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H A K O L
Elul 5780 - Cheshvan 5781August - November 2020
Tishrei 5781
Solihull & District Hebrew [email protected]
registered charity no. 1100938
CONTENTS
Loaves of Love 3 High Holydays Booking 5 Yomtov in a box 6 COVID-19 Shul Safety 7 Shofar in the Garden 8 Tashlich 9 Yizkor 10 Sukkos Party 11 How Can We Help 12 Chief Rabbi’s New Year Messsage 15 Quarantine & Communication 16 Food for Thought 18 Friday Night Dinner 19 Thank You 20 Yom Tov in a Nutshell 21 Sukkah Building Made Simple 23 Yom Tov Recipes 24 Communal News 25 5778 in Pictures 33 Dates for Yomtov - 2018/19 43 Story 44 How to celebrate Rosh Hashona Alone49 Jewish Humour 51 Dates in Jewish History 52 Dates for your Diary 54 Tribute to Louise Ichbia 56 Did You Know? 57 Wish List 58 Legacies 59 Shabbos Times 61 A Message from the CST 62 Free Tefillin Health Check 63 Solihull Cheder 64 Art With Lee 65 Solihull Academy of Jewish Education 66 Rosh Hashona Greetings 73 Adverts 77
Rabbi Yehuda & Dinie Pink
Dear Friends,
The Jewish New Year is approaching. Rosh Hashanah, which begins the evening of Friday, 18th September, will inaugurate the Jewish calendar year of 5781.
The Torah characterises Rosh Hashanah as the first day of the seventh month. (The counting of Jewish months begins with Nisan). The Hebrew word for “seventh,” shevi’i, shares the same root as the word sova, which means satiation. Indeed, we are satiated this month with physical and spiritual goodness: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atseret, and Simchat Torah. This plethora of auspicious dates provides a full range of experiences that allows us to stockpile the physical and spiritual energy to live productively throughout the coming year.
The etymology of shevi’i is also related to the Hebrew “shevuah,” which means “oath.” The Midrash explains that G-d swore to Abraham that He would forgive and be merciful to Abraham’s descendants during this month. Indeed, our sages note that the word Tishrei, the Hebrew name of this month, means“release,” indicating that G-d releases, acquits, and atones for the failings of His people.
This year, many of us together with Jews around the globe will celebrate the holidays differently from previous years, with many being unable to participate in synagogue services or other communal events. As you prepare to celebrate these special days in a more personal way, this booklet presents you with some of the most noteworthy teachings about these holidays, along with some practical guidance, geared to delight, inform, and inspire, and thus enhance your holiday experience.
Globally, humanity is very much in need of a release from the hazards and hardships of the past year and the initiation of blessing and renaissance. Indeed, let us pray that 5781 be marked by health and happiness, and that we all be inscribed for a good and sweet new year.
Wishing you a very Happy, Sweet and Healthy New Year
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What: Join Rebbetzen Dinie Pink and bake Challos for your Shabbos table and pass one on to another member of the community.
Discover the beauty of this tradition unique to Jewish Women.
Where: Solihull Jewish Community Centre, 3 Monastery Drive, Solihull, B91 1DW
Special Pre-Rosh Hashanah Session Thursday 10th September
6:30 PM
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The Dream Team is Back!
For more information contact Rabbi Pink - [email protected] - 0121 706 8736 - www.solihullshul.org
If you’re tired of nodding off into your prayer book, join us for a High Holy Day service
that’s meaningful and easy-to-follow. This year the service will be significantly shorter to
comply with COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Chazan Zali Rodal assisted by Chazan Daniel Littlestone will have you tapping your feet
while Rabbi Pink will stimulate your mind as he makes the prayer book come alive with
heart warming stories and commentary.
• All Welcome - Pre-Booking Essential.
• COVID-19 Secure Venue
• Inspiring and melodious Chazanim
• Explanatory Service - Thought Provoking Commentary & Sermons
• Covered Outdoor Seating Option for those medically unable to wear facemaks
• Warm and Friendly Atmosphere
Chazan Zali Rodal Rabbi Yehuda Pink Chazan Daniel Littlestone
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ROSH HASHONA & SUKKOS MEALS IN A BOX
To order a delicious Yomtov meal for collection or delivery contact Dinie Pink
0121 706 8736 - [email protected]
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We look forward to welcoming you at Solihull Shul over the coming High Holy Days.
We will endeavour, as always to make your experience with us enjoyable, meaningful and uplifting. At this time, we understand that it may be the first time many people are coming back to Shul in many months, and we all have a responsibility to look after ourselves and others and ensure everyone’s safety.
We have carefully looked at the guidelines from the Government and Rabbi Pink has been in consultation with Public Health England and the Chief Rabbis Office and we are sure you will all understand and respect the precautions we are putting in place. Our building has been adapted to meet COVID-19 safety requirements and ensure that the requirements for social distancing, building capacity, safe walking routes, seating configuration etc. have all been met.
1. All the pews have been removed from the shul and replaced with chairs, this has allowed us to configure the distancing properly. All chairs will be thoroughly cleaned in between each service.
2. Chairs have been configured to be 2m apart from each other in all directions. Members of the same household will be placed next to each other to increase capacity.
3. Entry will only be allowed to peopel who have pre-booked. You will be allocated a named place and it is important that everybody please adheres to social distancing and sits in their allocated seats.
4. Hand Sanitisers have been fixed to the entry doors and everyone will be requested to sanitise their hands before entering the building. Signage will display the correct and most effective methods of handwashing and using hand sanitiser. Waste paper bins will be available for the safe disposal of paper towels, tissues etc.
5. Everyone entering the building must wear a mask, the room will be well ventilated with all windows and doors kept open. There will be a limited amout of seating available in a covered outdoor seating area adjacent to the fire escape available for those unable to wear a mask. There will be masks available for those who have forgotten to bring their own.
6. The bima and lectern will be surrounded with perspex screens to prevent any spread of airborne particles.
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7. There will be a box of gloves adjacent to the Ark and those asked to open the Ark will be required to don a pair of gloves before touching the curtain.
8. There will be no loud singing other than from the chazan. You may sing along with the chazan at the same volume that you would normally talk. 9. The building will be cleaned regularly with particular attention to door handles, hard surfaces, bathrooms and handrails.
10. There will be seperate entry and exit points for the building.
11. The service will be considerably shorter than normal. We ask everyone to attend on time to allow the services to begin and end promptly.
12. The Rabbi will stand adjacent to an open external door while blowing the shofar.
13. There will be an additional outdoor shofar blowing for those who do not wish to enter the building.
14. If the weather permits there will be an additional prayer service held outdoors.
15. If you use a Shul Machzor or Talis and are returning for the next service, please leave it on your seat so that you can reuse it. If not, it will need to be sanisitsed before being used by someone else, so please put it in the boxes provided for this before you leave.
16. Every minyan will have a Corona Warden who is fully empowered to ensure safe behavior. The Rabbi will halt davening or other activities if the Corona Warden is being ignored.
17. A record will be kept of attendees to ensure that the Government track and trace requirements can be activated if necessary.
18. If you have booked and do not show up, this will prevent others from attending, so please do let us know if you need to cancel.
There will be a live streamed Kol Nidrei Service prior to Yom Kippur starting for those unable to attend the Services.
If anyone is unable to attend Shul and would like to hear the Shofar, Rabbi Pink will endeavour for someone to come and blow the Shofar in their garden for them.
If anyone would like any more information about the precautions in place to ensure a secure and safe environment for all then please contact Rabbi Pink 0121 706 8736 or [email protected]
Shofar in the Garden
This year the First Day of Rosh Hashona is Shabbos so the Shofar will only be blown on the Second Day of Rosh Hashona, Sunday 20th September
We know that some people are nervous about attending an indoor Service. To enable as many people as possible to hear the Shofar we will be organising an outdoor Shofar Blowing Service in the garden of Solihull Shul every two hours
on the hour. The service will last 10 minutes and is open to all.
9.00 am
11.00 am
1.00 pm
3.00 pm
5.00 pm
6.30 pm
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TashlichOn the afternoon of Rosh Hashona it is customary to go to the banks of a body of water to recite the Tashlich prayer. The word Tashlich means to throw away. We recite a prayer requesting G-d to cleanse us of our sins and then we symbolically throw our sins into the water. It is customary to use a body of water which contains fish. Fish never close their eyes and we express the wish that in the coming year G-d should constantly watch over us. The Service lasts for 15 minutes and will be held on Sunday 20th September at 6.30pm.
Join us for the Tashlich Service in the grounds of Solihull Shul
6.30 pm on Sunday 20th September
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Yom Kippur - Monday September 28th
Shemini Atzeres - Saturday October 10th
Yizkor, a special memorial prayer for the departed, is recited in the synagogue four times a year, following the Torah reading on the last day of Passover, on the second day of Shavuot, on Shemini Atzeret and on Yom Kippur.
Yizkor, in Hebrew, means "Remember." It is not only the first word of the prayer, it also represents its overall theme. In this prayer, we implore G-d to remember the souls of our relatives and friends that have passed on. When we recite Yizkor, we renew and strengthen the connection between us and our loved one, bringing merit to the departed souls, elevating them in their celestial homes.
The main component of Yizkor is our private pledge to give charity following the holiday in honor of the deceased. By giving charity, we are performing a positive physical deed in this world, something that the de-parted can no longer do. Any donation that you would like to give will be gratefully accepted. Some will be used to help support our day to day activities as the membership fees we charge do not cover our expenses. Some will be designated for the Shul Tzedokah Fund that supports a wide range of local, national and inter-national charities. You can make a donation by clicking here https://solihullshul.org/donate/
The soul gains additional merit if the memory of its good deeds spur their loved ones to improve their ways. For more about Yizkor, please click here.
This year in honor of Yizkor we are putting together a listing of all the names of loved ones to be remembered during Yizkor at Solihull Shul. Having all these names compiled in one booklet, as is customary in many communities, brings everyone together as one family and brings an added measure of dignity and merit to the souls of our loved ones.
Please fill in the names of your departed loved ones by clicking here.
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R.S.V.P. 0121 706 8736 [email protected]
Rabbi & Mrs Pink Invite you to a
Socially Distanced Succos Party
At Solihull Shul SukkahOn Wednesday 7th October
From 6.00 - 9.00 p.m.
In order to allow for social distancing we will be staggering
the attendance, please r.s.v.p to reserve your slot
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How can we help you?Have you been affected by Covid 19?
• Are you or anyone you know is isolated and would like someone to talk to over the phone or factime?•
• Do you need help with shopping or collecting medication?•
• Are you or anyone you know feeling lonely and missing human contact - would you like a volunteer to visit your house and safely speak to you following all government guidelines or even just knock on your
window and wave?•
• Would you like a freshly cooked, nutritious three course meal? •
• Are you struggling financially and need emergency financial help or interest free loan?•
• Would you like to paricipate in any of our communal activities that are taking place on Zoom, prayer services, lectures and social activities?
• • Are you healthy and would like to volunteer to help with any of our activities?
•
If the answer to any of these questions is yes then please contact Rabbi Pink
0121 706 8736 07973 955 [email protected]
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Solihull Shul COVID-19 Response15 Guest Speakers
80 Hours of Cultural Programming
120 Seder in a Box delivered
125 Daily Video Messages from Rabbi Pink
125 Cheesecakes delivered
225 Hours of Adult Education
350 Challos delivered
1700 Meals Delivered
3500 Miles travelled by our volunteers
Thank you to all our volunteers without their help
we would never have been able to achieve all this.
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Would you like a delicious three course meaty meal delivered to your door for only £10?
Contact [email protected] add yourself to the list of over 150 satisfied customers.
Vegetarian option available.
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The Chief Rabbi’s Rosh Hashanah Message 5781 As I reflect on an extraordinary year, my first thoughts are with those whose lives were tragically cut short by the Coronavirus. May their memories be for a blessing and may their families find comfort in their sad loss. My heart goes out to the many whose health, whether physical or mental, has been affected and to those who are facing severe financial hardship or crises in their personal relationships. The restrictions on social interaction, abrupt changes to our routine and the grip of deep uncertainty have dramatically impacted the fabric of all of our lives in ways that we could never have imagined. In the years to come, while many will admiringly recall our resilience and forbearance during these most trying of times, ultimately the success of our response to this Pandemic will be judged not by how we felt, but by how we acted. The Torah portion of Nitzavim, which is always read immediately prior to Rosh Hashanah, commences with these words: “You are all standing this day before the Lord your God; your heads, your tribes (shivtechem), your elders and your officers”. In this list of national leaders, ‘tribes’ appears to be out of place. Mindful of the fact that ‘shevet’ also means ‘staff’ or ‘sceptre’, our commentators explain that the leaders of our people are being referred to according to the item that they carried that symbolised their role. In the same way as ‘the Crown’ refers to the monarch and ‘First Violin’ refers to an orchestra’s lead musician, a person who leads is known by the instrument of that leadership. The message that emerges is extremely powerful. You are defined by what you do. The essence of a person is measured according to what they have achieved. For this reason, we call community leaders ‘machers’ (makers). ‘Macher’ is a role that conveys respect, because the people who change the world are not the dreamers and thinkers; the people who change the world are the ‘doers’. On Yom Kippur, we read the book of Jonah, in which the prophet informs the inhabitants of Nineveh of their impending doom. In response, they fast and repent for their evil ways. The text captures that epic event in just a few words: “God saw their deeds”. Their words of apology and their fasting were merely steps towards a life-changing moment. What concerned God was not their protestations, but their actions. This year, without any preparation whatsoever, every one of our communities was plunged into a crisis of unprecedented proportions. Your response has been simply magnificent. With our Shuls closed, our communities redoubled their creativity and their altruism. We have never known such an outpouring of compassion, such acts of selfless care for the vulnerable and such generosity in charitable giving. I have no doubt that such action will remain at the heart of our Covid-19 response for as long as it takes us to overcome the dangers it presents to all of humankind. As we commence 5781, may Hashem inscribe and seal each and every one of us in the Book of Life, good health, peace and fulfilment. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis September 2020 • Ellul 5780
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3 Ways Quarantine Is Helping Me Refine My Communication Skills
By Mandy Hakimi www.chabad.org
I have always been a person who needs space. Time to myself, without other humans in my general vicinity. I enjoy socializing, but it drains me of energy, and in order to recharge, I need to be alone. So wouldn’t social distancing be ideal for me? Sure! If it weren’t for my husband and small children who also inhabit my two-bedroom condo. Throw in a baby who doesn’t yet sleep through the night, and you have the perfect recipe for a snippy wife and mother.
Everyone gets cranky from time to time,Everyone gets cranky from time to time and it’s not like sheltering in place has turned me into Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But there were two subtle indications that perhaps I wasn’t handling the lack of alone time as gracefully as I would have hoped. Firstly, I was catching myself being short with my husband. Not angry exactly ... not mean, G-d forbid, but not kind and uplifting either. I’m usually pretty good at maintaining my patience with my children, but that means that the frustration floodgates run a much higher risk of bursting open on my husband. I can make all the excuses in the world,
but at the end of the day, it isn’t the way I want to speak to my spouse.
Secondly, and this one should be more comical for the mothers out there, were the noises coming from my 3-year-old. When I would ask her to do something, she would respond with something like, “UUUGH, I can’t do that right now, I have to wake up the kids!” or “I don’t have time, I’m too busy. UUUGH!” At first I wondered where in the world she got her penchant for the dramatic, and then I realized, it’s from me! She gets her sound effects from me. Hers are perhaps exaggerated in a childlike fashion, but there’s no mistaking the source.
I once attended a class on being “responsible.” It wasn’t about the traditional way that we interpret the word, however, meaning doing what is expected of us or being prudent. Rather, that each encounter is an opportunity for us to produce the proper response. Furthermore, until we do, in fact, learn to generate that response, we’ll be faced with similar trials meant to teach us this lesson.
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The Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement, taught that if you find the behavior of another to be highly bothersome, it’s because you yourself need to work on that trait. It may not be as blatant or severe, and it may not even manifest in the exact same way, but nevertheless, it represents one of your own flaws that needs correcting.
I’ve heard that some people are using quarantine to do push-ups or bake into oblivion. I decided I would use this time (and lack of space) to change the way I speak to those closest to me, literally and figuratively, using three methods.
1. Master Silence
The first technique I’m trying to master in my remastery of speech is actually not speech at all, but the opposite: silence. I’m not at the spiritual level yet where everything that pops into my head is worth expressing. I try to ask myself: “Will my words infuse more shalom (“peace”) into the situation, or will they stir up chaos?” It can require a great deal of self-control not to voice a dissenting opinion or make an offhand comment, but sometimes, it simply isn’t necessary.
2. Take a Pause
Similarly, my second goal is to be pause-itive. Not to respond emotionally, but to take a moment and think through my response. This one is probably the hardest for me. When I’m tired or hungry, and my family is rubbing me the wrong way, I have a tendency to snap at them. Add to that being trapped at home with small children for weeks on end, and that’s enough to test anyone’s patience. I’ve considered taxing my daughter for saying the word “mommy.” (If I did, I think we could retire pretty comfortably.) Nevertheless, it’s worth it to me to take a breath and respond in a calm, measured “yes, dear?”
so that I’m modeling effective communication for her.
3. Apologize When I Fall Short
Lastly, I’m making an effort to apologize if I fall short of the first two goals and say something I shouldn’t. No one ever learned to ride a bike without a few spills onto the sidewalk. Acknowledge it and move forward, while showing your family members the respect they deserve.
These may seem like lofty objectives toNo one ever learned to ride a bike without a few spills try and obtain during such trying times, but that’s exactly the point. There is a passage in the Gemara (Menachot 53b) that discusses the relationship between the olive and olive oil—that in order for the oil to be expressed, the olive must be crushed. In other words, the best inside of us can only be released when pressure is applied.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M.l Schneerson, further explored this concept in a maamer (Chassidic discourse) titled Ve’atah Tetzaveh, based on the phrase from the Torah portion of Tetzaveh, “And you shall command the children of Israel and they shall bring you pure olive oil, crushed for the light ... .” He concludes that “the light” refers to the essence of the soul, and that we have seen the Jewish people demonstrate incredible strength and self-sacrifice during periods of history when their very lives were at stake (i.e., when they were being “crushed”). Thus, it was through being crushed that the Jews revealed their light—the best their souls had to offer.
During our lockdown, I’ve baked dozens of challah loaves, two kinds of muffins, zucchini bread and cinnamon rolls. My push-up count is low, but I’m hoping to come out of quarantine with a better handle on positive interpersonal communication even when I find myself under a bit of pressure.
www.jewishnewyear.org
The original and still the best site for everything related to the High Holidays
New-Year Thought of a New New
Yorker
By Simcha Weinstein www.chabad.org
For the last 12 years I’ve called Brooklyn home, but I always referred to myself as an Englishman—born and raised on the other side of the pond, in Manchester. That changed recently in a Brooklyn courthouse, where I took an oath and become a full-fledged Yankee.
Manchester was not a bad place to be born, with its dedicated and supportive Jewish community. You could nearly always find a decent bagel mit lox. Still, my friends and I experienced our fair share of anti-Semitism. I can still hear the not-so-veiled insults hurled at a young boy walking to shul on the High Holy Days.
As a young man, I was drawn to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Its counterculture vibrancy was a breath of fresh air after the somewhat staid Judaism I was used to. Whether they were standing in the foyer of a supermarket handing out Shabbat candles, or driving through the city in a convoy of cars displaying menorahs on the roof, the energy and pride the chassidim radiated was magnetic. And it was Chabad that eventually brought me here, to Brooklyn.
When we think of Jewish places to live, of course we think of Israel first. But New York, with two million “members of the tribe,” is not too far behind. I love seeing a sukkah on Fifth Avenue, or a minyan at the Yankees game. The sign on the Williamsburg bridge says it best: “Leaving Brooklyn: Oy vey!”
America is grounded in immigration, and Jews have played a big part in its story. So, with a sense of pride and privilege I entered the courthouse, surrounded by people of all ages, races and religions, and took the pledge that made me an American.
As I perused that crowded courtroom, I realized that perhaps the only thing we all had in common was that we had nothing in common. America is more salad bowl than melting pot. The vast variety makes this land distinctive and, like a good diversified portfolio, stronger for the differences.
On the back wall of the courthouse was a mural depicting massive figures, the immigrants who with their bare hands built the infrastructure of this country. The presiding judge told us the story behind the mural. Called The Role of the Immigrant in the Industrial Development of America, it was painted in the 1930s by Edward Laning, and originally hung in Ellis Island. Over the years, the mural fell into disrepair, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service requested permission from Judge Jacob Mishler to destroy it.
Judge Mishler, however, was inspired by the mural; it reminded him of his father’s own immigrant journey. Instead of destroying the painting, Judge Mishler commissioned its restoration, and in 1971 moved it to the ceremonial courtroom in the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. He would ask the immigrants who passed through to look at it and remind themselves of what it means to become an American.
As we approach the Jewish High Holy Days, the message of this mural stays with me. At this time we are called to the heavenly court to stand trial for our lives. And, much like new immigrants, we Jews may be a little confused about our place in the world. We may bring into that holy courtroom the excess “baggage” we have accumulated over the past year. This is the time for us to take an oath not unlike the one new immigrants take, to “renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign sovereignty.” On Rosh Hashanah, we coronate our one and only King.
Two courtrooms: Both offer magnificent opportunities and possibilities. Like the figures in the mural, we must be willing to work hard, to ask tough questions: What kind of people have we been this year? What kind of people do we want to be? Are we willing to put in the effort, the time and the passion to realize our dreams? During these days of awe, our wandering souls come home.
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Solihull Shul Annual Shabbaton
good food & wonderful company
Friday Night 9th January 20216.30 pm
(Subject to government guidelines in effect at the time)
Adults £25 Teenagers £9 Children £520% discount for members of Solihull Shul
Limited places available. No seat will be reserved without payment in full.
To book a place send a cheque payable to Solihull Hebrew Congregation to: Friday Night Dinner, 3 Monastery Drive, B91 1DW before 16th December 2020
Payment can also be made online to:SDHC 30-65-49 38156760
To all the charitable trusts who have supported the work that we carry out.
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Rosh Hashonah in a Nutshell
The festival of Rosh Hashanah --the name means “Head of the Year” --is observed for two days beginning on Tishrei 1, the first day of the Jewish year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind’s role in G-d’s world. Rosh Hashanah thus emphasizes the special relationship between G-d and humanity: our dependence upon G-d as our creator and sustainer, and G-d’s dependence upon us as the ones who make His presence known and felt in His world. Each year on Rosh Hashahnah, “all inhabitants of the world pass before G-d like a flock of sheep,” and it is decreed in the heavenly court, “who shall live, and who shall die... who shall be impoverished, and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise.” But this is also the day we proclaim G-d King of the Universe. The Kabbalists teach that the continued existence of the universe is dependant upon the renewal of the divine desire for a world when we accept G-d’s kingship each year on Rosh Hashanah.
The central observance of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram’s horn, which represents the trumpet blast of a people’s coronation of their king. The cry of the shofar
is also a call to repentance; for Rosh Hashanah is also the anniversary of man’s first sin and his repentance thereof, and serves as the first of the “Ten Days of Repentance” which culminate in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Another significance of the shofar is to recall the Binding of Isaac which also occurred on Rosh Hashanah, in which a ram took Isaac’s place as an offering to G-d; we evoke Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son and plead that the merit of his deed should stand by us as we pray for a year of life, health and prosperity. Altogether, the shofar is sounded 100 times in the course of the Rosh Hashanah service.
Additional Rosh Hashanah observances include: a) Eating a piece of apple dipped in honey to symbolize our desire for a sweet year, and other special foods symbolic of the new year’s blessings. b) Blessing one another with the words Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim, “May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.” c) Tashlich, a special prayer said near a body of water (an ocean, river, pond, etc.) in evocation of the verse, “And You shall cast their sins into the depths of the sea.” And as with every major Jewish holiday after candle lighting and prayers we recite Kiddush and make a blessing on the Challah.
Yom Kippur in a Nutshell Forty days after they received the Torah at Mount Sinai and committed to be G-d’s chosen people, the Children of Israel worshipped a Golden Calf. Moses pleaded with G-d not to destroy His errant nation, and on the tenth of Tishrei G-d said, “I have forgiven.” Ever since, we observe this date as the “Day of Atone-ment”—a celebration of our indestructible relationship with G-d. It is the holiest day of the year, when we recon-nect with our very essence, which remains faithful to G-d regardless of our behavior.Angelic Behavior
We wear white clothes in emulation of the spiritual an-gelsYom Kippur is a fast day: from sundown on the eve of Yom Kippur until the following nightfall, we do not eat or drink. (If you’re ill, consult a rabbi.) We also abstain from certain physical pleasures: wearing leather footwear, bathing or washing, applying lotions or creams, and mar-ital relations. It is also a “day of rest,” on which all work is forbidden (as on Shabbat).
Five Prayers
We wear white clothes in emulation of the spiritual angels, and spend the greater part of the day in the synagogue engaged in repentance and prayer. There are five prayer services: 1) The evening prayers, which begin with the solemn Kol Nidrei. 2) Morning prayer. 3) Musaf, which includes a description of the Yom Kippur Holy Temple service. 4) Afternoon prayer, during which the Book of Jonah is read. 5) Ne’ilah, recited as the day wanes and the verdict for the new year is sealed. The first four prayers include a (private) confession of sins to G-d.
Many laws and customs are associated with the prayer ser-vices; your synagogue rabbi will lead you along as needed.
End of the FastNe’ilah concludes with the congregation calling out the Shema in unison, and then a blast of the shofar signals the end of the day.
Yom Kippur is followed by a festive meal. We rejoice, confident that G-d has forgiven our sins.
Sukkos in a NutshellFor forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert prior to their entry into the Holy Land, miraculous “clouds of glory” surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Ever since, we remember G-d’s kindness and reaffirm our trust in His providence by dwelling in a sukkah, a hut of temporary construction with a roof covering of branches, for the duration of the Sukkos festival (Tishrei 15-21). For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the sukkah and otherwise regard it as our home.
Another Sukkos observance is the taking of the Four Kinds: an etrog (citron), a lulav (palm frond), three hadassim (myrtle twigs) and two aravot (willow twigs). On each day of the festival (excepting Shabbos), we take the Four Kinds, recite a blessing over them, bring them together in our hands and wave them in all six directions: right, left, forward, backward, up and down.
The Midrash tells us that the Four Kinds represent the various types and personalities that comprise the community of Israel, whose intrinsic unity we emphasize on Sukkos.
Sukkos is also called The Time of Our Joy; indeed, a special joy pervades the festival. Nightly Water-Drawing Celebrations, reminiscent of the evening-to-dawn festivities held in the Holy Temple in preparation for the drawing of water for use in the festival service, fill the synagogues and streets with song, music and dance until the wee hours of the morning. The seventh day of Sukkos is called Hoshana Rabbah (“Great Salvation”) and closes the period of Divine judgment begun on Rosh Hashanah. A special observance is the Aravah, a bundle of willow branches that are carried around the synagogue.
Shemini Atzeres & Simchas Torah in a Nutshell
The holiday of Sukkot is followed by an independent holiday called Shemini Atzeret. In Israel, this is a one-day holiday; in the Diaspora it is a two-day holiday, and the second day is known as Simchat Torah. This holiday is characterized by utterly unbridled joy, which reach-es its climax on Simchat Torah, when we celebrate the conclusion—and restart—of the annual Torah-reading cycle.
These two days constitute a major holiday (yom tov), when most forms of work are prohibited. On the preceding nights, women and girls light candles, reciting the appropriate blessings, and we enjoy nightly and daily festive meals, accompanied by kiddush. We don’t go to work, drive, write, or switch on or off electric devices. We are permitted to cook and to carry outdoors (unless it is also Shabbat).
The first day, Shemini Atzeret, features the prayer for rain, officially commemorating the start of the Mediter-ranean (i.e., Israeli) rainy season, and the Yizkor prayer
We no longer take the Four Kinds, and we no longer men-tion Sukkot in the day’s prayers; in the Diaspora, however, we do still eat in the sukkah (but with-out reciting the blessing on it).
Simchat Torah
The highlight of the second day, Simchat Torah (“The Joy of the Torah”), is the hakafot, held on both the eve and the morning of Simchat Torah, in which we march and dance with the Torah scrolls around the reading table in the synagogue. (In many synagogues, hakafot are con-ducted also on the eve of Shemini Atzeret.)
On this joyous day when we conclude the Torah, it is customary for every man to take part in the celebration by receiving an aliyah. The children, too, receive an al-iyah!
After the final aliyah of the Torah, we immediately begin a new cycle from the beginning of Genesis (from a sec-ond Torah scroll); this is because as soon as we conclude studying the Torah, G-d’s infinite wisdom, on one level, we immediately start again, this time to discover new and loftier interpretations.
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Sukkah Building made simpleA Sukkah is a hut of temporary construction with a roof covering of branches known as sechach. For forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert prior to their entry into the Holy Land, miraculous “clouds of glory” surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Ever since, we remember G-d’s kindness and reaffirm our trust in His providence by taking all our meals and otherwise “dwelling” in a Sukkah for the duration of the Sukkot festival.Eating in the Sukkah is an all-encompassing mitzvah as our entire body is inside the Sukkah and engaged in the performance of this observance.
There are excellent prefabricated Sukkah kits available, in a variety of sizes, from many Judaica vendors. The first thing you need to do is select the proper spot for your Sukkah, so you’ll know what size Sukkah to get. Then follow the manufacturer’s instructions for assembly, move in a table and chairs and you’re all set!
Construct your Sukkah outdoors, in a spot that’s as accessible as possible to your home or apartment. An important requirement is that there should be nothing between your Sukkah and the open sky. So make sure that there are no trees, canopies or roofs of any sort overhanging your Sukkah.
If you’re building your own Sukkah, here are the basic materials you will need:
The Walls: The walls of a Sukkah can be made of any material, provided that they are sturdy enough that they do not move in a normal wind. You can use wood, plywood or fibreglass panels, waterproof fabrics attached to a metal frame, etc. You can also use pre-existing walls (i.e, the exterior walls of your home or garage) as one or more of the your Sukkah walls. A Sukkah must have at least two full walls plus part of a third wall (the “part” needs to be a minimum of 3.2 inches wide). It is preferable, however, that the Sukkah have four complete walls.
The Roof Covering: The Sukkah needs to be covered with sechach, raw, unfinished vegetable matter. Common Sukkah roof-coverings are: bamboo poles, evergreen branches, narrow strips (1x1 or 1x2) of unfinished lumber, or special sechach mats. There must be sufficient sechach to provide enough shade so that on a bright midday there is more shade than sun seen on the floor of the Sukkah.
The sechach has to be spread out evenly over the entire Sukkah so that there should not be any spaces more then 9.6 inches apart.
Anything that is directly supporting the sechach should not be made out of materials that are not fit to be used as sechach. Thus, if the sechach is resting directly on the Sukkah walls and the walls are not made out of wood, strips of wood should be placed between the Sukkah walls and the sechach. In larger sukkahs where a framework of beams is needed to hold up the sechach, wood or bamboo poles should be used, not metal. Nor may the sechach be tied on with wire or fastened with any metal object.
For more information on where to purchase a pre-fabricated Sukkah or for advice or help in building your own Sukkah contact Rabbi Pink.
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Yom Tov RecipesHoney Cake With Lemon Drizzle
3 eggs1 cup sugar1 cup honey7/8 cup oil1 tbsp. coffee dissolved into 1 cup hot water3 cups flour1 tsp. baking soda2 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. cinnamon½ tsp. allspice½ tsp. nutmegNonstick cooking spray
Kugel Ingredients:12 oz. fine egg noodles¼ cup oil6 apples, peeled6 eggs¾ cup sugar1½ tsp. cinnamon1½ tsp salt
Topping Ingredients:½ cup cornflake crumbs½ cup sugar1½ tsp. cinnamon
Mix the eggs, sugar, honey and coffee.Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth.Spray an 8 inch round pan, or a 9”x13” pan with non-stick spray.
Bake at 350°F/180°C for 45 minutes.
Apple Lokshen Kugel
Cook and drain the noodles, and mix in the oil.Grate the apples and squeeze gently to drain the liquid.Add the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt to the apple mixture. Then add the mixture to the noodles. Stir to combine.Pour mixture into a 9” × 13” baking pan or a round springform pan. If you’re not using a springform, line the pan with baking paper.Mix the crumb topping in a small bowl and sprinkle over the kugel. Bake covered at 350° F for 50 minutes, then uncovered for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let kugel cool completely before covering, to prevent the topping from getting soggy.Serve warm or at room temperature.Serve 12
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Ask the Rabbi with the Pink Brothers
On 20th May we took part in a great event, Ask the Rabbi with the Pink Brothers, the six brother’s, Rabbis in Solihull, Leicester, Leeds, Manchester, Florida and South Africa were joined by their father a leading educationalist to field questions from an audience of 150 people spanning the globe. Although the event was scheduled to run for 90 minutes the questions were still coming in thick and fast at the designated finish time and the programme continued for another half an hour before the Rabbis called it quits. The questions were answered with humour and clarity and we all came away wiser than before.
Shavuos
Another month and another yomtov that we have been unable to mark in shul. This time Shavuos but all was not lost, Rabbi Pink held a number of classes in the run up to Yomtov teaching about the Ten Commandments exploring the various
levels of interpretation from the plain meaning through to the deeper Kabbalistic explanations. Then on erev Shavuos everyone joined together for a pre-Shavuos Yizkor, although not the same as usual it was very moving and we were all grateful for the chance to remember our loved ones.
Of course the biggest concern was missing the Rebbetzen’s legendary cheesecake and blintzes, we needn’t have worried. Rabbi & Rebbetzen Pink prepared Shavuos in box kits that were delivered
to 80 lucky families, each box contained a leaflet explaining the significance of Shavuos and some study material about the 10 commandments. But most importantly it contained a delicious four course yom tov meal including of course delicious cheese blintzes and a variety of different types of cheesecake.
We concluded the month on a high with the Loaves of Love Challah Bake. This time we titled it Braid it with a Twist and we combined the challah bake with a kumsitz led by Shaindel T, whose amazing energy and powerful voice had us all singing along as we waited for our challos to rise.
In addition to his work with the Solihull Jewish Community, Rabbi Pink has been involved in meetings with Solihull Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority and was recently asked to
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make a presentation to the fortnightly webinar of WMCA Officials and representatives of the Faith Communities about the Jewish Communities response to the current crisis. He has also been in much demand as a speaker on Jewish Medical Ethics and has delivered 43 lectures in the past 4 months to groups around the country on the topic of organ donation and the impact of the new opt out law on the Jewish Community. At a talk he gave to Mill Hill United Synagogue he was delighted to see a familiar face in the form of Dr Charlie Zuckerman. Charlie had been one of the regular attendees at the meetings of the West Midlands Jewish Medical Ethics Forum founded by Rabbi Pink and the late Tony Hockley.
Annual Conference of Chabad Rabbis
June is usually the time for the annual conference of Chabad Lubavitch UK Shluchim, obviously due to the current situation the normal residential setup was not possible. Instead a virtual conference was organised by the conference committee led by Rabbi Yehuda Pink of Solihull.
120 Rabbis and educators from the length and breadth of the UK participated in a two day virtual conference. Delegates shared best practice in areas such as innovative programming during lock down, fundraising and effective use of social media amongst other topics with the key objective being strengthening the services provided by the Chabad Houses around the country to their communities.
A key part of the conference was planning for the safe re-opening of facilities when the government allows it with the health and safety and halachic implications being discussed and analysed by a panel of medical and rabbinic experts.
Every participant received a welcome pack in the post with goodies for the husband, wife and children which helped foster the spirit of togetherness that is normally part and parcel of the conference. Even the traditional group photo was not overlooked and participants all switched on their webcams to pose for a screenshot.
Rabbi Pink – Half A Century Not Out
Hi everyone, whether still self-isolating or gradually easing out of lockdown! What a busy month we’ve had! This is a report just to give you a taste of what so many of us had the special pleasure of enjoying this past month.
It was 16th June, the eagerly awaited English equivalent of the Hebrew birthday of our dear Rabbi Yehuda Pink, who had reached his half-century! For some time before this, his daughter Rivkale had busily been accruing many video greetings and good wishes from all points of the globe, from all his many friends, professional colleagues and members of his very extensive family and her aim was to get fifty such greetings to celebrate such a special milestone. Meanwhile the Rebbetzen had organized a special Shachris service with the aim of getting 50 men to put on their tefillin in honour of this special occasion.
Come 9.30 am and we all tuned into wonderful ”Zoom” eagerly awaiting the proceedings , which started with davening and then we had the pleasure of listening to and seeing all the fantastic video clips assembled by Rivkale who had put such a huge effort into obtaining them, ending up with almost 200! To keep it manageable she had edited them and condensed it down to a 30 minute presentation. My goodness me, what a wonderful lot of birthday wishes there were from all points of the globe such as Israel, Kazakhstan, Denmark, Sweden, USA and even
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Iceland (to name but a few!) with many accolades from all the many rabbonim with whom he has been associated, a special address from the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis and Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chair of the International Chabad Lubavitch Movement and also from every organization that has had the pleasure of being involved with him over the years, including the Police, Fire Service, NHS, Birmingham Airport, Prison Service (As a chaplain not an inmate!) Solihull Council, SACRE, Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street as well as members of the community and of course, his family (And with over 120 nephews and nieces there were lots of them!). Rivka tells me that the full video was 2 and half hours long and she made her father watch the whole thing!
Many of the well-wishers commented on the fact that it seems like only yesterday that Rabbi Pink had arrived in Solihull as the youngest Rabbi in the UK. Where has time gone?
Rebbetsin Pink wheeled in a huge birthday cake (one of her specials!) suitably decorated for the occasion saying we could all have a slice but alas, technology hasn’t progressed that far yet but it certainly looked absolutely mouthwatering! Some of us did take her up on her offer and drove round to Granby Close to pick up a safely wrapped piece of cake.
All in all, Rabbi Pink’s special 50th birthday was celebrated in as meaningful a way as was possible and it was just lovely to be part of such a very momentous occasion! Here’s to celebrating many more special birthdays together!
Bosworth Virtual Report
To refresh your memories, biennially a fantastic get-together has taken place over the past few years at Bosworth Hall Hotel, with delegates attending from a number of other small provincial communities, such as Sheffield, Nottingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Watford. A very varied programme has always been arranged, not just religious ones but also educational, humorous and instructive as well, in fact catering for all
tastes, together with the most amazing food catered by Rabbi and Mrs. Pink from Solihull and this year was no exception.
Of course, none of us could actually meet in person because of the extraordinary times prevailing at the moment so the whole event was conducted on line with the help of that fantastic aid to keeping in touch, namely ZOOM, wonderful Zoom, with delegates from all parts of the world enrolling in order to participate in this very special event!
With the necessary technical expertise put in place and after organizing all the necessary speakers, activities, etc. the event “took off” so to speak, with a welcome from Rabbi Pink on Thursday afternoon. Of course, unlike previous times, when a full Shabbat programme took place, this obviously could not happened this year as Zoom couldn’t be used then so instead we had a full programme on Sunday instead. Unfortunately we couldn’t enjoy the food over Zoom but we did all receive a goody bag on Friday afternoon from Rabbi & Rebbetzen Pink with fresh challos and over treats together with some reading material.
The main programme started following Rabbi Pink’s welcome, with a lecture by Rabbi Yitzhak Wagner from Krefeld in Germany, the first German born Rabbi to be ordained and practice in Germany since the Holocaust. The talk was called ”The Jews are Back” which is really a self-explanatory title it was a really interesting talk, followed by many searching questions.
Shortly after this, the ladies had the pleasure of a
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demonstration of challah baking by Rebbetzin Brocha Lent from Nottingham aided by our own Rebbetzin Dinie Pink and as the challahs were being made, they discussed and compared their recipes, which actually turned out to be quite similar! Those of us at home could make and bake our own challahs alongside them and I know my own kitchen soon smelled just gorgeous, as you can imagine!
We “Zoomed” together again on Friday afternoon with a fascinating discussion about Jewish genes introduced by Rabbi Lipsey of Nottingham and given by Dr. Ian Ellis. He certainly gave us an insight into his subject and made us very aware of what we are, who we are and what the Jewish gene is really all about, together with many diagrams. All in all, it was a thoroughly engrossing topic. At the same time, in another “room” there was something for the children i.e. Lee Benson reading his book “Henry Egg” which seemed to go down a treat!
After a very short interval, there was a talk about ”Setting the Scene for Shabbos” the speaker was Rebbetzin Chaya Teldon from Long Island, New York. In 1977 Rabbi & Rebbetzen Teldon established Chabad on Long Island, they now oversee a network of 38 Chabad Centres with 54 Rabbis! This again proved most interesting and engrossing and left us with plenty of food for thought.
An hour later we had the pleasure of a musical Kabbalas Shabbos by Chazan Zali Rodal, originally from Italy, who gave us the benefit of a beautifully trained operatic voice, singing many well-known shabbos melodies, which certainly enhanced the proceedings! Again, in
another “room” was “Storytime for Children” presented by Rabbi Yoinasson Golomb from Sheffield, so you can see, all ages were catered for!
This Friday night’s planned activities finished off with a musical pre-candle lighting ceremony, led by Rebbetzin Miriam Lipsey from Newcastle, who introduced Chaviva Pink, singing and playing her guitar and this event was much enjoyed and was the last one for Friday night so we all had time to light the Shabbat candles in our own home, having switched off Zoom!
As explained before, whereas we had had a very full programme on Shabbat on all the other Bosworth weekends, this could not happen as we couldn’t use the available technology so instead a comprehensive programme was arranged for the Sunday, again through the auspices of “Zoom” starting with a talk by Rabbi Golomb on Chassidic Philosphy, followed a choice of four other activities, whichever appealed the most! There was an explanatory service presented by our own Rabbi Pink, with a traditional shachris taking place in another
“room”. There was a Mandala art class for children, introduced by presented by Michelle Levy of Raanana, which was much enjoyed by all who took part and finally, there was a ladies cardio dance session led by Adrienne Langman from Solihull so you can see that all in all, there was something for everyone to participate in and enjoy!
We then had a break are restarted at 2.00 p.m. with a most moving lecture called ” Jewish Daughter of Hamas”. This was introduced by Yossi Eliav
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of Yad L’Achim and was the very moving, thought-provoking story of Maya, a young Israeli daughter of a Jewish mother and Arab father who was involved with Hamas. As a young teenager she was forced to marry an Arab Sheikh from East Jerusalem who abused her dreadfully. She eventually managed to escape and rebuild her life. She now spends her time in trying to help other girls escape from similar situations.
We then had a short break until the early evening, when we had the choice of either a “Rapid Fire” question and answer programme with Rabbis Yehuda Pink, Mendy Lent and Yoinasson Golomb or alternatively, a humorous talk by Lee Benson “From Dublin to Jerusalem in a Fiat 500” whichever took your fancy. These were followed by – again a choice –of either listening to a talk by Elisheva Martinetti “From China to Stamford Hill” or another talk “The First Yarmulke in Parliament” presented by Ivan Lewis former Labour MP for Bury South. This was a fascinating talk where he shared his political journey culminating in resigning from the Labour Party due to Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-semitism. Ivan is now shomer Shabbat and the takeaway lesson from his talk was that you can be observant and successful in whatever career you choose and people will only respect you more if you are true to your principles. I myself listened to this Chinese girl telling us how she was so very determined to follow a kosher, Jewish life from no Jewish connection whatsoever and one has to
admire the huge efforts she put into this and the various trials and tribulations she endured in order to attain her goal, eventually ending up in Stamford Hill, London happily married to a Lubavich man about eighteen months ago. Kol ha Kovod to her!
The final communal event was called “Marooned on a Corona Island” and this consisted of a forum of three shul presidents, namely Jon Gouldman from Solihull, Anthony Josephs from Newcastle and Frada Wilensky from Sheffield, all being interviewed by Gay Benjamin in a sort of Desert Island Discs. She asked various questions not just about their favourite pieces of music but in true Jewish fashion, one question had to be their favourite food or luxury item! This event concluded the whole weekend, which had really been quite something! Of course, we didn’t have the benefit of the usual amazing catering by the Pink family, (hopefully next time!) but considering the times
we are living in at present, it was a wonderful substitute for the real thing and gave us all the opportunity of “seeing” a lot of our friends in the different communities and partaking of such a very varied lot of topics. Well done to everyone who helped to organize this and of course, thanks to the available technology of Zoom, without which none of this would have been possible and there seemed to be very few technical hitches, at least none that were very obvious to us lay people
Of course, a huge “Thank You” should go to the various rabbonim,
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who did the organizing and presenting of the various topics, especially our very own Rabbi Pink and I’m sure I speak for all the participants when I say how very much we all enjoyed the weekend and so glad that we all had the opportunity of taking part in such a special occasion!
The Thursday Club
The Thursday Club has continued to meet online every week. The week before Shavuos we all enjoyed a virtual cheesecake making session with Rebbetzen Pink, in addition to explaining some of the traditions behind why we eat this wonderful food she demonstrated how to make a few different varieties of cheesecakes, each one looked more delicious than the next. Fortunately we were only able to participate via Zoom otherwise I think we would all have added a few inches to our waistlines.
After a one week break for Shavuos we resumed with a well researched and fascinating talk by Joe Seager about the music of Felix Mendelsohn, one of the most famous of his pieces is the Wedding March which become popular after it was played at the wedding of Victoria, The Princess Royal to Prince Fredrick William of Prussia. After Joe’s talk we enjoyed listening to some of Mendelsohn’s compositions. The next week we pitted our minds against Rabbi Pink in a stump the rabbi session, the following week we enjoyed a great debate on the burning issues of the day and to finish off the month we struggled to answer the questions posed by Les in another of his mind stretching quizzes. Can you answer this one? A bat and a ball cost £1.10 in total. The bat costs £1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?
On the subject of the meals, the excellence of our work has been recognised by a number of grant making charities including the Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire The Freemasons support a number of registered charities throughout the year and we are very grateful for their help. The William A Cadbury Foundation and the Baron Davenport Charityand. It was particularly pleasing to
receive grants from Tesco Bags of Help COVID-19 Response and the We Are All Making A Difference Charity who have already supported our work this year and the grants were a repeat donation.
In the past six months we have delivered close to 1700 meals to people all over the Midlands. None of this work would be possible without the assistance of our dedicated team of volunteers who have clocked up over 3,500 miles delivering the meals and bringing a smile to peoples faces. We are currently putting in place plans to ensure that we are able to offer an expanded service over the High Holy Days. If anyone requires assistance, please make contact with Rabbi Pink.
Andy Street visits Solihull
The work that Rabbi & Rebbetzen Pink have been doing to support the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic has caught the attention of Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority and as part of his Mayor’s Community Weekend he arranged to visit the Solihull Jewish Community Service to meet some of the volunteers and hear more about their tremendous work.
The shul grounds had been appropriately set out with chairs socially distanced and fortunately the weather behaved itself so we could meet safely outdoors. Masks and sanitzer were provided for those who entered the shul building.
Rabbi Pink prepared a brief presentation showcasing the
work that is being done how Solihull Shul tries to reach out to anyone on their own providing meals arranging for shopping to be done for them or collection of medical supplies, or anything else they might need. He showed some moving videos of grateful recipients.
Andy Street replied with a very nice address, saying how very much everything was appreciated and indeed said that he actually had grown up just two streets away and remembers the shul actually being built when he was young boy on the land that he and his friends used to play on.
After this, Rabbi Pink presented him with two items: one, a delicious cake baked by our Rebbetzin Dinie to give him a taste of what the elderly people enjoy every week and a decorative yarmulke with a card explaining the significance of head coverings in Judaism. He was very appreciative of them both although I suspect the
chocolate cake was the winner!
To end the event Rabbi Pink showed everyone the new cold store and gave him a tour of the community centre where the meals are prepared and packed. Of course no event is complete without the requisite photos and Andy came accompanied by a press photographer who snapped away before the visit was over.
Modern Day Jewish Heroine
While the rest of the country enjoyed vacation, Solihull shul continued at full pace. We started the month with a joint event organised by Chabad UK and shared with Chabad Houses and Shuls across the country. Rabbi & Rebbetzen Hurwitz are the Chabad Shluchim to Temucula, California. Seven years ago, Rabbi Yitzi was diagnosed with ALS. His wife Dina, a true modern-day Jewish heroine shared with us how she draws on her deep-seated faith to cope with the challenges that she faces as a wife, mother to seven children and community figure. When his breathing became too hard, Yitzi had to decide whether or not to have a permanent tracheostomy, which would prolong his life. He chose life. He was expected to live two years. That was September 2014. Round the clock nurses and generous donors allow Dina to bring up the children. Once the quiet half of the couple, she has become a popular motivational speaker.
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Dina was introduced by Rebbetzen Rochel Jacobs a fellow native of Los Angeles. Her talk was both deeply inspirational and extremely emotional and certainly put into perspective the issues that we struggle with in our own lives.
Her advice for the audience?
“Say yes to your children if you can, because life is tough. If it’s not an inviolable educational principal, will it matter in five years? Be a good friend. Create a space for your friend to share fear without judgement. Don’t be harder on yourself than you would be on your friends. Preserve the joy in your life amidst the hardship. Music helps. Fill the house with it. Difficult as it is, keep your inner focus on the good. Focus is everything.”
Blumenthal Orchard
In early August Alan Blumenthal messaged Rabbi Pink inviting him to visit the Blumenthal Orchard in Bidford on Avon. Rabbi Pink knows the area well as it is very close to the infamous high security Long Lartin Prison where he was chaplain for many years.The trees were groaning with fruit and with the help of his sons a number of buckets where filled with apples and plums. Rebbetzen Pink then had the job of converting them into compote, strudel and pies for the weekly meals that she prepares and distributes. With the meals heavily subsidised, every penny counts and the receipt of this large quantity of fruit was greatly appreciated.
One of the slight benefits of the new reality that we live in at the moment is the increased use of technology to allow people to connect with each other in ways that were previously not used. This month we were delighted to join the Zoom Barmitzva of Jamie Lunzer, grandson
of our much loved members, Rowena and the late Harold Kay. A few days later Rowena celebrated her 90th birthday. Continuing the simcha theme we were delighted to hear of the engagement of Emma, daughter of Lesley & Peter Sevitt to Andrew Lawrence and we look forward to watching the Wedding Ceremony in a few days time.
Outdoor Friday Night Service
With the summer in full swing and possessing possibly one of the nicest Shul gardens in England, fully screened
from the street by tall hedges we were able to begin the process of reopening the Shul by starting with socially distanced outdoor Friday night service. Everyone was able to sing to their hearts content in and following the service we each received a individually packaged kiddush in a box. It was wonderful to be back in shul and able to prayer together as a minyan even if we were not yet back in the actual building, we are all looking forward to the upcoming High Holydays when hopefully we will be inside again.
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5780 in Pictures
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Ask The Rabbi???Question: This coronavirus thing has really thrown me. I feel like I’ve lost all sense of certainty. No one knows what will happen next. How do we stay sane when we don’t know what’s lurking around the corner?
Answer:It is not that we have lost our sense of certainty. We have lost our illusion of certainty. We never had it to begin with. This could be majorly unsettling, or amazingly liberating.
This tiny virus of 125 nanometers has sent the entire world into chaos. All of our plans are up in the air, markets are going crazy, entire countries shutting down, and we have no clue what the future holds.
But that is always the case. We never know what the future holds. We only think we do, and keep getting surprised when things don’t pan out the way we expected. Now the mask is off. We have to admit our vulnerability.
What will happen next? We don’t know. Our experts
don’t know. Our leaders don’t know. Only G-d knows. And that is the point. Only G-d knows.
Close your eyes and feel the uncertainty, make peace with it, let yourself be taken by it. Embrace your cluelessness. Because in all the confusion there is one thing you know for sure. You are in G-d’s hands.
Keep calm. Panic and fear are also contagious. Take every precaution as advised by health authorities. W ash your hands well. And every time you do, remember whose hands you are in.
DATES OF YOM TOV 2020-21
Chanukah 11th -18th December 2020
Purim 26th February 2021
Pesach 28th March - 4th april 2021
Shavuos 17th - 18th May 2021
Rosh Hashona 7th -8th September 2021
Yom Kippur - 16th September 2021
Succos 21st - 27th September 2021
Simchas Torah 28th - 29th September 2021
All festivAls stArt the previous evening
I Can’t Say Goodbye,
Yussie By Zalman Velvel www.chabad.org
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When the phone rang in Rabbi Levi's office, he decided to let the machine get it. It was Friday, four o'clock, and time was running out to prepare his sermon for the weekend services. He turned up the volume on the answering machine to monitor the call, just in case it was an emergency.
"Rabbi Levi, this is Ed O'Hara. I'm the office manager at the Fein Law Firm. We haven't heard from Yussie since Tuesday, and I just thought you might want to—"
The rabbi picked up the phone.
"This is Rabbi Levi."
"Hello, Rabbi. . . . I don't mean to worry you, but it's not like Yussie to not call, to not pick up his paycheck for his messenger services. Do you think you could find someone in your congregation to check up on him?"
Rabbi Levi ran his hand through his gray-speckled beard. He'd hoped to avoid an "old-looking" beard for at least ten more years, but such was not in G-d's plans for him. He moved away his glasses and rubbed his tired, brown eyes. It was an especially tough week, and he was going to need his Shabbat rest.
"We'll take care of it, Mr. O'Hara. I'll have someone check up on him."
"Thank you, Rabbi. Sorry to disturb you."
"It's no problem. Thanks for calling." Rabbi Levi hung
up.
He knew of only one person who would be available two hours before Shabbat—himself.
The rabbi pulled up to Yussie's run-down mobile home, which he had been living in for two years. He parked next to a coconut palm and climbed out.
The rabbi looked at the old silver-blue trailer and smiled. It had been a donation from Gershon Goldshmidt, a member of the congregation. Gershon had inherited it from his grandparents, and Rabbi Levi had persuaded him to donate it to the synagogue in exchange for an income tax deduction . . . or some points with the Man Upstairs, whichever was more important to Gershon.
The rabbi thought back to when he had driven Yussie over to the mobile-home park, stopped in front of the trailer, and handed Yussie the title. He fondly recalled the look on Yussie's face—pure amazement. After more than half a century, Yussie finally had his own home. His own home! Maybe it wasn't much to the rest of the world, but to Yussie it was a palace, a dream come true.
The rabbi knocked on the trailer door. The hinges were loose, and it rattled threateningly, as if the door would fall off. The rabbi made a mental note to call the synagogue handyman and have him come over to fix it.
Speaking of "fixing it," the rabbi thought the trailer
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would fix Yussie's life once and for all. Yussie had been picking up the trash at the park in exchange for the lot rent, and he worked for the president of the synagogue's law firm for a little spending money. It seemed that Yussie had all of his financial obligations covered, but even that was too much for him. There was an angry note taped to Yussie's door from the manager of the park, Bill Carver. The note demanded to know why Yussie had not picked up the trash since Tuesday. The rabbi took the note off the door and knocked again. No answer. After a third try, the rabbi went back to his car.
Rabbi Levi turned the key in the ignition, then glanced at his watch. There was only an hour until Shabbat. He was about to pull out when he saw Yussie's bicycle chained to the side of the trailer. Yussie rode his bicycle everywhere . . . except when he was home . . . but he wasn't home. . . or was he?
The rabbi drove over to the manager's office. Bill had just finished locking up and was reaching into a cooler for a beer.
"Hello, Rabbi," He said, straightening up and pulling his shirt over his big belly.
"Hello, Bill," The rabbi replied, noticing the three-day stubble on Bill's chin.
"Rabbi, if you're here about Yussie, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to fire him. He hasn't picked up the trash for three days, and the residents are getting angry." Bill took a long swig of his beer. "Man,that tastes good after a long week! Rabbi, can I offer you a cold one?"
"No, thanks . . . Bill, have you seen Yussie at all since Tuesday?"
Bill emptied the can and crushed it. Then he let out a long, loud belch. "Excuse me," he said without embarrassment, and then continued, "You know, come to think of it, Rabbi, I haven't seen Yussie or that mutt of his around."
The rabbi felt his heart skip a beat. "Do you have a key to his trailer, Bill?"
"No . . . but I can get in if you want."
"I want."
"Okay. I'll meet you over there."
Rabbi Levi drove back to Yussie's trailer, and waited. Bill drove up ten minutes later in his golf cart, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on a second can of beer.
Bill jumped out of the cart, grabbed the screwdriver on the passenger seat, and walked up to the front door. "Shouldn't be too difficult," he said, as he jammed the screwdriver between the door and the frame, fiddled with it, and then jerked back. The door popped open.
"There you go, Rabbi."
"Thanks, Bill."
The rabbi walked tentatively up the front steps and looked around. "Yussie?" he called out.
No answer.
"Yussie?" he called again.
"You want me to go inside with you, Rabbi?"
"Yes, Bill, if you don't mind."
Bill finished his second can of beer, belched again, and tossed the empty can into the back of the golf cart. He followed the rabbi inside.
The rabbi flipped the light switch in the living room, and the front of the trailer was illuminated. A collection of worn-out, mismatched furniture stared back at him. The rabbi walked through the kitchen and down the short hallway. He gingerly opened the door to the bathroom. It was unoccupied. He proceeded to the end of the hall and knocked on the bedroom door. He heard the whimpering of a dog inside. The rabbi took a deep breath and turned the doorknob.
"Yussie?" he called out.
It was dark in the bedroom. He felt for the light switch and when he flipped on the light, there was Yussie, motionless on the bed. His dog was at his feet, too weak to even lift its head.
"I'll call 911," Bill said gravely from behind.
Rabbi Levi left the bedroom and sat down at Yussie's kitchen table. He put his head in his hands and cried.
The police arrived first and asked the rabbi some
standard questions. The coroner arrived next and took Yussie's body to the funeral home. An animal control worker fed the dog, and took it away.
Rabbi Levi returned to his synagogue. Since it was against Jewish law to bury the dead on Shabbat, he planned to do a graveside service on Sunday. That evening and all day Saturday, Rabbi Levi walked around the synagogue in a daze. He led services with little energy and did not give a sermon, other than to say Yussie passed away and the funeral would be on Sunday. The congregation gave him their sympathies, as if a member of the rabbi's family had passed away.
On Saturday night, after Shabbos, the rabbi returned to the mobile-home park. He was dressed in his "civvies": dark pants, a t-shirt, and a worn-out pair of sneakers. He brought a large screwdriver with him so he wouldn't have to disturb Bill. He wanted to get something of Yussie's, something to remind him of his friend—maybe his prayer book or prayer shawl.
When Rabbi Levi pulled up to Yussie's trailer, the door was already open and the lights were on. He walked up the aluminum steps and peered inside. He was surprised to see a woman rummaging through the kitchen cabinets. She was thin, about fifty or so, with short brown hair. She was wearing faded jeans, a red cotton blouse, and a worn pair of flip-flops. She jumped when she saw the rabbi.
"Who are you?" the rabbi asked.
"Millie. Yussie's sister," she said. "Who are you?"
"I'm Rabbi Levi," he answered. "Yussie's rabbi."
"Oh," was her reply.
Rabbi Levi let himself into the trailer, and Millie continued searching through the cabinets, not paying the rabbi much mind. There was an old cardboard box on the floor, which she occasionally tossed things into. The rabbi sat down on the worn sofa and studied her. The only family resemblance was around the nose—a nose made for a much larger face.
"I didn't know Yussie had a sister," the rabbi said, trying to make conversation.
"Well, he did."
"Your brother didn't have much."
"No kidding."
The rabbi changed the subject.
"How did you find out he died, Millie?"
"The coroner called me. He had a lot of questions."
"Questions about what?"
"Health questions. Personal history. I told him that Yussie was a cancer survivor."
"A cancer survivor?"
"You didn't know, Rabbi?"
"No."
"Yussie had lymphoma. Twenty years ago. It should have killed him. The chemo wiped him out, damaged his brain. Doctors gave him no chance afterward. Zero. He came down here to Florida to live out the rest of his days in the sun. Instead, he outlived most of his doctors."
"Did the coroner say he died of cancer?"
"No, his heart gave out. He fell asleep and never woke up."
Rabbi Levi nodded. "He deserved an easy death. Yussie had a hard life."
"Yeah, the life of a real poet."
"Poet?"
"Tell me you didn't know that either, Rabbi."
"Know what?"
"Yussie used to be quite a poet. He even won awards when he was younger. Never got much money though. Poetry doesn't pay."
She picked up a pile of papers from the kitchen counter and showed it to the rabbi.
"Look at this, Rabbi. There are poems everywhere. In the drawers. In the cabinets. Under the bed. I'm collecting them and putting 'em in that box next to you. There must be more than a thousand of 'em." She threw the pile in her hands into the box.
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The rabbi reached in and took out a few papers. The first one was titled, "Love Charm." The next was "Lady Liberty." They were signed Fraylich Yankel.
"Who is Fraylich Yankel?" the rabbi asked.
"It was his pen name. He liked the sound of it."
The rabbi pulled out another handful of papers.
"You can keep the poems, Rabbi, if you want. I'm just going to take a few of the kitchen things."
"What do you want to do with his trailer, Millie?"
"You can sell it, and use it for his funeral expenses. Whatever is left over, you can give to charity in my brother's name."
"Thank you," he said simply, not having the heart to tell her that the trailer was worth maybe one or two thousand dollars, and the funeral was going to cost five thousand.
"Do you want to say something at the funeral tomorrow, Millie?"
"I'm not staying for the funeral, Rabbi. I'm heading back home to New York tonight. My family needs me, and I have to get back to work."
"Oh."
The rabbi was quiet now. After a long pause, he asked, "Is there anything about him you want me to say to his friends at the funeral?"
Millie didn't answer. She was distracted by a piece of paper she'd found. When she was finished reading it, she went to throw it in the box next to the rabbi, then changed her mind and threw it in the box next to her. She closed the box, lifted it up, and went to the door. Before she left, she turned and looked at the rabbi.
"Friends? You think Yussie had friends? I doubt it, Rabbi. To the rest of the world he was just another loser."
Millie walked to her car and opened the trunk. She threw the box into it, and then slammed the trunk shut. She drove away, leaving the rabbi alone in the living room with the collected poems of Yussie Yablonski, a.k.a. Fraylich Yankel.
Rabbi Levi went to the funeral home on Sunday morning and assisted the hevra kadisha, the Jewish burial society, in preparing Yussie's body. When they were done, Yussie was placed in a plain pine box coffin, in accordance with Jewish tradition, then moved into a hearse and driven over to the gravesite. Rabbi Levi sat up front, next to the driver. The rabbi was quiet and introspective. He hoped there would be at least ten men present, so they could say Kaddish for Yussie.
When they arrived at the cemetery plot, Rabbi Levi was pleasantly surprised. The entire Congregation Bais Simcha was waiting at the cemetery, more than a hundred people. Six men came forward to be pallbearers. Rabbi Levi said prayers as they carried Yussie's coffin to the grave. When the coffin was placed on the lowering device, the rabbi continued the burial service. When he was finished, everyone said kaddish together.
Before Rabbi Levi began his eulogy, he asked, "Is there anyone who would like to say something about Yussie?"
People looked around at each other, silent. Rabbi Levi waited. When no one stepped forward, he continued.
"Well, if no one wants to speak, then I—"
"Rabbi," Michael Fein interrupted. "I would like to say something . . . if you don't mind?"
It was a day for surprises.
"Michael, please go ahead."
Michael stepped forward, turned around and faced the crowd. He straightened his hair, fiddled with his tie, then cleared his throat.
"Good afternoon," Michael began, "I . . . I . . ."
The crowd waited.
Michael took out a handkerchief and dabbed the corners of his eyes. Twice he tried to continue, but each time he stopped in the middle of the first word. He sighed, then shook his head.
"I'm sorry . . . I'm not very good at speaking without a script and cue cards . . . at speaking from my heart, I'm not good at all. . . . I want to say something profound, but all I keep seeing is Yussie's smile after I gave him
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money for the veterinarian. Unless he paid up front, the vet wouldn't treat that stray dog Yussie was so proud of. . . . I guess he figured Yussie's credit wasn't very good . . . and now I'm wondering . . . how many other people gave money to Yussie?"
The congregation stared back at him, unblinking.
"Come on, let me see a show of hands. How many of you were hit up for a loan that was never repaid?"
People were looking around, embarrassed. Slowly, one by one, people raised their hands.
"Will you look at that . . . almost every family here had given this soul money, and instead of being relieved when he's gone, we all have come to pay our last respects. . . . Why?"
Michael paused.
"I will tell you why I came, and why I will miss Yussie. . . . This man taught me one of life's greatest lessons—how to give. I am, by nature, a selfish man. Always have been, probably always will be. Sure, I give to the synagogue when the rabbi needs something or when he says a member of the congregation needs something, but rarely face to face. With Yussie, I gave face to face . . . heart to heart."
Michael dabbed his eyes with the handkerchief again.
"And every time I gave, I felt a little closer to G-d. . . . Yussie tried as best he knew, but his best was just not good enough for this world. . . . he needed help, constant help . . . and we all gave him help, and by giving, we enriched our souls. . . . "
Michael opened his mouth to say more, but no words came out. Rabbi Levi walked up and led him away from the coffin. Michael walked back to his wife, and friends came over to pat him on the back.
Rabbi Levi cleared his throat and asked again, "Is there anyone else who would like to speak?"
Again, people looked around, but no one stepped forward.
"Well, if no one else wants to say something, then—"
"My Sister . . ." The interruption came from a woman who was mixed in among the mourners. People moved away, and there was Yussie's sister, Millie. She was
standing alone, holding a sheet of paper, her hands shaking.
She took a deep breath, looked back down at the paper, and continued:
My sister loves me, of that I am sureHer love is a love from a place that is pureThough I embarrass her and shame her with my waysLike a boorish guest who overstaysMy sister loves me, of that I am sureA love throughout time that will always endureAs children we had so much joy when we playedNever knowing there would come more painful daysMy sister loves me, of that I am sureTime rubbed away its luster until it became wornA failure and a fool I became along the wayStill she loves, and I thank G-d, each time I pray.
"'My Sister,' a poem by Fraylich Yankel . . . Yussie Yablonski . . . my brother."
Rabbi Levi nodded his head and said, "Thank you, Millie. That was beautiful."
The rabbi gathered his emotions and once again asked, "Now, is there anyone else who wants to speak?"
No one stepped forth.
Rabbi Levi cleared his throat and looked around at his congregation. "I don't know if I can get through this without breaking down. I don't know how . . . . I can't get the words out."
Rabbi Levi wiped his eyes on his prayer shawl. "Look, I didn't even make it past a few sentences." He smiled, took a deep breath, and continued.
"I can't imagine this congregation without Yussie. I can't imagine praying with the minyan unless his soul is combined with ours."
You had a difficult struggle against your own limitations, but there was one place you were perfect—in your heart. Everyone who knew you knew that in spite of what you said or did, your heart was pure and good and kind."
Everyone in the crowd nodded their heads.
"That is the part of you I will miss the most. Your heart, Yussie. Yussie, I will always remember you, and always love you . . . and I can't say goodbye because you will always be here with me, in my heart."
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How I Will Celebrate Rosh Hashanah Alone
By Karen Kaplan www.chabad.org
I love the High Holidays—the month when we turn our full attention to G-d, reflect upon our renewed commitment to becoming our best selves, and spend time with our family and friends. Except this year. This year is different. This year there is the pandemic.
I’m an older woman, living alone, with health issues, and for those like me, this year will be unlike any before. I’ll be observing the holidays at home, by myself.
I’m used to davening at my local Chabad center, listening as the chazzan (cantor) does the “heavy lifting” of reciting the prayers, allowing my mind to wander at will, letting the rabbi make the service meaningful with his commentary, listening as the shofar is blown.
During services, I was more like a passenger than a driver. I got to look out the window and enjoy the scenery because I didn’t have to drive the car. This year everything will be different.
But does different have to mean bad? Can’t something be different and good? I like to eat coffee ice cream every day, but if there’s none in the freezer, I’ll eat vanilla instead. And maybe that vanilla will be a delicious change.
So, I decided to look for new ways to make this year fresh and exciting. And truly, shouldn’t we be doing this every year? Each year we stand before G-d, asking Him to forgive our shortcomings, asking Him to view us favorably, asking Him to give us another year to grow and improve. Should this ever be done on autopilot?
It’s true, we are living in difficult times. But Chassidic tradition teaches that all experiences - even the difficult ones - are opportunities to reveal the goodness that exists within everything. G-d put goodness in all His creations, but we have to choose to look for it. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s hard, but it’s always our choice.This year I’ve been forced out of my comfort zone by
circumstances I can’t control. Even if I wanted to, I can’t go on autopilot. I can’t sit back, enjoy the ride, and let someone else drive the car. I’m behind the wheel. But being the driver means that I’ll be in control of the journey. And that, I believe, is where the goodness lies within this very different holiday season. I will control the journey, and I am choosing to take the scenic route.
Slow Down and SingWhen I’m in shul, I have to rush through the prayers just to keep up. I’m looking forward to going at my own pace and taking time to think about what I’m reading. I’ve also started listening to musical renditions of the prayers we sing (you can find excellent ones on Chabad.org) to learn the melodies.
Toot My Own HornI’ve called my local Judaica store and bought a shofar. My very own shofar! Blowing it is not as hard as I’d thought and I have the entire month of Elul to practice. By Rosh Hashanah, I’ll be ready to crown the King!
Enjoy Good BooksIt will be hard not being with my friends during the festive meals, and nothing can replace that, but I’ll make sure I have good company in the form of uplifting Jewish books. I’ve collected many excellent ones over the years, and my bookcases make me feel like the greatest Jewish minds in history are in the room with me, ready to teach and converse. The Lubavitcher Rebbe may join me for lunch, Maimonides for dinner, and the Baal Shem Tov (founder of Chassidism) for coffee the next morning. And of course, I’ll have books of Chassidic stories to spice up the meal. With guests like these, I’ll naturally want to put on nice clothes and set the table with my best things.
Celebrate!Yes, this year will be different. I’ve been given my driver’s license and handed the car keys. I can’t wait to get out on the road, open the windows, and enjoy the ride. May your own journey this season be healthy, smooth, and meaningful.
Don’t forget to order your Lulav & Esrog before 10th September
Contact Rabbi Pink for more information.
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The Library is currently closed. However we can arrange to deliver any book that you may wish to borrow.
Please contact Rabbi Pink for further information.
The Stanley Middleburgh Library
The Stanley Middleburgh library contains over 1700 books and periodicals on a wide range of topics from Israel to Jewish History, from novels to biographies. There are books suitable for all ages, from toddler to adult. The library also has a collection of over 300 videos and DVDs on a variety of topics for both young and old. All members of the community are welcome to come and browse through our collection.
Thank you to Margaret Green for her kind donation of books from the library of her late husband Dr Stuart Green
If you have any books or videos of Jewish interest which you would like to donate to the library, or if you would like to sponsor the purchase of books or videos please contact Rabbi Pink on
0121 706 8736 or [email protected]
Jewish Humour
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Old Mrs. Katz decided to have her portrait painted. She told the artist, “Paint me with diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, emerald bracelets, a ruby broach, and gold Rolex.”
But you’re not wearing any of those things,” replied the artist.
“I know,” she said. “It’s in case I should die before Mr. Katz. If he remarries, I want his new wife to go crazy looking for the jewelry.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I pulled into a crowded car park and rolled down the car windows to make sure my Labrador Retriever had fresh air.
She was stretched out on the back seat, and I wanted to impress upon her that she must remain there.
I walked looking backward, pointing my finger at the car, and repeated emphatically, “Now you stay.
Do you hear me? Stay! Stay!”
The driver of a nearby car, perhaps noting that I am an Orthodox Jew, gave me a strange look and said,
“Why don’t you just pull up the hand brake?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Jewish mother’s answering machine:
For Kugel, press 1For knishes, press 2
For chicken soup, press 3For knaidlach in the soup, press 4
…If you’re calling to ask how I am feeling, you have the wrong number, because no one ever asks how I am
feeling. No really, I am fine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the Shiva, Moishe asked Shmuel, “Was your wife outspoken?”
Shmuel said, “Not by anyone I know of.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Doctor Jacobs finished his examination and informed Herman that he was in perfect health.
“But what about my headaches?” Herman moaned.“I’m not at all worried about your headaches,” Dr.
Jacobs replied.“If you had my headaches, doctor, I wouldn’t worry
about them either,” said Herman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joseph had just passed his driving test, so he asked his father, if they could discuss the use of the car.
His father replied “Joseph, I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your school grades up, study your Bible a
little, get your hair cut and we’ll talk about it.”After about a month Joseph came back and again
asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. His father replied, “Joseph, I’ve been real proud of you. You have raised your school grades, you’ve studied
your Bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!”Joseph waited a moment and replied, “You know Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know, Samson had long hair, Abraham had long hair, Noah had long hair,
and even Moses had long hair....”To which the father replied, “Yes, and they walked
every where they went!”
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1st Tishrei - 2229 - 1532 B.C.E.
Jospeh was freed from Prison by Pharoah
1 Tishrei - 3340 - 422 B.C.E.
Gedalia ben Achikam, appointed by Nebuchadnetzar to rule the remaining Jews after the destruction of the first Temple, was murdered by Yishmael ben Nesanya.
1 Tishrei - 5314 - 1553
Cardinal Caraffa (later to be Pope Paul IV), with the backing of Pope Julius III, publicly burns the Talmud
and other holy books in Rome.
7 Tishrei 2312 - 1450 B.C.E.
Birthday and Yahrtzeit of Zebulun. He was the tenth son of the Patriarch Jacob
8 Tishrei 2937 - 825 B.C.E.
The dedication festivities celebrating the completion of the Temple, built by King Solomon, commenced
and continued for seven days.The magnificent structure took seven years to build, and served as the epicenter of Jewish national and
spiritual life for 410 year before being destroyed by the Babylonians.
8-9 Tishrei 5702 - September 29-30, 1941
The Nazis carried out executions at Babi Yar, as thousands of Jews were buried in a ravine near the Ukrainian city of Kiev. With the aid of Ukrainian
citizens, 35,000 Jews were ordered to undress, beaten if they resisted, and then shot at the edge of the Babi
Yar gorge.
10 Tishrei 1677-1556 B.C.E.
Birth of Rivkah wife of Isaac. One of the Four Matriarchs of Israel.
10 Tishrei 2450 - 1312 B.C.E.
Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the second
Dates in Jewish History set of Tablets. 82 days after the people of Israel
betrayed their newly entered covenant with Hashem by worshipping the Golden Calf.
10 Tishrei 5726 - October 6, 1965
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax refused to pitch in the first game of the World Series, choosing
instead to attend Yom Kippur services in the synagogue and observe the fast. The World Series went to a
seventh and deciding game, and Koufax threw a three-hit shutout to win the Series and earn the MVP award.
Arthritis ended his career at the age of 31, and he became the youngest person ever elected to the baseball
Hall of Fame. Yet despite all his achievements on the field, Koufax is still remembered best for his Yom
Kippur break,
11 Tishrei 2450 - 1312 B.C.E.
Jethro advised Moses to appoint others to help him judge the nation. Moshe appoints judges of tens, fifties,
hundreds and thousands. .
10 Tishrei 5734 - October 6, 1973
The Yom Kippur War begins with Egyptian and Syrian forces attacking across 1967 cease-fire lines.
15 Tishrei 5655 - October 15, 1894
Alfred Dreyfus was first arrested for treason. A French army officer, Dreyfus was the victim of a frame-up; falsified documents were exposed in a famous open
letter entitled J’accuse! (I Accuse!). This scandal, which came to be known as the Dreyfus Affair, bitterly
divided French society for many years. Dreyfus was stripped of his rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island. (Five years later, he was released and
later pardoned.)
17 Tishrei 5728 - October 21, 1967The Israeli destroyer, INS Eilat, was sunk by Egyptian missile boats near Port Said; 47 Israeli crew members
were killed.
21 Tishrei 5707 - October 16, 1946Following the Nuremberg trials, 10 senior Nazi war
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criminals were hanged.
27 Tishrei 5687- 1927 C.E.The Town of Netanyah in Israel is established
28 Tishrei - 1187 C.E.Saladin recaptures Jerusalem from the Crusaders and
allows Jews to return after an absence of 88 years
3 Cheshvan 5051 - 1290
16,000 English Jews were expelled from England by King Edward I.
King Edward had banned usury and forced Jews over the age of seven to wear an identifying badge. Some Jews managed to remain in England by hiding their
religious identity, but thousands were forced to leave. Following the expulsion, Jews would not return to
England for 350 years, when the policy was reversed by Oliver Cromwell in 1655.
4 Cheshvan - October 17, 1483Tomas de Torquemada, was appointed Inquisitor
General of Spain.Jews of Spain had been forced to convert to
Christianity, and the Inquisition was designed to uncover those who were continuing to practice their Judaism in secret (called Conversos or Marranos).
Those who never confessed were burned at the stake; those who did confess were strangled first. It was on
his recommendation that the remainder of the Jewish community -- 200,000 people -- were expelled from Spain in 1492. An estimated 32,000 were burned at the stake, and Torquemada’s name became a byword for cruelty and fanaticism in the service of religion.
The order of expulsion was not officially voided by the government of Spain until 1968.
6 Cheshvan 5708 - 1948 B.C.E.In 1948, the first census taken by the State of Israel
placed the population at 780,000 -- 91% Jewish and 9% Arab. A vigorous influx of Jews would arrive the next few years, when 750,000 Jewish refugees fled
from Arab countries. Subsequently, Israel has witnessed the dramatic homecoming of Jews from Ethiopia, the former Soviet Union, and dozens of other lands. As of 2017, the population of Israel stands at 8.7 million, of
which 20% is Arab.
10 Cheshvan 1656 - 2106 B.C.E.Methuselah dies, a week before the Flood begins.
On this day Noach, his wife, his sons and their wives entered the Ark. It wasn’t until seven days later,
however, that the intense rains began for 40 days and 40 nights. The delay was to allow a proper mourning
period for Metushelach, the righteous grandfather of Noach who had just died at the age of 969 years,
history’s oldest human being.
11 Cheshvan 2208 - 1554 B.C.E.
Yahrzeit of Rachel Imeinu, during the birth of her son Binyamin.
Yaakov Avinu buried her by the roadside in Bethlehem.Today, Kever Rachel / Rachel’s Tomb serves as a place of pilgrimage and prayer, as it has for more than 35
centuries, and is regarded as Judaism third-holiest site.
Cheshvan 15 - 139 BCE
Yahrtzeit of Matityahu, the leader of the Maccabees in their fight against the Syrian-Greeks, as recorded
in the Chanukah story. Matityahu bravely resisted the attempts to spread secular-Hellenist culture throughout
the Land of Israel, and with his five sons, started an uprising. The revolt continued after Matityahu’s death
in 139 BCE, and successfully concluded with the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of the
oil that burned for eight days.
29 Cheshvan 5769 - November 27, 2008
The city of Mumbai, India, was hit with a series of coordinated terror attacks, starting on Wednesday
evening, which left close to 200 dead and scores more injured.
One of the terrorists’ chosen targets was the local Chabad House, known as the “Nariman House,” operated by Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries Rabbi
Gavriel Noach (Gabi) and Rivkah (Rivki) Holtzberg.In the subsequent standoff, which continued until Friday afternoon, Gabi and Rivki and
several other Jews in the Chabad House – Rabbis Bentzion Chroman and Leibish Teitelbaum, Norma
Schwartzblatt-Rabinowitz and Yocheved Orpaz – were killed in cold blood.
Miraculously, the Holtzbergs’ two-year-old child, Moshe, was saved by his nanny.
30 Cheshvan 5544 - Novenber 25, 1783
American forces recaptured New York City from the British. This cleared the way for the return of Jews who had been forced to flee when the British captured New York City in 1776. Jewish leaders were in danger due to
their public support of the American Revolution.
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Please enter these dates into your diary to ensure that you will be able to join us at one or all of these occasions. More information about specific events will be publicised closer to the date of each event.
All events are at 3 Monastery Drive unless indicated otherwise.
THESE ARE PROVISIONAL DATES DEPENDENT ON THE HEALTH ADVICE CLOSER
TO THE TIME
Friday Night Meal 11th January 6.30 pm
Purim Party 25th February 7.15 pm
Purim Meal 26th February 4.30 pm
Pre-Pesach Shopping Trip to London 14th March 10.00 am
Communal Seder (Granby Close) 27th March 7.30 pm
Shavuos Lunch 17th May 12.30 pm
For the latest community updates visit https://www.facebook.com/solihullshul
If you have some news that you would like publicised on the Shul Facebook page contact Chana Miriam Golub
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Only £10.00 for a delicious three course meal available for collection or delivered to your door.
• Delicious and nutritious hot lunch every week. • Meet old friends, make new friends.
• Stimulating Activities.• Special Dietary needs catered for.
For More Information Contact Dinie Pink 0121 706 8736
The Thursday ClubSolihull Jewish Community Centre
3 Monastery Drive, Solihull, B91 1 DW
Due to Coronavirus the club premises are closed. We continue to meet on Zoom.
Every Thursday 1.00 - 2.00 p.m.
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The death of Louise Ichbia, Luna Bat Eliyohu on Saturday 6th June was a great loss to her family and the entire Solihull Jewish Community. Louise was born in France on 20th December 2020 to her parents. Her birthday is on the eve of Chanukah and this was to set the tone for her whole life as a person who constantly brought joy and light into the lives of everyone that she came in contact with.
She met her husband Sam at the home of mutual relatives and they got married in Marseille in 1956 and they enjoyed 53 years of married life together.
Together with Sam they were part of the small group of pioneers who formed the Solihull Jewish Community in 1963 and it was Sam’s friendship with Father Pascal of the neighboring Franciscan Monastery that led to the fledgling congregation being leased a piece of land to built there Shul and Community Centre.
This involvement was to continue for the rest of her life, Louise was an integral part of the Shul Ladies Guild always ready to help whether it be helping set up the various halls that were rented by the community before they build their own Shul or later helping in the kitchen and preparing events.
Louise was also a regular participant in the weekly ladies discussion group led by Rabbi Pink and always had something thoughtful and valuable to add to the discussion.
Louise was involved with the Solihull Thursday Club from the day it was founded in 2004 as a volunteer even when she was older than many of the participants. And indeed she was honoured by being invited to the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in recognition of her service to the club. It was only in the past six months
when her ill health no longer allowed her to volunteer did she agree to sit down and participate as a guest.
A devoted mother and wife she loved her grandchildren
dearly and this affection was mirrored back to her by them. There was no generation gap and nothing made her prouder than being able to share news of their successes with her friends.
The Sages write in the Mishna. “Whoever is pleasant in the eyes of their fellows will be considered pleasant in the eyes of G-d.” Louise was certainly pleasant in the eyes of all those who encountered here and I’m sure that
she is now enjoying her eternal reward that she so truly deserves.
We can all ensure that her memory lives on by being prepared to involve ourself in communal affairs, take care of others and most importantly always smile.
We extend our sincere condolences to Rose, Viviene and David, and grandchildren Joshua, Shelby and Francesca and wish them a long life and only simchas in the future.
A Tribute to Louise Ichbia
Did You Know?
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Prayer Services
• Prayer Service every Friday Night, Shabbos Morning, Yom Tov, Sunday Morning and Bank Holiday Morning.• Prayer Services at any other time by arrangement to allow the recital of Kaddish.
Kiddushim & Breakfasts
• Kiddush every Friday Night• Hot cholent Kiddush after the service every Shabbos.• Smoked Salmon Bagel Breakfast following the Service every Sunday
Communal Celebration of Festivals
• Sukkos Party• Simchat Torah Luncheon• Chanukah Party• Public Menorah Lighting in Mell Square• Purim Party• Communal Seder• Shavuot Luncheon• Friday Night Meal• Mishloach Monot - Purim Gifts to members of the community.
Activities for Youth
• Cheder for children aged 3 -13 on a Sunday Morning.• Bar & Bat Mitzvah Preparation Classes.• Pre Yom Tov Fundays for children.• Childrens Play Ground.• Children’s Service every Yomtov.
Solihull Academy of Jewish Education
• The West Midlands Jewish Medical Ethics Forum• Solihull Jewish Business Ethics Forum• Bagels Lox and Torah every Sunday morning.• Text based Rambam Shiur every Sunday Evening.• SMILES Lecture Series every Monday Evening.
Over the past few years the Solihull Shul on Monastery Drive has grown from being primarily a Synagogue to a fully fledged Jewish Community Centre. As many members are unaware of the
vast range of activities and services that we offer, I have listed some below. We would be delighted if you wish to avail yourself on any of our services.
• Ladies Discussion Group with Rabbi Pink every Tuesday Morning• Retired Gentlemen’s Shiur every Wednesday Morning.• Shiur for Ivrit Speakers every Wednesday Evening.• Torah & Tea Shiur every Saturday Morning.• Text based Talmud Shiur every Saturday Evening.• One to One Study Sessions with the Rabbi or Rebbetzen
Social Welfare
• The Thursday Club for over 60’s• Meals for the housebound.• Hospital Visitation• Prison Visitation
Social Cohesion
• Educational Visits to the Shul for Schools and other groups• National Holocaust Memorial Day Service• Civic Service• Regular Social Activities• Hakol Newsletter• Week Ahead Emails
Communal Facilities
• Judaica Store• Tefillin and Mezuzah Checking Service• Stanley Middleburgh Reference and lending Library• Hall and Kitchens available for private hire.• Countersigning Facility for Official Documents.• Help and Advice in organising Life Cycle Events:Bris, Pidyon Haben, Bat Mitzvah, Bar Mitzvah, Wedding, Funeral, Stone Setting.
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Revenue Items
Sponsor Regular Shabbat Morning Kiddush Cost: £30.00
Sponsor SDHC’s Yom Kippur Break Fast Refreshments Cost: £150
Sponsor SDHC’s Rosh Hashona Honey CakeCost: £150
Sponsor SDHC’s Annual Sukkot PartyCost: £250
Sponsor SDHC’s Annual Chanukah PartyCost: £250
Sponsor SDHC’s Annual Purim PartyCost: £250
Sponsor SDHC’s Website & Internet Facilities Cost: £30 per month; £360 per year
Sponsor One Issue of HakolCost: £100
Defray Cost of SDHC’s Gas and Electricity Cost: £150 per week
Defray Landscaping and Building Maintenance Cost: £100 per week
Defray Cost of TBE’s Insurance Premiums £300 per month
Solihull & District Hebrew Congregation Wish ListHow Can I Best Help SDHC Today?
CapItal Items
Secure External Letterbox Cost: £125.00
Paved Path from gate to main entranceCost: £2,000
Refurbish Toilet AreaCost: £15,000
Commercial Dish Washer - Milk KitchenCost: £1,800
New furniture for the Shul. Cost: £18,000
Resurface part of CarparkCost £12,000
Cold StoreCost: £18,000
Combi OvenCost £9,000
Refurbish Disabled Toilet & Cloak RoomCost £8,000
Upgrade Fire Alarm SystemCost: £3,500
Retractable Canopy Roof for SukkahCost: £3000.00
Milk Kitchen EquipmentNew CrockeryCost £950.00
10 Litre Commercial Dough Mixer Cost: £850.00
speCIal namIng OppORtunItIes Parts of our Community Centre are available to be permanently named in honour of a donor or person of the
donor’s choosing. Communal Hall £15,000 Milk Kitchen £5,000 Lobby/Kiddush Area £7,500 Meat Kitchen £5,000
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Your Moment. Your Legacy. Your Shul.
This is your moment to hold hands across the generations. This is your moment to ensure a Jewish future that is spiritual and meaningful. This is your moment to leave a Jewish legacy.
Solihull Shul has been at the forefront of building the Jewish community in Solihull. Today we operate a Shul and Community Centre with a wide variety of religious, cultural and educational activities for all ages.
Now it is your turn to lead us forward.
Planned Giving builds Judaism where it is needed most, in your local community. From young to old, visiting the sick or comforting the poor, this is your moment to make a difference. Join with us through the loving act of planned giving by leading your community to a strong and vibrant future. This is your Moment.
More about the tax benefits of leaving a Legacy to charity
Charity Legacies are exempt from tax and there is no upper limit on the value of the Legacy you leave. Legacies are therefore a very efficient way of supporting your favourite Jewish charities because the Government is encouraging your generosity by adding funds from central funds.
You may leave as much as you like, entirely tax-free to a spouse, civil partner or UK registered charity. You may also leave up to £325,000 to any other beneficiary or beneficiaries. Over and above that, Inheritance Tax (IHT) is then applicable on the remainder of your Estate at flat rate of 40%. However, if you leave a Legacy to charity, that Legacy is deducted from your Estate before it is taxed, thereby lowering the amount of IHT that will be payable. In addition, as from April 2012, if you leave 10% or more of your taxable estate to charity not only will the Legacy be deducted before tax is calculated, the tax rate will be reduced from 40% to 36%. This is the Government’s way of encouraging more of us to give to charity and for us also to increase existing charity Legacies to the crucial 10% level; they want to make giving 10% of one’s Estate to charity “the new norm in our country”.
This might not seem much of a reduction, but the combination of the charity exemption from IHT and the new relief means that a charity Legacy could now ‘cost’ your family just 24% of its value, compared to 60% previously. £7,600 out of a £10,000 Legacy to charity could now be funded by the Government. This means that the cost to your loved ones of a £10,000 Legacy could be as little as £2,400, making charitable Legacies considerably more affordable, as well as of significant benefit to the causes that are close to your heart. This reduced tax rate will help to encourage more members of the Jewish community to leave Legacy gifts to charity, and for those who have already done so, to consider increasing those Legacies, potentially at no additional cost to their family – a real ‘win-win’ situation.
Allow us to work with you, your family, and if desired your financial advisor, to develop the most personalised strategy for your goals. For more information contact us.
Solihull Hebrew Congregation Legacies 3 Monastery Drive, Solihull, B91 1DW
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Would you like to perpetuate the memory of a loved one by dedicating a plaque on the Memorial Board?
The plaque will be illuminated on the day of the yartzeit and a memorial prayer recited in Shul to mark the yartzeit.
For inFormation on how to dedicate a plaque contact rabbi pink on 0121 706 8736
Did you know that a donation of £125 can cost you only £75?Gift aid and higher rate tax payers
If you pay higher rate tax, you can reclaim the difference between the higher rate of tax (40 per cent) and the basic rate of tax (20 per cent) on the total (gross) value of your donation to Solihull Hebrew Congregation.For example, if you donate £100, the total value of your donation to the charity is £125 - so you can claim back 20 per cent of this (£25) for yourself. You can make this claim on your Self Assessment tax return if you were sent one.
Tax relief can be claimed by completing the relevant section on your Self Assessment Tax Return form. If you don’t complete a self assessment form, but receive Form P810 from the Inland Revenue, this can be used to declare any gift aid payments. Alternatively you can claim the relief by writing to your tax office, giving full details of the gift(s) you have made.
Donating Shares
Making a gift of shares can be a highly tax effective way of supporting Solihull Hebrew Congregation.
By giving shares, it is possible to make a substantial tax saving, not only on capital gains tax, but on income tax as well.
Twelve million people own shares in the UK, worth over £200 billion. This area of giving is often overlooked, but by unlocking your capital and passing it on you can turn it into something of great value to Solihull Hebrew Congregation and substantially lower the cost to yourself at the same time.
In order to qualify for the tax relief, the shares or securities must be; listed or dealt on a recognised UK or foreign stock exchange, units in authorised unit trusts, shares in a UK open-ended investment company or holdings in certain foreign collective investment schemes.
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Date Shabbat Shabbat Begins Ends Sedra (Friday) (Saturday)
Ki Tzeitze 29th August 7.47 pm 8.52 pm
Ki Sovo 5th September 7.31 pm 8.35 pm
Nitzovim/Vayelech 12th September 7.14 pm 8.18 pm
For Yomtov times please see Yomtov timetable
Haazinu 26th September 6.41 pm 7.44 pm
Bereishis 17th October 5.53 pm 6.56 pm
Noach 24th October 5.38 pm 6.42 pm
Lech Lecho 31st October 4.24 pm 5.29 pm
Vayeiro 7th November 4.11 pm 5.18 pm
Chayei Sorah 14th November 4.00 pm 5.08 pm
Toldos 21st November 3.50 pm 4.59 pm
Vayeitze 28th November 3.43 pm 4.54 pm
Vayishlach 5th December 3.38 pm 4.50 pm
Vayeshev 12th December 3.35 pm 4.49 pm
Miketz 19th December 3.36 pm 4.50 pm
Shabbos Times
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Free Tefillin Health check
Tefillin need regular checkups to ensure that the scrolls have not faded or cracked.
Straps need repainting regularly to ensure that the paint is in good condition.
Boxes can be damaged by extremes of heat, cold or moisture.
For a free health check and report on the condition of your tefillin contact Rabbi Pink
Go to http://tinyurl.com/7j7xa3xfor a video guide how to put on Tefillin.
Do you get tangled in knots trying to put on your tefillin?
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Solihull Zoom Cheder
Registration now open for 2020-21 Academic Year• Small Class Sizes.
• Individual Attention to each pupil.• Learn about Judaism in a fun and hands on manner.
Come Along To The Friday Night Service The service starts at 6.30 pm (from 2nd October)
lasts for about 25 minutes and is followed by a kiddushPlease try to come and help make the minyan.
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Art Class with Lee Benson
Thursday 5.00 pm
Solihull Academy of Jewish EducationJewish Learning for Life
Whatever your skill level
Whenever you have free time
A variety of topics, times of the week and levels to suit all tastes.
If you would prefer a one to one learning experience a variety of slots are available to study the topic of your choice at a time
convenient to you.
Contact Rabbi Pink to set up a learning session today.
Details of the regular weekly study sessions are on the following pages.
All classes are via Zoom until futher notice.
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LSD & BLTEvery Sunday at 9.30 am
Lets start Davening followed by brief Torah Discussion.
Do you enjoy advanced Torah Study?
Come along to the Halacha Shiur Sunday evening at 6.30 pm
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Does Judaism leave you feeling Bored? Confused? Turned off?
Try Out
Discussions on topics of Contemporary Jewish Interest with Rabbi Yehuda Pink
Every Monday Evening 8.30 pm Via Zoom
Solihull Monday Informative LEcture Series
For more information contact Rabbi Yehuda Pink on
0121 706 [email protected]
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Do you have free time on a Tuesday morning?Are you looking to expand your knowledge of Judaism?
Come along to the Retired Gentlemen’s Shiur
Tuesday 11.00 am - 12.00 pmVia Zoom
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Enjoy a good cup of coffee and take the chance to ask all
those questions about judaism you never dared to ask
Ladies Discussion Group With Rabbi PinkEvery Wednesday 11.00 am - 12.00 pm
Via ZOOM
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At this difficult time we wish health, security, and happiness to the community.We pray for a peaceful world and freedom from oppression for all citizens.
A Happy New Year and a thoughtful Day of Atonement to all.Diane and Richard Canin and family
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Stephen and Ruth Abrahams wish their dear children, grandchildren, great grandchildren
Rabbi and Mrs Pink and all friends A Healthy and Happy New Year
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Lee & Lynne Benson wish Rabbi, Dinie and the whole Pink family plus all family and friends
a very Happy and Healthy New Year veu,nu vcuy vbak
Shirley Epsteinwishes all the members of her family wherever they are in the world tpgether with all her
friends in the community and of course Rabbi & Dinie PinkA Kosher & Happy New Year & Well Over the Fast And may we all enjoy peace in the future, everywhere
veu,nu vcuy vbak
As the New Year begins, reach out for your motivational wish. May you have a fruitful life, leave all your worries behind and keep on reaching for your dreams.
Kindest regards from Les, Michelle, Steven and Sparky (the cat) Bloom.veu,nu vcuy vbak
Adrian and Maureen Berger Wish the entire community a very happy New Year and well over the Fast.
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Claire & Jakob de Jonge & FamilyWish Family, Friends & All the community
a very happy and healthy New Year and well over the Fastveu,nu vcuy vbak
Greetings for the New Year
Ian & Jane Benanti Wish Shana Tova to Rabbi Pink and Family and the congregation of Solihull and
District Congregation,veu,nu vcuy vbak
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Andrew, Jane, Leah & Samuel GoldsteinWish Family, Friends & All the community
a very happy and healthy New Year and well over the Fast.veu,nu vcuy vbak
Mandy and Jon Gouldman and children Wish all our family and friends a shana tova and well over the fast
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Irene HoylesWishes the Entire Community a Very Happy New Year and Well Over the Fast.
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Arnie & Kathie Kaplan wish Their Family, Friends, & All The Community
A Happy Healthy & Sweet New Yearveu,nu vcuy vbak
Lena Gilinsky Wishes all the family and the CongregationA Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Hilary & David FineWish Judith, Mike, Rabbi Yehuda, Dinie,
Rivka, Avraham Yitzchok, Chanoch, Mendel & Shmuel Pink, Family, Friends & The Solihull Community A Happy, Healthy & Sweet New Year
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Marie HawkswoodWishes the Entire Community a Very Happy New Year and Well Over the Fast.
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Neil Hyland Wishes all of the community peace, happiness, good luck, G-d’s blessing and success
L’Shanah Tovah, Happy Rosh Hashonaveu,nu vcuy vbak
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Gerald, Adrienne, Hayley & Ryan LangmanWish All Their Friends
A Shanah Tovah And Well Over The Fastveu,nu vcuy vbak
Andrei, Marina, Idan, Avital & Ronit KaplanWish Rabbi & Dinie Pink & Family, All our Friends & Everybody at Solihull Jewish Community
A Healthy, Happy New Year and Well Over the Fastveu,nu vcuy vbak
Maureen Leveson Sends Greetings & Warm Wishes For A Happy & Healthy New Year
To All Family & Friends In Birmingham & Solihullveu,nu vcuy vbak
Sharon & David Lester Wish Their Dear Children Chana Miriam & Alon Chanoch, Shim & Shellie, Their Darling Grandchildren, Sorah Baila, Levi Yitzchok, Shmuel Avraham,
Menachem Mendel, Sholom Dovber, Refael Efrayim, Baila Yehudis, Shneur Zalman, Leah Esther And All Their Family & Friends in the Community A Happy, Healthy & Sweet New Year
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Howard & Gillian Lewis Wish Rabbi & Dinie Pink & family
And everyone at Solihull Synagogue a Happy New Year and well over the fast.veu,nu vcuy vbak
Jenny and Bernard Librack Wish Rabbi and Dinie Pink and family, our dear family, both here and Australia, and our
wonderful friends a very happy and healthy New Yearveu,nu vcuy vbak
Annette Margolis Wishes her friends in Solihull and Birmingham Shanah Tovah um’tukah
and to keep well over the fastveu,nu vcuy vbak
Alison & Andrew Mazin and familyWish all their family, friends and the Solihull Community
A very Happy and Healthy Rosh Hashanaveu,nu vcuy vbak
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Judith and Mike Stephenson wish Hilary & David, Rabbi Pink, Dinie and their family and all their family and friends a Happy New
Year and well over the Fast. A year reconnected, reunited and full of Simchas and enjoyment.
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Avril & Graham StoneWish Family & Friends
A Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Yearveu,nu vcuy vbak
Stacey, Mark, Courtney, Dayna & Ashleigh WinterWish Family & Friends
A Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Yearveu,nu vcuy vbak
Ian & Margaret ZetlandWish Rabbi & Dinie Pink & Family, All our Friends & Everybody at Solihull Jewish Community
A Healthy, Happy New Year and Well Over the Fastveu,nu vcuy vbak
Mike WattsWishes The Entire Community a Happy & Sweeet New Year
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Marion SilvermanWishes
A Happy, Healthy & Peaceful New Year To One and All veu,nu vcuy vbak
Mick Tessler & His Son KarlWish The Entire Community a Happy & Sweeet New Year
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Janet, Ian, Ben, Ellie and Mia Rowlinson Would like to send every good wish to Rabbi & Dinie Pink and Family and the whole
Community for an especially Healthy, Happy and Sweet New Year. It’s been wonderful to see some of you on Zoom, but we’ve missed seeing you in person
veu,nu vcuy vbak
Russell & Vicky StarrWish all Their Friends & The Congregation
A Happy, Healthy & Peaceful New Year veu,nu vcuy vbak
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Rabbi & Rebbetzen Pink & The Council of Solihull Hebrew Congregation
Wish the entire community
A very Happy & Healthy New Year
veu,nu vcuy vbak
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Solihull Judaica StoreSolihull Jewish Community Centre
3 Monastery Drive, Solihull, B91 1DW0121 706 8736 [email protected]
• Mezuzah Scrolls…• Mezuzah Cases…• Tallis…• Tallis Bags…• Tefillin…• Tefillin Bags…• Tzitzis…
• Cards for all Occasions…• Jewish Childrens Toys…• Books, Videos and CD’s…• Havdolah Candles…• Shabbos Candles…• Yarzeit Candles…• Soft Toys
Open Sunday 9.15 a.m. - 10.30 a.m.
Thursday 10.30 a.m. - 2.00 p.m.Other times by appointment.
Do you need a new machzor for Yomtov?
• Machzorim…• Siddurim…• Jewish Books…• Haggadahs... • Megillahs...
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