Dear Members and Friends
Although the weather is very warm and summer is still with us it’s time to start thinking again about the High Holy Days. I would like to start by wishing you all Happy New Year and well over the fast. I hope the forthcoming year will bring an increased sense of peace in the world and an end to the horrific atrocities which seem, sadly, to have become commonplace. Our thoughts are with all those affected, where ever they may be. Let us pray and work towards a peaceful year ahead.
As we get ready for the festivals I am reminded of how lucky we are to have a spiritual home so easily accessible here in Norwich and I know I am not alone in treasuring our community and our synagogue. The synagogue and community depend on us all participating in religious, social and practical ways, and I have been so impressed at the efforts some people go to to make things work. I refer here not only to the committee but to other members of the community; the organisation depends on us all. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time and trouble to be actively interested and engaged, all interest and effort is to be welcomed, however small or large!
This has been a busy year and we have had a full schedule of Shabbat and Festival services, which are at the very heart of what we do. For the most part we have minyan but sadly some of our regulars are no longer as fit as they were! We have also had a full programme of social and cultural events, some of which you will read about in this newsletter, or will have seen in earlier editions. Throughout all of this, security has been uppermost in our minds and we were fortunate to have a training session, in conjunction with the liberal community, in late July. Our thanks to the members of the CST who provided the training.
You know that Nick and I have been busy raising funds for our building works and we are planning some fundraising events over the course of the next year, keep a look out in the next newsletters as we have a very exciting year ahead! We hope very much to be able to begin our synagogue renovations during 2017/18.
I am delighted to tell you that this year we have elected an Honorary Member of the congregation, Joe Stirling, and I am thrilled to let you know that he has accepted this honour! Joe has been an active member of the Association of Jewish Refugees and a loyal friend of Norwich Hebrew Congregation. He has also done us the honour of accepting the role of Chatan Bereshit for our Simchas Torah Festival. This is particularly poignant as Joe’s Bar mitzvah portion, just before he left Germany on the Kinder transport, was Bereshit, and some of you will know that he returned to the synagogue last year to hear Bereshit being read again for the first time in 80 years! He can give a rendition of this from memory 80 years on. We all look forward to seeing Joe in the synagogue on Simchat Torah. I would like to finish by asking you to think about what you could do to help our community. My own experience is that the more one gives, the greater the intrinsic rewards. Could you come to synagogue more often? Could you help by visiting some of our elderly and infirm members? I would love to hear from you if you feel there’s anything at all you can do to contribute.
Peter and I wish you all Shana Tova, well over the fast, and a happy, healthy and peaceful 5777.
Marian