Lancaster and Lakes JC News November 2009

In this edition:
reportback on our Klezmer dance, Havura on 15th November at Pine Lake Resort, Carnforth, and Chanukah Party on Wednesday 16th December [**SORRY - NOT 15TH DECEMBER AS IN THE EMAIL!**] at the Gregson, Malcolm Weisman visiting Lancaster at lunchtime on Thursday 12th November. A possible Student Friday night meal - to be confirmed very soon - and the Northern Reform Weekend Comes To Our Area - and we can drop in! Read on.
best wishes,
Fiona Frank,
Secretary, Lancaster and Lakes Jewish Community.
tel 07778 737681 email lancslakesjc@googlemail.com

JOHN STOESSL.
First, we are very sorry to hear of the death of John Stoessl. A holocaust survivor, he escaped from Austria shortly before the outbreak of war. He has spoken locally about his experiences of coming here on the Kindertransport. Our commiserations to his sister Sue.



REPORTBACK

We had a great Klezmer night last week but we had less people there than last year. We need your help! Next year, what would persuade you to bring a party of ten people including lots of kids to the Klezmer dance night? It's free for kids and a really good and fun night out for every generation! (which is more than you can say for lots of nights out these days). Please email your ideas to lancslakesjc@googlemail.com

Ros Hawley, clarinet player for the evening, also ran a Klezmer music workshop during the afternoon which was attended by a dozen local musicians on a variety of instruments - fiddle, accordion, clarinet, concertina, whistle, and cello. Ros teaches each year at the celebrated London 'KlezFest' - which three or four Lancaster musicians have attended recently.

We had a collection during the evening for the Mike Kahan Klezmer Bursary fund. Mike, who played at our first Klezmer night, was murdered the day before his 40th birthday last summer while buying bagels for his family in Manchester. The bursary fund will help fund a scholarship for a musician to attend 'Klezfest'. We raised over £100.00 towards this scholarship. Eleanor Levin, Lancaster-based accordion player, was a recipient of this award last year, and the fund coordinators are committed to continuing support for northern musicians.

And welcome to new mailing list members who came on board after seeing the articles in the Lancaster Guardian and Virtual Lancaster.

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Friday 30th October - PROVISIONAL - join Lancaster Jewish students for a Friday night meal in the Chaplaincy centre at the University. Should be confirmed by tomorrow (Wedneday 28th). If you're interested or want to go on their mailing list email Aaron at jsoc@lancaster.ac.uk and he'll send out a confirmation.

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HAVURAH
Sunday 15th November. This is national 'Mitzvah Day' - so, think of someone who needs a hand and go and help them out! It's also the date of our next Havurah:
Hosted by Linda Martin at her Holiday Chalet, Pine Lake, Carnforth, 4pm for 4.30pm. Linda will run a session on ‘Healthy Jewish Cookery’ – and send us all away with recipes.

Please bring vegetarian (or fishy – not shellfish) food to share.

See directions and RSVP instructions below. And email lancslakesjc@googlemail.com if you’d like a lift.

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CHANUKAH PARTY

Fiona and Susannah's Do-It-Yourself Chanukah Party. Wednesday 16th December, **[NOT 15TH DEC as in the email]** 5.30 for 6 p.m., The Gregson, Moor Lane, Lancaster. Come to the Gregson - Bring a chanukiah (8-prong candlestick) and some kids (two legged mischief-makers) if you have them. We'll provide the candles and there'll be spare chanukiot and spare kids if you don't have your own. The idea is to order food at the Gregson, come into the hall, light the candles, and eat our meals together as a big family while the candles twinkle in the background.

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Any ideas for future topics or volunteers for hosting, please contact us.


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OTHER THINGS GOING ON:

Events at Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre

The Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre is 40 years old this term. To celebrate, a series of talks (30mins each) have been arranged on Thursday lunchtimes at 1pm and the details are below. The Chaplaincy Coffee Shop will be open from 11am and serving a soup lunch on those days.
You are all very welcome.

Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre
40th anniversary seminar series: Faith in the University: Past, Present and Future
Thursdays at 1:00pm, Anglican and Free Church Chapel, the Chaplaincy Centre, Lancaster University

The whole programme can be seen on http://www.lancs.ac.uk/depts/chap_cen/page38aa.html

Malcolm Weisman, Jewish Chaplain and the Chief Rabbi's Minister for Small Communities, will be speaking on Nov 12th, on Multi-faith Chaplaincies: Lancaster and elsewhere. He will be recording a ‘Thought for the Day’ for BBC Radio Cumbria later that day.

Reform Judaism Northern Weekend.

Weekend celebrating Chanukah as Reform Jews, Abbots Hall Hotel Grange over Sands, 11th-13th December organized by the movement for Reform Judaism. For details email Mike.Frankl@reformjudaism.org.uk . They will do a day rate of £30 a day for non-residential attendees – or if anyone just wants to attend the service, they’d be happy to accommodate us free but please email names for security reasons. The DRAFT programme is below – it looks fab!

DIRECTIONS TO PINE LAKE RESORT for the November Havura:

Pine Lake Resort lies to the north of Carnforth, at the roundabout junction of the A6 and the dual-carriageway from the M6 (Junction 35).

Directions:

From the South:-

Take the A.6 north. After passing through Carnforth continue north, crossing over a roundabout (lorry services) to a further large roundabout where the Motorway J35 slip road emerges from the right. Indicate to turn right, and once on the roundabout indicate immediately left, and turn left into the Pine Lake Resort.

Alternatively

Take the M6 north. Exit at J35. Turn left onto dual carriageway towards Carnforth/A6. At roundabout indicate right, and turn as though to return up the opposite side of dual carriageway. Once past the A6 (ie 180^o turn) indicate left, and turn left into the Pine Lake Resort.

From the North:-

Take the A6 south towards Kendal. Just beyond the roundabout junction with the Burton in Kendal road continue past the turn off to Borwick approx 1 mile to a large roundabout, signposted to the M6 left. Turn left at this roundabout and immediately sharp left again into Pine Lake Resort.

Alternatively

Take the M6 south. Exit at J35. Turn left onto dual carriageway towards Carnforth/A6. At roundabout indicate right, and turn as though to return up the opposite side of dual carriageway. Once past the A6 (ie 180^o turn) indicate left, and turn left into the Pine Lake Resort.

Please telephone Linda Martin 07801 382584 prior to arrival for Chalet number as this will not be allocated until the previous day.

EVENTS AT THE MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY CENTRE FOR JEWISH STUDIES

The first CJS seminar of the academic year will be given on Thursday 29 October by Dr. Hannah Holtschneider (University of Edinburgh) on “Now you see it, now you don't: Representations of Jewishness in the Jewish Museum Berlin”. This will take place from 4.00pm to 5.30pm in room A112 of the Samuel Alexander building.

Dr Holtschneider has provided the following abstract: “The central question occupying this paper is the representation of Jewish history and Jewish identifications in historical exhibitions. The permanent exhibition in the Jewish Museum Berlin (JMB) provides a case study for an exploration of the visual devices used to portray specific versions of Jewish history and historiography. Entitled ‘2000 Years of German Jewish History’ the permanent exhibition in the JMB charts the development of Jewish life in German lands from antiquity to the present. The exhibition’s title suggests permanence and continuity, while the architecture of the museum building, the preface to the exhibition and its conclusion point to the instability of notions of ‘German Jewish’ history. This paper examines how the exhibition links the adjectives ‘Jewish’ and ‘German’, leading to an exploration of the attributes communicating the ‘Jewishness’ of Jews in the exhibition, including reflection on the religious dimensions of Jewish life.”

Future CJS Seminars

The seminar programme for the rest of this semester has now been confirmed and details can be found at http://www.mucjs.org/rs10.htm. Details on next semester’s seminars will be available in due course.

United in Opposing the BNP Panel Discussion 18 November 2009

Presented by The Joseph Interfaith Foundation in association with

The Muslim Jewish Forum Greater Manchester

United in Opposing the BNP: Is a rational co-operation between Muslim and Jewish students in opposing the BNP more productive than separate confrontation?

A panel discussion:

Gemma Lieberman: Barrister at Kings Chambers, Manchester

Joshua Dresner: Undergraduate at Manchester University, member of the

Joseph Interfaith Foundation Student Group

Cllr Afzal Khan CBE

Hisham Omara: Student at Manchester University

Date: Wednesday 18th November 2009

Venue: Manchester University, University Place (near

Samuel Alexander) 3.204, Building 37 on the campus map

(http://www.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/maps/campusmap.pdf)

Time: 2:30-4:00pm

For further information, please contact:

muslimjewish@googlemail.com

info@josephinterfaithfoundation.org

DRAFT programme for REFORM NORTHERN WEEKEND (see contact details, above).

Friday		Leader
1700-1815	Registration
1820	Light Chanukiah	Cantor Zöe Jacobs
1830	Kabbalat Shabbat	Rabbi Brian Fox
	D’var Torah	Rabbi Shoshana Shoshana Boyd-Gelfand, Executive Director of the Movement for Reform Judaism
1930	Dinner	Jonathan Lewis
2030	Part 1 Tower of Bagel	Shonaleigh, traditional story teller
2110-2130	Dessert
2135-2215	Part 2 Tower of Bagel	Shonaleigh
Saturday
0800-0900	Breakfast
0930	Shacharit	Student Rabbi Andrea Zanardo Cantor Zöe Jacobs
1100	Tea and biscuits
1120-1230	Presentation (title to be confirmed)	Rabbi Shoshana Shoshana Boyd-Gelfand
1245	Lunch preceded by Kiddush
1345	Free time
1550	Havdalah	Youth
1600-1630	Chanukiah lighting	Cantor Zöe Jacobs
1630-1745	Workshops
	Details to be confirmed	Cantor Zöe Jacobs
	The Coat Tales of our Ancestors: There's a Jewish proverb that says 'Why did God create people? Because He loves a good story.' We make sense of our lives as a narrative so this workshop will be about personal narrative, mythical narrative and bringing the two together for teaching purposes and personal development.	Shonaleigh
	On sociology of assimilation –details to be confirmed	Jon Boyd
1800	Dinner
2000	The Sounds of Israel Old and New: Join Ruti to sing songs that you already love and learn some new ones you will come to love	Ruti Worrall
2130	Israeli Dancing	Julia Castle
Sunday
0800-0900	Breakfast
0900-0945	Study and songs	Cantor Zöe Jacobs
0900-0945	Northern Movement for Reform Judaism Update	Rabbi Shoshana Shoshana Boyd-Gelfand
0945-1100	Workshops
	Fasts, Feasts, Facts & Fantasies: What do we REALLY think about non-Biblical observances?	Rabbi Ian Morris
	Weaving the web of Jewish life: How to enrich the fabric of your family’s Jewish week. A session exploring enjoyable ways to introduce blessing, story, song and games into a demanding life. We will focus on Early and Primary Years and begin with activities for Chanukah. You will go home with a bag full of creative ideas and resources to share. (Please bring a list of your favourite toppings for a latke)	Ann Angel and Anna Dyson
	Shining a Light: using creative writing to illuminate your relationship with Judaism.	Sherry Ashworth, novelist
1100-1130	Packing & coffee
1130-1230	Bringing the Light Home (Title to be confirmed )	Rabbi Shoshana Shoshana Boyd-Gelfand Cantor Zöe Jacobs
1230	Lunch and Close	Jonathan Lewis

USE YOUR VOTE ON 4th JUNE

Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party (BNP) is standing for election to the European Parliament in the North West region, which includes our district. Because of the way the voting system works, if there is a low turnout there is a strong chance he will get in and get thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money to promote the BNP's racist, anti-semitic, anti-Islam and anti-immigrant policies. If loads of people vote for other parties, he won't get in. Make sure you vote on June 4th - for ANY of the other parties except the BNP - and get all your friends to vote too.
For indepth analysis of the BNP's racist policies, have a look at Lancaster Unity's blog http://lancasteruaf.blogspot.com/ And email ketlan@gmx.net to go on Lancaster Unity's mailing list and get news about the next leafletting campaigns.

AGM minutes feb 2008

Minutes of AGM of Lancaster and Lakes Jewish Community, held Sat 26 Feb 2008 at the home of Marie and Don Padgett

Present Fiona Frank, Gillian and Brian Sawyer, Stanley Henig, Susannah Cogger, Marie and Don Padgett

Susannah read the minutes of the last meeting which were agreed.

Chair's comments, Stanley Henig.

The aim of the group is to be a place where we can know each other and be able to meet as Jews and people with an interest in Judaism and Jewish heritage.
There seems to have been a decline in regular activities since the Feldman's departure, but some particularly successful events such as the Klezmer dance, which attracted large numbers including new people with Jewish heritage.
It's often the way with any organisation, to have its ups and downs. Today we need to decide if we should change our activities and plans.

Financial report, Susannah Cogger.

Membership invitation was sent out last year asking for voluntary donation of £50, £25 or £5 per family. We had around 12 responses to that. We made some money on the Klezmer night (having been afraid we'd make a loss) - and now have a total of £644 in our account. The funds are to put back into the community.
A reminder that last year we had decided to spend money on:
- the development of religious activities
- expenses for people representing us at meetings
- paying speakers' expenses
- simchas
- administrative costs
and sponsorship of specific events.

The report was adopted with acclamation and thanks to Susannah.

Secretary's report: Fiona Frank. (published below in http://lancslakesjc.blogspot.com )

Stanley noted that the content of the proposed talk by the late Josie Dunn's talk, which she was never able to give us, was written up by her and Roger Morgan in 'History Today', Nov 2007 (please contact Fiona Frank for more information).


Ideas for future activities

Trip to Holocaust Memorial Centre in Derbyshire.
it was suggested that the group contact NCBI to propose a joint trip.

What do we think people want from this group?

trips? services? meetings? dance nights? hebrew classes? Jewish cultural activities? Purim party? Just to know that we're there if they need us?

There are Hebrew classes happening monthly in Kendal with two families.

IT was suggested that we might move the Havura meetings to the Chaplaincy centre - better for disabled access than in people's homes.

It was proposed to have a communal seder on the 2nd night, and a Hanukah party.

It was also proposed to invite a rabbi up for some services during the year: Susannah will liaise - possibly 7 June, and Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

FF to set up 3 'havura's for the whole year, with invited speakers; to set up cultural activities in partnership with the Dukes, Ludus, Litfest and another Klezmer night.

We discussed whether we should affiliate with any particular kind of Judaism; we all had different backgrounds and views and were happy to remain unaffiliated.

We wondered about the status of Eric Moonman's small communities event - SH to ask him.

We resolved to send £100 to NCBI in support of their work commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day.

General invitations for people interested in Liverpool Limmud (early June) and the Jewish Genealogy event on 6 April in Manchester (contact .

Robbie to be asked to speak to Lancaster Uni JSoc about a communal seder on the 2nd night.

Officers: Stanley Henig (Chair) Susannah Cogger (Treasurer) and Fiona Frank(Secretary) all happy to continue in their posts and were returned unopposed.

Meeting closed with the usual excellent 'Jacob's Join'.

secretary's report for 2007/8

Lancaster and Lakes Jewish Community
Secretary’s report AGM Feb 2008


Since the last AGM in November 2006 I have sent out monthly email lists to around 40 people each month, and activities have been attended by anything between 8 and 88 souls (the difference between a small Saturday morning service, and our first Klezmer dance held last September).

As well as our own events, our email newsletter has included information about Lancaster Univesity Jewish Society events, and Jewish-related cultural activities in the area, information from Lancaster’s anti-fascist campaign keeping us updated on BNP activity in the region, information about Manchester’s Centre for Jewish Studies activities, Manchester Jewish Museum talks and events, and occasional news from other organisations such as the Jewish Genealogical Soc of GB, Jewish Historical Society of Great Britain, and Manchester Liberal and Progressive community.

Our own events have included:

- Chanukah party
- a Havurah in March at the home of Adrienne Wallman and Simon Gershon, when we discussed our ‘Sparks’ bid (see below)
- A community seder
- A Havurah in May at the home of Gillian and Brian Sawyer, when Stanley Henig talked about the local elections
- A Havurah in June at the home of Marie and Don Padgett, when we heard from John Cowell about the history of the Preston Jewish Community
- A trip to Liverpool in July when we were shown round Princes Road and the new Reform shul in Liverpool and treated to a wonderful home cooked lunch
- an Apple and Honey New Year’s party at the home of Fiona Frank
- an incredibly successful Klezmer Dance in September
- a Havura at the Sultan Gallery in November where we talked about ‘Jewish Culture’
- a Havura at the home of Jackie and David Kinsley in Clapham, on “being the only Jew (s) in the village.

Our Chanukah get together didn’t happen; and some of our Havuras only had 3 households present; but others had 10 or 12 people.


We held family services led by Adam and Melanie Feldman in January, February, March, April, May, June, August, October, and November, a Rosh Hashanah morning service in September and a Kol Nidre service


Several of us went to the national Limmud conferences in 2006 and 2007 and attended various Small Communities events, and we hosted Malcolm Weisman, Minister for Small Communities, on two visits.

We were represented at the Local Strategic Partnership consultations by Adrienne Wallman. We have been invited to attend Lancaster’s Community Leaders’ group and a newly formed North West Regional Jewish Council.
We put together a partnership project with a number of Lancaster cultural organisations to put on linked Jewish activities, and applied, with NCBI, to the Sparks Fund, for funding for this. Despite not being funded this time, all the partner organisations were keen and interested, and we have had support and encouragement from the Board of Deputies’ consultant, Jonny Weinberg, to apply to other organisations for this project to go ahead in the future.

We were very visible at the Holocaust Memorial Day events in Jan 07 and 08 organised by NCBI.


Fiona Frank talked about ‘being Jewish’ in a NCBI ‘Faith Share’; and was on Diversity Radio talking about ‘what Jews do at Christmas’. Gillian Sawyer talked about Judaism in a Religious Studies class at Our Ladies’ School.


. Sadly Josie Dunne passed away during the year: she had prepared a talk that she very much wanted to give us, on ‘Jewish and mischlinger soldiers in Hitler’s army’
We welcomed new arrival Mia, daughter of Anat Caspi and Kim Kaivanto.

Judith Keshet and Adi Kuntsman left us for Liverpool in September; and the Feldman family left us at the end of the year: Cornwall’s gain is our loss.


Fiona Frank Feb 2008.

Klezmer Dance, 29th September 2007

lots of photos to come but just to say, this was a wonderful success and we're so happy to have made this happen and for the fact that 80 people or so came + kids!

Klezmer Dance and October News

our Klezmer Dance takes place this Saturday 29th September at the Gregson Arts and Community Centre, Moorgate, Lancaster LA1 3PY, from 7.45 to 10 p.m. Cost £10 on the door, £8.00 in advance, children free. tickets from the Gregson 01524 849959.

A fun family occasion - caller Sue Cooper will talk us through the dances, band Manchester Klezmer featuring Steve Landin and friends on fiddle, accordion and double bass will keep our toes tapping (as they say).



The next Family Service is on Saturday 6th October at the Chaplaincy Centre, at 10.45 for 11 - bring something for the (vegetarian) kiddush (buffet).


our next HAVURA (discussion) is on 21st october - Lancaster City Council is currently refreshing its community strategy and the Jewish community is being invited to comment.


Contact Fiona Frank on 07778 737681 or Susannah Cogger susannahcogger@hotmail.com

September Activities for Lancaster and Lakes Jewish Community

Coming up in September:

Rosh Hashanah/New Year 5768

Thursday 13th September: morning service in the Jewish Rooms at the Chaplaincy Centre, Lancaster University: arrive at 10 a.m.for a 10.30 a.m.start.

Rosh Hashanah eve: Wednesday 12th September: an 'Apple and Honey for a Sweet New Year' party, in Lancaster. 6.30 p.m. Contact f.frank@lancaster.ac.uk for details of venue.

Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement
Friday 21st September: a Kol Nidre service in the Jewish Rooms at the Chaplaincy Centre, Lancaster University: 7.00 (candle lighting at 6.30).


Saturday 29th September: Klezmer Dance led by Sue Cooper with band Manchester Klezmer, which will take place on at the Gregson Arts and Community Centre, Moorgate, Lancaster, starting 7.45. Tickets £8 in advance, £10 on the door, tickets from Susannah, susannahcogger@hotmail.com



All welcome: Jewish people, those with Jewish heritage, and those with an interest in Judaism. If you are hosting summer schools or conferences this month or have overseas guests, please feel free to circulate this information to your visitors.