Saturday, 25th November 2006 saw the return of the SDRS favourite, our traditional quiz night, after a break last year to make way for the alternative Bingo Quiz Night.
There were ten rounds on various subjects, Rainbow (colours), The Arts, Games, Kings and Queens, Kids Stuff, Mind your Language, Nosh and Splosh, Food of Love (music), Taboo (religion and politics) and Ten Guys Named Joe.
Eleven
tables took part, first place went to table number one with their winning score
of a rather low eighty-eight out of a possible one
hundred and ten. Better luck next year!! Second
place went to table number nine and third place to table number seven. The
winner of a pile of lemons for the most miserable score of the evening went to
table number three.
Thanks must go to: Diane Miller for organising a fantastic event, the many people who volunteered in the afternoon for a round of pass the table (you had to be there!), our quizmaster Andy Rothwell and his wife Roni (both pictured) and their two assistants Devorah and Richard Levy. Many thanks also to all those who stayed after the event to help clean up the synagogue hall.
Comments about the evening or suggestions to improve the event next time to Diane Miller please.
Thank you!
Many
thanks to all those who came to help this
morning (Sunday, 17th September 2006) to get the
synagogue ready for Yom-Tov after the recent (and on going building work). The
Council really had not imagined how big a job it would be. Hopefully the task
can be completed after Yom-Tov.
A special thanks to Sue Levitas and a couple of others who stayed to gone 2pm to ensure the synagogue looked fit for the forthcoming Yom-Tovem.
We still have a long way to go to get the synagogue back to 'normal' and will be calling on you again in the coming weeks. We are hoping to resurrect the Guild in a few months and if you are interested in helping if only occasionally could you please let us know. Contact Diane Miller or Sue Levitas.
Wishing you all L'shanah Tovah
Sunday,
9th July 2006 was the last day of term at the Cheder. It was also the
last day for one of our very popular teachers. After much
"deliberation", Devorah Levy has decided to not to return in
September. Devorah, who is also a full time Special Needs teacher in a local
junior school, will be focusing on new projects, studying and enjoying the extra
downtime she’ll get on the weekends.
At the Cheder assembly parent and Council Member, Lisa Sachs presented Devorah with flowers from the parents. Rabbi Elf presented a book ‘The Illustrated Hebrew Bible’. Both as a token of thanks for all her hard work over the last year.
Devorah hasn’t closed the door forever, and has said that she’ll be happy to cover for teacher absences on occasions and may return one day! Devorah won't be disappearing, you'll still see her at services and assisting with the upkeep of the synagogue’s website. Thank you Devorah, for all your hard work.
Also marking his final day at Cheder was assistant Marc Freedman. Marc has recently become a star bowls player for a local club and he will be concentrating on this as well as training to become a football referee. Rabbi Elf presented him with a book 'A Chronicle of Jewish History' in recognition of his years of involvement with the Cheder.
The first day of Cheder for 2006-2007 is Sunday, 10th September 2006 at 10.15am. (Please see the calendar for additional dates). The Rabbi, Council and teachers sincerely hope to see all of the children in attendance.
Torah Breakfast ~ Family Service
SDRS was proud to host it's first Torah breakfast and family
service on Saturday, 20th May 2006. The morning started with a fantastic
Jewish breakfast (many thanks Diane Miller!) at 9.45am, followed by a 'round the
table' discussion with Rabbi Elf for the adults, whilst the children
arrived and rehearsed for their part(s) in the service with our Cheder teachers, Devorah
Levy and Chris Farge.
The service started at 11.00am with some songs sung by the children and led by Rabbi Elf and his trusty guitar. It continued traditionally but also included additional songs as well as individual prayers written and read by the younger Cheder children. Later in the service the older children performed a dramatic interpretation of this weeks Torah portion. The Rabbi's normal sermon was replaced by a few more songs and the service ended with the song Shiru Shiru complete with accompanied actions!
After a resounding success for the first attempt at a morning Family Service, Cheder teachers Devorah and Chris hope to build on this and included a Family Service, once a term as part of the Cheder curriculum. See you there next time!
Don't believe the webmaster? This is what Diane Miller had to say to our Cheder teachers...
"...just to say feel proud of yourselves the children were really good this morning and really well behaved as well. What's more they actually seemed to be enjoying themselves. As this was a first for us as far as I can remember, I really can't ever remember a torah breakfast and also a family friendly service on a Shabbat morning it was a promising start maybe one a term would be good to start with..."
A
Commemoration Service was held on Sunday, 7th May 2006 (a little shy
of October but in the right year at least) to celebrate our diamond anniversary. It’s been nearly 60 years since a Liberal community was founded
in Leigh-on-Sea during October 1946 (and was inaugurated in 1947).
In
those days, meetings were called weekly in a hall above shops in Leigh Road.
The annual fees were £3 for a single member and £5 for a family, plus
burial fees.
The synagogue moved to its present building in 1961, and the name was changed to ‘Southend Progressive Synagogue’. In March 1972, in a letter to the RSGB (Reform Synagogues of Great Britain) it was announced that our synagogue was to be known as the ‘Southend and District Reform Synagogue’.
Our Hebrew name is ‘The congregation of Mount Sinai’, and this is the name we have been promoting since our 50th Anniversary year.
SDRS
was very proud to welcome several dignitaries to our service, including James
Dudridge MP, David Amess MP and Rabbi Tony Bayfield, the Head of the Movement for Reform Judaism.
We also had in attendance our very first bar mitzvah boy, Donald Gould and the SWESRS
choir. The picture to the left is of Maria Segal, Lenny and Pam Marks and Molly
Sloman. The picture above is of Rabbi Warren Elf, Sue Levitas and Rabbi Tony
Bayfield.
The
service was well attended by around 80 members and guests, unfortunately in a
sign of the times there were no youngsters at all. The service, conducted by Rabbi Warren Elf, was a mix of
prayers and addresses from our Chairperson, Sue Levitas, Rabbi Tony Bayfield and
of course, Rabbi Warren Elf. After the service, attendees enjoyed a fantastic
Kiddush prepared by Diane Miller and The Guild.
Many thanks must go to (in no particular order!), the MPs, Rabbi Tony Bayfield, Rabbi Warren Elf, Sue Levitas, Diane Miller (and The Guild), Lewis Miller (despite the fact that he was absent watching the footy) for preparing the order of service booklet, Mike Royston for the cover page and all those who attended from near and far to make this a very special service.
Communal 2nd Night Seder - 2006
Thursday, 13th March 2006 saw the annual SDRS communal sing-along (oops) Communal Seder conducted by Rabbi Warren Elf. Rabbi Elf started the evening with a warm up song, 'There's No Seder Like Our Seder'.
The
remainder of the first portion was traditional, infused with the knowledge and
wit Rabbi Elf brings to the proceedings. Being one of the youngest to attend the
Seder, Jacob Sachs recited the first of the 'Four Questions', although what he
really wanted to ask, was if he could have the latest Playstation!!
There were plenty of songs thrown in to liven up the Seder before the meal, including 'The Ballard of the Four Sons' and 'Sing a Song of Freedom' (which was written by Rabbi Elf and his daughter Rachel, no less!).
After a hearty home cooked four-course meal, the Seder continued when Jacob and Daisy Sachs found the Afikomen and were rewarded with chocolate for their hard work. The evening concluded with the second half of the service and yet more songs (thanks, Rabbi Elf!).
Everything was a success due to the hard work of many volunteers, particularly Sue Levitas, The Miller's and The Lee's. Of course a big thank you must go to Rabbi Elf, who drove down from his home in Manchester for the Seder and then returned afterwards!
The picture is of Rabbi Elf and his wife Simone with the Seder plate.
Holocaust Memorial Day 2006
SDRS member, Mike Royston recently attended a Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration service in the Civic Centre at Southend-on-Sea. To read an account of this event, by Mike, please click here. Many thanks to Mike for writing this piece.
