Dear Members and Friends
As the High Holidays have now drawn to a close we must thank Daniel for leading the services and delivering such profound sermons over the past few weeks. Thanks too to Alex for so constructively assisting, to Paul for quietly supporting, and to the security team who manned the doors throughout the period.
I thought I would give you just a brief avour of the many events which we have hosted and facilitated over the past few weeks. We began the High Holiday period with a good turn out at the Erev Rosh Hashanah service which was followed by a community supper a ended by close on 40 members and friends. There followed a good crowd for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, during which we maintained a minyan most of the day.
Thanks to Alan and Bee as well as Marsha and Todd and the cheder children we were able to celebrate Sukkoth in style as the Sukkah had been beau fully decorated. Shemini Atzereth and Simchat Torah this year were celebrated “Israeli-style” on Sunday night/ Monday and we were delighted to see such a crowd of children in shul, almost outnumbering the adults! Joe Stirling undertook his role as Chatan Bereshit with panache and Nick Simons kindly stood in for Peter who had been delayed at the hospital. It was a delight to have three generations of Sylvia Irvine ‘s family with us for Simchat Torah, see photo. Personally, the Sukkoth service was a learning experience for me as I discovered the beautiful song I knew as a folk song in my youth was originally a poem from Ecclesiastes!
We continue the theme of a busy synagogue with several events over the next couple of months to which I would like to draw to your attention:
On Remembrance Sunday (13th November) Nick and I will be represen ng the Jewish Service men and women at the City Hall Memorial.
The following week, on Wednesday 16th November, Norwich Synagogue will participate in Interfaith Week by being part of an interfaith moving meal (vegan). The first course will be in the shul, second course at the mosque in Chapelfield and the dessert will be served at the Roman Catholic Cathedral. This is a ticketed only event and the food will be prepared by an organisation called “The Feed” which supports disadvantaged individuals by teaching them to cook. All proceeds will go to “The Feed”. (Tickets available from Maureen £20 each)
Finally I would like to invite all members and friends to a end a tea party at the shul on Sunday 11th December between 3 and 5pm. We are delighted that Malcom Weisman, our Minister for Small Communities, will be joining us, possibly with his wife. Malcom will address the com- munity between 3.00pm and 3:20pm following which there will be a social get togetherand opportunity for a chat. We need to end promptly at 5pm as Malcom will be moving into another meeting along with several members of the committee and invited guests from the Norwich Cathedral. Please can I ask congregants to help by providing cakes or sandwiches for the tea party or lifts to our less physically able members?
Thank you.
Marian