do not feel able to continue any more, arranging
functions like this which are very physically demanding and time
consuming.
However, we all started off as friends and now, many years later, we are
all extremely close friends and have supported each other over good
times and bad. We have no idea how much money we have raised for
Jewish Care over the years, but we know that it has helped and we have
all gained something ourselves from being on our committee.
Kingsbury Jewish Aid Committee
The Kingsbury Courier Page 28 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Mignonette and Stanley Aarons In conversation with
Irene Glausiusz and Leslie Rübner
Both Mignonette and
Stanley proudly proclaimed
“We are both Cockneys”–
that is, born within the sound
of Bow Bells, Mignonette at
Mrs Levy’s Jewish
Maternity Home and Stanley
at the London Hospital.
Mignonette (nee Granat)
began life in a house in
Queen Elizabeth’s Walk,
Stoke Newington – the
eldest of 6 children, four
girls and two boys. At age
two, the family moved to
nearby St Kilda’s Road. Her
father was a Master Milliner
with a business in the City of
London. Mignonette recalled
how at around the age of
four she learnt Hebrew from her father whilst he was sitting at his machine.
When his firm was blitzed during World War Two, the family moved to
Luton, famed for its millinery trade (whilst her grandparents moved to the
house in St Kilda’s Road.) Mignonette was four years old at the time and
was enrolled in the local infants’ school, followed by the primary - where
she was the only Jewish girl, subjected to substantial bullying; not a happy
time. Evacuation followed to the Aryeh House School in Wales where
Mignonette stayed until the end of the war. Back in London, her education
continued at the John Howard Grammar School in Clapton – known
locally as “Laura Place”. Her talent for music was established when she
played the piano at concerts, assemblies and for the school choir.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 29 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Stanley lived in Gossett Street off Brick Lane in London’s East End and
attended the Virginia Road Primary School. His father was a
Tailor/Presser. At age eleven he won a scholarship to the prestigious
Davenant Foundation School. He was briefly evacuated to Manchester
during the advent of the V1 and V2 rockets over London and enjoyed his
time there, staying three months until VE Day was declared. Stanley,
whose Hebrew name is Ziesel ben Zvi, celebrated his Bar Mitzvah at the
Cheshire Street Stiebl (a Federation Shul) reciting Maphtir and Haphtorah.
Stanley had one brother, Marcus (who came to live in Kingsbury, thus
encouraging Mignonette and Stanley to follow suit – but more of this
later). Stanley had the ambition to become a chartered accountant, but the
required fees were more than his parents could afford. Nevertheless, he
started work in a chartered accountant’s office and learned the hard way,
studying constantly to become qualified.
Mignonette had always wanted a career in music, but her parents thought it
would be too risky and secretarial
work was thought to be the safer
option, and so her working life
commenced at the office of the
United Synagogue, followed by a
stint at the Beth Din. Mignonette
also travelled on behalf of her
father’s business, taking orders for
the hat trade.
At this stage in life both liked to
go out socialising, and their first encounter with each other was at the
Vienna Club in Baker Street. Sometime later, following a few chance
encounters, the romance really took off. Stanley explained that he was
exempted from National Service (two years compulsory service at the
time) for health reasons. They married in 1957 at the then rather grand
New Synagogue at Egerton Road in Stamford Hill. Rabbi Dr Lehrman
officiated. Stanley was still studying at the time and qualified six months
after they married. They lived in Stoke Newington where Stanley became
Chairman of the Parents’ Association at the Shacklewell Lane Shul. He
The Kingsbury Courier Page 30 Rosh Hashanah 2014
started his accountancy practice at home. Mignonette, at that time working
for a chartered accountant, introduced Stanley to her boss and eventually
they became partners.
Around 1960/61 they moved to Kingsbury where his (late) brother Marcus
and family had set up home.
Their twins were born on 29th
December 1962 at the Whittington Hospital,
a boy named Rowland and a girl called Beverley. Three years later in 1965
their daughter Bracha Belinda arrived. At this time, Stanley became
Chairman of the Kingsbury Building Fund, taking over from David Fish,
and he chaired the JIA and JNF fundraising committees. Stanley also took
on the position of Financial Representative and Warden of the Shul and
Mignonette taught at the Cheder. The young couple initiated the rota for
the Succah crawl each year.
With the children a little older, Mignonette decided to start a Teacher
Training programme and, having enrolled at the Kilburn Polytechnic, she
duly passed her English A level exam. But her constant love was music,
and attendance at the Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute was a source of
great pleasure with lectures in music, leading to an LRAM (Licentiate
Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music), studied externally, in piano and
singing. To put it mildly, the day of the exam was not without its drama.
When they awoke, no water came from the taps and Stanley tried to fix the
problem, thus causing a flood to descend from the upstairs tank.
Notwithstanding this crisis, Mignonette set off for the exam, only for the
train to break down. On arrival at the Royal Academy the room where she
was due to perform, and in which was the required musical score, was
locked. However, despite these setbacks, Mignonette passed with flying
colours, specialising in singing with a diploma as a Singing Teacher.
Some 13 years ago, Mignonette became seriously ill and was in hospital
for five months, at which time her life was “touch and go”. She went into
hospital the day after Pesach and was in intensive care until recovery and
discharge on erev Yom Kippur. Mignonette said “I had to learn to do
The Kingsbury Courier Page 31 Rosh Hashanah 2014
everything again, but I put my life back together and I made progress,
thanks to everyone’s prayers on my behalf”.
At the present time Mignonette gives piano lessons, performs at concerts
and hosts concerts at home in aid of charity. She has also become
fascinated by the music of composers who were forbidden by the Nazis,
including music written in Teresienstadt Concentration Camp. Stanley and
Mignonette went to Prague recently out of historical interest and, whilst
there, managed to buy original manuscripts of a Czech Jewish composer.
Having retired nine years ago, Stanley now enjoys playing bridge. His son
Rowland took over the business, but Stanley still goes to the office to
“keep his hand in” and, together with Mignonette, they are looking forward
this year, G-d willing, to their 59th
Wedding Anniversary. Their children
and grandchildren all live in nearby Hendon.
FOOTNOTES
a) Mignonette’s grandfather, Avraham Zev Granat, was a chasid, a Talmid
Chacham and unofficial Rabbi in Paris. Local Jews would approach him
with any questions that needed to be solved. When the Germans over-ran
Paris, he was asked to supply the names of the Jewish people in the district,
which he refused to do. Subsequently he ran away to the forest and died
there.
b) Grandmother Rivka had a stall in the market and had the bright idea of
approaching Galeries Lafayette (a store somewhat equivalent to Selfridges)
asking if she could buy their leftover stock at the end of the season.
Motzei Shabbat she would open her stall and her customers queued up for
the metzias. She survived the war.
c) Post war, when Mignonette’s Yiddish speaking grandparents were living
in the same house in St Kilda’s Road, her father asked one of the local
people to visit them and thus Mignonette was taught to read and write
Yiddish.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 32 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Dealing with Diabetes By Mary Ann Landaw RN
Local District Nurse Self-Blood Sugar monitoring is an accurate, easy and quick way to
know the level of the blood sugar in the patient’s circulation at that
precise moment and therefore to find out if there are any problems, such
as hypoglycemia. The procedures involved in monitoring blood sugar levels are easy to
learn, thus the patient could be taught to do it him or herself in order to
create independence for him or her. It should be borne in mind that any
individual result is valid only for its respective period, and might vary
during the day with food input, exercise regime and the interaction of
the medication. It is useful to monitor the blood sugar when going to
sleep and waking up, to find out if there has been a nocturnal
hypoglycemia and before meals to find out if the patient is hypo or
hyperglycemia. All results should be documented on paper or
electronically, to enable the community diabetic nurse to plan optimum
insulin management. The community diabetic nurse should take into consideration a patient’s
medical condition, which may include poor eye sight and poor
dexterity, when deciding on which type of machine and lancets should
be used, as there are several types on the market. Most of the machines
today have a programme to record and save the result, time and date -
the patient does not have to document the result and the community
multi-professional team can get a correct reading for his or her
management of the insulin and tablets. There should be a Quality
Control guidance to make sure the equipment is accurate.
Although every diabetic patient should have their own electronic
glucose meter to keep track of their glucose levels, it is also essential
that it is used in conjunction with other tests. For instance, ghe
Glycosylated Haemoglobin blood test will give more details and precise
measurements of the level of blood glucose over a longer period of
time.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 33 Rosh Hashanah 2014
A Long Shlepp – North to South Israel By Irene Glausiusz
I was staying with my daughter on
the Golan settlement of Keshet and
had plans to travel to my son who
lives in Reveva in the Shomron, and
en route I wanted to be in Jerusalem
to visit the Kotel. Of course I could
have travelled on the buses, but the
hope was that someone would be
going to Jerusalem by car and I
might cadge a lift. The opportunity
arose to be a passenger with a certain Rav Yissi Smith (not his real name)
who was going the next day, which would take me at least half of the
distance I needed to cover, so I jumped at the chance.
Duly arranged, we met at 7.00am in the Keshet car park and a look of
dismay crossed my daughter’s face when she saw his old jalopy –
something that could possibly be dumped on a scrap heap. Well, nothing
ventured, nothing gained. Along with Rav Yissi came his teenage
daughter Yael and younger son and daughter aged about 8 and 6.
We set off and half way en-route for Tiberias, where Yael was due to meet
her friend, predictably in the middle of nowhere the car overheated and we
ground to a halt. After some time, when the motor had cooled, and after
much cranking of the engine, the car sprang into action. However, before
reaching the centre of Tiberias Rav Yissi decided to stop at a special shul
where it was imperative for him to daven. We all waited in the car until he
reappeared. Finally we drew up in the town centre and Yael left us, not
before nagging her Dad for money to buy new sandals – he suggested X
number of shekels, she wanted Y. After some dispute, he caved in (what
father can resist his teenage daughter? Not me! – Ed) and he handed over
the cash. Again we set off, but along the way Rav Yissi asked if I minded
but he wanted to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Meir baal HaNess – did I want
to go in? I declined and resigned myself to another hold-up.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 34 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Maybe another half an hour passed - Rav Yissi concluded his prayers and
we started off on the next leg. He asked me if I was in a hurry, and
foolishly I said “No”. He explained that he had had some health problems
– his doctor had told him that swimming was very good exercise - and thus
we arrived at the shores of the Kinneret, where he jumped out of the car,
cast off most of his clothes and jumped into the water which, I had to
admit, looked very inviting. It was getting hotter and hotter and I had no
option but to sit on the rocks until the swimming session concluded. Then
(loud cheers!) we hit the road again and bowled along until turning into a
wayside cafeteria. Rav Yissi announced that he felt tired and needed a rest.
He promptly tilted the seat back and fell into a deep slumber. I took the
two children into the café, bought them ice lollies and we hung around
until Rav Yissi felt in the mood to resume driving. Another hour had
passed by.
At last, I thought we were really on the road to Jerusalem. Wrong! We
were going to visit one of the Rav’s sons in his yeshiva and this presented
him with an opportunity to meet some of his colleagues into the bargain.
My heart sank, but there was nothing I could do. Arriving at the yeshiva,
lunch was in progress (but no-one asked me to join them). Now around
mid-day, it was very hot and I’d
had enough. More than
enough! At least another
hour passed (the two
youngsters had fallen
asleep on the back seat
of the car) and then
Yissi re-appeared –
he had acquired a
large roll of wire
netting which he
hoisted on top of the car - he explained it would be handy for his house in
Keshet. Time seemed immaterial – we, that is I, Rav Yissi, his two young
children plus a student who wanted a lift to Jerusalem, squeezed into the
car and we were actually on our way to the Holy City. The car chugged
along; we climbed the hills, encountering heavy traffic and then, shock
The Kingsbury Courier Page 35 Rosh Hashanah 2014
2014201420142014Rosh haShana 2014
horror, on a major roundabout, in the midst of an immense number of cars
and lorries, the car conked out yet again. We all jumped out and with our
combined efforts attempted to push the car into an inner lane. By now
desperation had set in.
Then a minor miracle occurred. I saw a passing taxi - I yelled “Taxi -
Kotel b’vakasha!” - grabbed my case, thanked Rav Yissi and made my
escape. I spent some time at the Kotel, took the bus back to the town
centre and waited around for the banks to open at 4.00pm so I could
change some money. You might think this is the end of the story. Wrong!
Next on the list, I looked for the bus-stop to take me to Reveva. I thought
the number I needed went from the central bus station. (Then in the process
of being rebuilt). It appeared not – “You need to go from the new bus
station; take a bus. It’s just one stop” a passer-by advised me. OK let’s
try. I queued up at the new ticket office and was politely informed by the
clerk that the bus I needed, went from the old bus station. I couldn’t
believe my ears. I had to re-trace my steps and eventually found the
appropriate stop right back where I started! My case was becoming
extremely heavy and the heat was taking its toll.
Eventually, when the bus arrived, I wondered if I was seeing a mirage but
truthfully I was just thankful to be sitting down. This last stage of my
nightmare journey lasted about two hours. The bus pulled into every
passing yishuv, both large and small, along the way and there were quite a
few!
On arrival at Reveva sometime around 7.30pm, I was greeted by worried
family members who had been phoning all over the place, wondering
where I had been all the day. (This was before the advent of mobile
phones). There was only one thing left to do. Have a cool shower, sink
onto a bed and call it a day.
Please believe me, I could not begin to invent any of the events that
happened to me on my exhausting ‘one-day’ Cook’s Tour of Israel.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 36 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Our Future's Foundations By Stephen Pack - President of the United Synagogue
In recent weeks, over five thousand US members have
taken the time to share their views with us in probably the
most comprehensive survey our community has
conducted. The extent to which our members have been
willing to participate in this process demonstrates on a
grand scale that they care passionately about the future of
their community. As I begin my second three-year term as President
of the United Synagogue I am acutely aware of the responsibility that
I and my fellow Trustees have to meet the many needs of our
community. Following the Trustee elections in July, I am particularly
pleased that we have a talented and experienced mix of former
trustees as well as some new younger faces and that we now have
four women trustees helping to shape the governance of the United
Synagogue.
Thankfully we are building on extremely solid foundations. Just
twelve months ago we welcomed our new Chief Rabbi, Ephraim
Mirvis, who has already demonstrated his strong leadership and
vision for our community. His recognition as the pre-eminent voice
for the wider Jewish community and his launch of 'The Chief Rabbi's
Shabbat UK ' testify to his masterful assumption of one of the most
important and challenging roles in Jewish public life.
The United Synagogue firmly supports Israel as it continues to face
the terrible challenges with which we are all too familiar. This crucial
aspect of our Jewish identity is one that we can never take for granted
and our work continues to strengthen our members' connection with
and love for Israel, I am very proud that dozens of members of Tribe
had the transformative experience of Israel Tour this summer.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 37 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Closer to home, many of our communities have exellent new Rabbis,
Assistant Rabbis, Rebbetzens and many dedicated professionals
providing the services, programmes and support that our members
want and need. In addition, it has been a great pleasure to have
welcomed a number of new member synagogues this year, including
the addition of Sheffield as our first ever provincial community.
Looking to the future, a real priority is to connect with our younger
membership. The work of Tribe and Young US have continued to
provide opportunities for our youth and young professionals with
events such as “Chanukah on lce” and “Learn2Lead” alongside
summer camps and schemes. It may come as a pleasant surprise to
know that this work is bearing fruit, and that our younger
membership is beginning to see real growth. My trustees and I are
optimistic about the future of the United Synagogue.
I am extremely proud of the “70 Days for 70 Years project” which
will launch in January. This should connect thousands of people
around the world who will learn for 70 days in memory of those lost
in the Holocaust. It carries a message that resonates so strongly with
the United Synagogue: “Remember the Past to Build the Future”.
Building a strong future for our vibrant and engaged communities is
a huge task and so I look forward after the Yomim Tovim to working
with our new Chief Executive, Dr Steven Wilson, and many others
across the United Synagogue family. The task that lies ahead for us
all is a great one and with the support of dedicated professionals and
volunteers throughout our many local communities, I am confident
that the future for the United Synagogue is something we can all
anticipate with excitement.
With best wishes for a Shana Tova u’Metucha - a happy, healthy and
sweet new year.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 38 Rosh Hashanah 2014
President’s Rosh Hashanah message 5775
A tale of two elections By Vivian Wineman
At the time of writing
this piece Israel is
under continuous
rocket attack and there
is no prospect of a
cease fire. I hope and pray that by the time this is read, the
situation will have settled. I am writing to you with what will be
my final Rosh Hashanah address, as my term as President comes
to a mandatory end in May next year. Being President has given
me many pleasing moments and enormous pride. I am delighted
that the Board has made so much progress so that we now have a
good team led by a first rate CEO, Gillian Merron, and soon
hopefully will be housed in modern up to date premises. Our
discussions with the JLC for a unified organisation of the
community continue but, whether on its own or as a part of a
wider organisation, the Board has a bright future.
None of what we achieve would be possible without our dedicated
Deputies, from across the UK – I thank them for their hard work:
they represent their constituencies and are vital to the functioning
of UK Jewry. Needless to say, the Board exists on money from
individuals in the community - half of which comes from the
Communal Levy: still, less than half of synagogue members pay
the relatively small sum of £25 a year to support our work. I think
that the message here will support the fact that we are deserving of
that contribution.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 39 Rosh Hashanah 2014
We are helping to counter BDS, witnessed by our close work with
the Methodist Church leadership which led to a moratorium
around BDS activity.
We are protecting Jewish education through our lobbying
ministers, such as the right to teach Ivrit as a first language and are
promoting Judaism through our revamped Jewish Living
Experience exhibitions and Tours, in which thousands of non-
Jewish children learn about our faith every year.
We are reaching the edges of the community through Jewish
Connection, which is supporting small communities all over the
UK who need pastoral, social care, networking and advocacy
support from the mainstream of the community.
We consulted the community and then worked with the Equality
and Human Rights Commission to produce new guidelines that
clearly define the right to religious practice both at work and in
educational institutions.
Finally our APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Groups) on British
Jews has already drawn wide support from politicians and has
helped us hone the community’s lobbying on core rights issues,
namely, social care, restitution of property for Survivors,
protecting Shechitah, the right and value to a religious education
by showcasing our excellent schools, lobbying on child benefit
credits and many other issues affecting the entire spectrum of the
community.
You will shortly become aware of a General Election Jewish
Manifesto produced by the Board, which encapsulates all the
interests, concerns and aspirations of the UK’s 300,000 Jewish
community.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 40 Rosh Hashanah 2014
The Board will send this manifesto, which follows on from this
year’s successful European Elections Jewish Manifesto - to
Jewish communities, policy makers, and election candidates - in
order that the Jewish community has one clear policy document
around the 2015 elections. The idea is that as individuals and local
Jewish communities you take the Manifesto to candidates and use
it as the centre piece of lobbying efforts - be it at hustings, in
letters or in public debates.
We recognise the diversity of the community and range of interests
which is why we consulted throughout the community - reaching
three hundred individuals and organisations. The Manifesto is
divided into 14 sections including Religious Freedom and
Observance, Israel and the Middle East, Education, and Health and
Social Care. There are also a list of ‘Ten Commitments’ which
encapsulate in a breath the key aims of the document.
The Board’s ‘Parliament’ dissolves in May 2015, and there will be
elections not only for a new President, Vice Presidents and
Treasurer but for nearly 300 Deputies on the Board. We have done
much good work to improve our representation in the past few
years, including with our Women in Jewish Leadership project to
ensure female talent is allowed to flourish, the setting up of a
Youth Forum, to improve contact with younger community
members, and through working with Change in the Board: the
result has been a marked improvement in our representation - but
we must go much further.
5774 has been a significant year of achievement for the Board.
Let’s hope that 5775 will be a year of peace for Israel and the
Middle East and a successful one for the community.
Shana tova
The Kingsbury Courier Page 41 Rosh Hashanah 2014
From Rabbi and Mrs Cohen and family.
Rayner and Michael Barnett and family wish everyone a Happy and
Healthy New Year and well over the fast.
Henry and Sylvia Malnick, together with Hannah, Avi and Bassy
Friedwald and Ruth, Avraham, Dina Malka, Yehoshua and Mendel
Yosef Klein, wish everyone a peaceful, happy and healthy Shana Tova.
Rev Gershon and Irene Glausiusz extend New Year Greetings to Rabbi
and Mrs Cohen, the Honorary Officers and all the Congregation for a
Shanah Tovah uMetukah.
Reuven, Jeanne and Joseph Lavi and Gabriella, David, Tehillah
Shimon, Yonatan and Tirtza Berrebi wish all the community a Shanah
Tovah.
Shanah Tova from Simon Levy to all readers.
Cynthia and Harvey Jacobs, together with their family, wish the whole
kehillah a very Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year.
Deborah and Leslie Rübner wish a Happy New Year to all members of
the community.
Julian and Rosalind Mann, Stefanie and Daniel Dasa, Shirelle, Itamar
and Bat Chen, Rabbi Benjamin Mann, Rabbi Michael and Chana Mann,
Tuvia Yoseph, Yisroel and Shalom Chaim, wish the whole community
a happy New Year.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 42 Rosh Hashanah 2014
Best wishes for a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year – Cynthia
Green and family.
New Year wishes and greetings from Jonathan and Mary-Ann Landaw,
Jacob, Raphy, Asher, Rochelle and Eliana Tova, Yitzi and Rachel,
Rachel, Naomi and of course Wembley.
Wishing all my family and friends here and in Israel a happy and
healthy New Year and may we all be able to celebrate a more peaceful
future together. Pat Goodman.
Greta and Lawrence Myers, together with Sharon, Roi, Tehilla, Sara
and Moriah Blumberg and Deborah, Binyamin, Betzalel, Elisheva and
Tamar Radomsky, wish all our friends in Kingsbury, Israel and
everywhere, everything they wish for themselves for a healthy and
happy New Year.
Kesivah Vechasimah Tovah from Wayne and Ruth Birnbaum; Rabbi
Yoni and Elisheva with Nechama, Shimi, Tobi and Sara in Hadley
Wood; Dov and Tehilla with Gavriel, Chaya, Shmuel and Yaacov in
Yerushalyim; Rabbi Ben and Abi Kurzer with Ahron Eliezer in
Edgware; Sami and Yaeli in Hendon; and Doron and Zehava in
Hendon.
Mignonette and Stanley Aarons wish everyone a
Kativa v’Chatima Tovah.
Della and Tony Brown, with Vivienne Saskya and Andrew Monchar,
wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year and Well over the Fast.
Roz, Stephen and Tammi Phillips together with Rochel, Chagai, Refael
Yosef, Moriah, Uriel Moshe, Chana and Achiya Cohen (Jerusalem), and
Samantha, Daniel, Shemaya and Tova Phillips (Edgware), and Abigail,
Zvi and Yoni Ormonde (Jerusalem) wish everyone in the Community a
very Happy and Healthy New Year.
The Kingsbury Courier Page 43 Rosh Hashanah 2014
KKIINNGGSSBBUURRYY SSYYNNAAGGOOGGUUEE Hool Close Kingsbury Green London NW9 8XR
Telephone: 020 8204 8089
Email: kinsyn@btconnect.com
Kingsbury Officials
Rabbi Rabbi Zvi Cohen
Email: zvicohen@live.com
Adminstrator Ivan Gold
Wardens
Harvey Jacobs
Reuven Lavi
Financial Representative Julian Mann
Board and Council of Management Stanley Aarons
Michael Barnett
Wayne Birnbaum
Stephen Phillips
Harold Stone
Richard Shaw (co-opted)
Pat Goodman
Mary Ann Landaw
Sharon Linderman
Representatives on U.S. Council Mrs Pat Goodman
Mr Richard Shaw
Board of Deputies Representative Jonathan Brody
Welfare Officer Michael Barnett
Chair Ladies Guild Sharon Linderman
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