This page was last updated on: Saturday, 04 June 2011
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Community Cohesion Conference
On
Monday, 28th March 2011 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council held its annual
‘Community Cohesion Conference’. Community cohesion focuses on building good
relationships between different groups to foster a community of trust and dispel
negative myths about peoples.
The Borough’s Community Cohesion Team has trained people from across the borough to give them the skills to do this work. Eighty delegates from various organisations attended the conference, which focussed on the Government’s initiative ‘The Big Society’ with discussions and workshops on how changes could be made within Southend to improve community relations and service provision.
Keynote speakers included Cllr John Lamb, Deputy Leader of Southend Borough Council and Chair of Southend Cohesion Working Group and Vanessa Walker, Director of Practice, Institute of Community Cohesion. As part of the ‘Conference Market Place’ SDRS had a display on Judaism, which produced some good discussion.
Purim and Farewell Pam (again!)
Sunday,
20th March 2011 saw a very special cheder Purim service, lead by Rabbi Warren
Elf, as it was also the second time SDRS has bid farewell to cheder teacher, Pam
Marks (pictured right with Rabbi Warren Elf). Pam, at the grand age of seventy
something years young, had previously retired from cheder once before back in
2002, but had been called to help out. This time she insists she’s quit for
good.
Prior to Pam being given a presentation of retirement and birthday cards, Warren led an unusually calm Purim service including a reading of the Megillah, telling the story using lots of animated voices instead of relying on the Book of Ester.
Needless
to say there was a tremendous amount of noise at the mere mention of Hamen. A
lot of the children had made their own noisemakers and were only too happy to
show how well they worked!
At the end of the service Pam judged the fancy dress competition and declared that everyone was a winner! A lovely Kiddush followed with hamentashen made by cheder teacher, David Sears and lots of other goodies for the children to enjoy.
Pictured above are the cheder children (and a few visitors), accompanied by Rabbi Warren Elf, teaching assistant, Charlotte Avery and parent, Clare Gallivan. Thank you to Devorah Levy for providing the photographs.
The
SDRS cheder played a big part in the first ever ‘Big Communal Lunch’ organised
by Jewish Care in Southend on Sunday, 23rd January 2011 between 11.00am and
3.00pm.
The aim was to bring together all
generations for a real communal event rather than to cater for only the elderly
as so many Jewish Care events in Southend have done. Tu B’Shvat (the festival of
trees) was used as the focus for the lunch.
Families were invited to join in the whole event, preparing lunch and other activities, enjoying the meal and entertainment. SDRS and SWHC cheder classes were asked to provide some entertainment for the first time at a communal event in Southend!
Just
before the meal started the SWHC cheder children sang a Tu B’Shvat song and then
left. The meal started and a whole contingent of SDRS families joined in
occupying one long table and with some scattered among the other guests.
After the main course had been cleared away, Della Carr (SDRS member, pictured left) was invited to read a Tu B’Shvat story she had written specially for this event. It was perfectly pitched for all age group’s present and we think that Della is happy for it to be used by other synagogues!
Then
it was our children’s turn. Strolling up to the front, with song sheets in hand,
we sang a medley of songs – some people could join in with, some for Tu B’Shvat
with actions and some that those present were given no choice but to be involved
with!
Our contribution was very well received and after dessert we were able to participate in some planting of seeds and some Tu B’Shvat arts and crafts. It was a very successful event and our children and their families played an important part and had a good time.
It's Been and Gone - Supper Quiz - 2011
Saturday,
22nd January 2011 saw the return of an SDRS favourite; the traditional quiz
night with a fish and chip meal supper and gateau dessert. The
quiz consisted of ten rounds, all mixed with the joker doubling the score in a
selected round. Over ninety people took part. First place went to Diana Miller's
team.
Many thanks must go to the many people who volunteered to help set up beforehand, serve the food during the quiz and stayed late after the event to assist with the clean up the synagogue hall.
A big thank you must also go to the Isabelle Johnson who set the majority of the questions (as our intended quizmaster) before becoming unwell and unable to finish. Lewis Miller (who also stood in as quizmaster) completed the remainder of the questions with the help of his children Jamie and Adam. Pat and Shirley DePass assisted during the evening as scorekeepers. All in all an enjoyable evening was had by all. Roll on the next quiz!
