Pesach 5773 - 18/03/2013 - Federation Of Synagogues

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It seems like everyone
has noticed how ‘early’
Pesach is this year and
they have been
mentioning it since
Rosh Hashanah.
When I was younger, I never really
understood the discussion about Yom
Tovim being ‘early’ or ‘late’, surely they
always fall on the same date each year!
But now as spring seems yet to have
arrived (at time of writing there are
snowflakes falling outside my window)
and even the clocks have not sprung
forward, Pesach is already upon us
much sooner than we expected.
However, as with every year, I am sure
you are all ready, the house is sparkling,
the matzos are unbroken, the wine not
yet spilt. So now is the time to relax
and have a read through the articles in
this edition. Words of Torah, personal
stories, poems, Pesach thoughts – and
also the announcement of our
competition winner.
Thank you to all those who made such
excellent contributions and to those
who proofread, collated information
and generally assisted in making it all
happen.
Wishing you a chag kasher v’sameach
Eva
Contents
Diary 2
View from the President – Alan Finlay 6
The Legend of YS – Dr Eli Kienwald 7
The Hebrew Months and the Adoptive
Attitudes of the Second Temple Period –
Rabbi Alan Lewis 9
Pesach and Jewish Eternity - Rabbi Hughes 11
Dayan Yitzchak Rudnick - A lonely man of faith -
Rabbi Solomon 12
The Olden Days - Gedalia Guttentag 14
Inspired: A Taste of Israel - Jessica Ansell 16
The Hidden Message on a Piece of Paper -
Yaacov Dovid Kirschenbaum 17
Poland Diary - Rafi Hambling 18
Halachic Legal Services – Shmuli Simon 20
Last and First Man – Steven Schonberg 21
JRoots & Ohr Yisrael Journey to Radin
and Lithuania Reflections - Rabbi Garson 22
Clean for Pesach and Enjoy the Seder! -
Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg zt’l 24
Pesach Recipe - Denise Phillips 27
Personal 29
Kashrus Directory 33
Federation of Synagogues Contact Details 34
Sale of Chometz form 35
List of Synagogues 36
Published by The Federation of Synagogues
65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQ
Tel: 020 8202 2263 Fax: 020 8203 0610
Email: info@federationofsynagogues.com
www.federationofsynagogues.com
Editor/Advertising: Eva Chapper
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NEWS & EVENTS
Croydon
Rosh Hashanah marked the first anniversary of the arrival of
Rabbi Natan Asmoucha. He has led our community with
strength and feeling and we have all taken him to our hearts.
We look forward to his weekly Drashot, and enjoy arguing
or discussing its content during or after Kiddush.
In November the community was entertained by the
well-known actress June Brown who told us many stories of
her life and about her appearance on the television
programme ‘ Who Do You Think You Are’, which explored the
roots of her Judaism.
On Purim, after the reading of the Megillah, Rabbi
Asmoucha explained the teachings of the Rabbis
concerning alcohol consumption. All listened intently whilst
gently sipping wine and vodka!
On the evening of 24th February our own home grown jazz
and blues singer, Helena Paul, entertained us – there were
in excess of 60 people, with an evening of music and repartee.
The evening was accompanied by a very enjoyable
supper.
Stephen King, a member of Croydon Synagogue, has set up
the South London Jewish Youth Group. The aim is to get together
9 – 16 year olds of South London. Catford, Croydon,
South London (Streatham), Sutton, Wimbledon, Kingston
and Surbiton are all included to widen the
network of Jewish Youth.
The first event, which took place at Croydon Synagogue, was
a Movie night on a big screen. We are pleased to say a lot of
children from Croydon, Sutton, Wimbledon and Surbiton attended.
The event was free and the Tuck Shop sold ice cream,
freshly made pop-corn, drinks and chocolate. Our future
planned events are a Matzo Ramble on 31st March 2013 at
Morden Hall Park, and an event on Sunday afternoon the
14th April 2013 at 3.30 pm which will be held at Croydon
Synagogue.
For further details please contact Stephen
on 07984 185407 , Anthony Bond on 07703 184577
or the Secretary at Croydon Synagogue,
e-mail : enquiries@croydonsynagogue.org.uk
Ilford
In November 2012, Ilford Federation Synagogue held its first
service at its new premises on Beehive Lane, formerly the
Dennis Centre which it acquired recently from Jewish Care.
The service was attended by 40 people and marks stage one
of its eventual move away from its original site in Coventry
Road. A permanent move to this new site is envisaged by
summer 2013 following the granting of planning permission
and works to convert the existing building into a purpose
built synagogue and community centre.
The community will be holding regular services at the new
site on Friday and Saturday evenings whilst continuing to
conduct Shabbat morning and all other weekday services
and activities at Coventry Road ahead of the permanent relocation.
Rabbi Chapper commented: ‘This is a very exciting moment,
not just in the history of this community, but in its future.
This service proves that we’re able to transplant the tremendous
communal spirit at Coventry Rd into a new facility and
we can look ahead with great expectation.’
Chairman of Ilford Federation, Leon Newmark added: ‘I’m
thrilled that we’re able to make use of our new building in
this way, it’s the culmination of many years of planning and
hard work and will secure the future of our community.’
Rabbi Chapper and Ambassador Taub
Israeli Ambassador Daniel Taub presented graduates of the
Diploma in Judaism with their certificates on Wednesday 16th
January 2013 at the Redbridge JCC. The Ambassador gave a
public talk and following that he granted a private audience
to the group of nearly forty graduates during which he presented
them with their certificates. Ambassador Taub in his
short address praised the participants of the year long course,
which was held at Ilford Federation Synagogue, for their dedication
to further their Jewish education and encouraged
them to continue in their learning for learning’s sake.
Rabbi Chapper who devised and taught the course, which is
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NEWS & EVENTS
Diploma in Jedaism presentation
accredited by the London School of Jewish Studies, said, ‘I’m
thrilled that the graduates had the opportunity to meet the
Ambassador, they deserved the unique experience because
of their hard work during the year. The Diploma has been a
phenomenal success, now in its fourth year and with over
150 graduates, it’s a model that’s being replicated in other
communities.’
Ilford Federation Synagogue hosted a “Purim Pub Night” by
converting Coventry Road into the Queen Esther’s pub.
A crowd of 80 people enjoyed traditional pub food and drink
whilst played old-fashioned pub games such as darts and
pool. Rebbetzen Eva Chapper, who organised the event, said
“There was a great atmosphere with all ages across the community,
eating, drinking and socialising in the true spirit of
Purim”.
Ohr Yisrael
Shabbaton with the charismatic Rabbi
Yonatan Wolff, Director of Development,
Hesder Yeshiva of Yerucham.
On Shabbat Beshalach we were privileged to host Rabbi
Wolff; a graduate of Hesder Yeshiva in Yerucham, with an
MA from Ben Gurion University, Rabbinic Ordination from
Israel's Chief Rabbinate and a Major in the IDF.
From 1996 until 1999 he was on active duty in the IDF, completing
officers’ training in 1998 and eventually
serving as a platoon commander in the Nachal Brigade (infantry).
After 12 years as a platoon commander in a
reserve unit, he became the commander of a unit in the Civil
Defense Command.
Hamaor / April 2013
In the spring of 2002 Yonatan was called to reserve duty to
take part in the Chomat Magen operation. He fought with
distinction in the Jenin refugee camp. After the
battle, the IDF sent him to fight in the "second war" – the
war over Israel's good name – representing the army
before the foreign press. He was widely quoted by the BBC,
The NY Times, The Los Angeles Times and most news agencies
with representatives in Jerusalem, in an attempt to counter
false Palestinian claims of Israeli war crimes.
He inspired us during Shabbat on: "The Essence of Jewish
Motivation" - A lesson learned in battle (the Jenin refugee
camp, 2002)
Tu B’Shvat Dinner
Rik and Emily Saunderson organised a Friday night Shabbat
dinner with a Tu B’Shvat theme. 120 people enjoyed
delicious food served with a fruity twist, and an array of
exotic Japanese fruit. With quizzes for the children and other
surprises like Rabbi Wolff attending, there was fun and inspiration
for all the family. We thank them for their hard
work.
Shul Supper Quiz
In mid-January we challenged our congregants: Are You
Smarter Than a Ten Year Old? Do you Want To Be A
Millionaire? Have you got a Mastermind, or are you The
Weakest Link? Ohr Yisrael hosted a Supper Quiz for 60 people
with great food, great company and a chance to prove our
prowess in a challenge of brains and brawn (mainly brains).
Participants were challenged on James Bond,
Advertising Slogans and Famous Spaceships amongst other
things, all in an effort to raise money for the shul. Thanks
again to Rik and Emily Saunderson for helping to organise
this event.
Ask Your Elders
Following the successful trips to Poland, Rabbi & Deborah
Garson felt it was time for the next generation to hear the
stories of the special survivors. Working together with Rabbi
Andrew Davis, Deputy Head and Head of Kodesh of Yavneh
College, they launched a program called Ask your Elders. On
average some 75 kids aged 11-15 were kindly hosted locally
in people’s homes and had the opportunity to hear the
stories first hand.
Leslie Kleinman of Southend kicked off the first session. He
was born in 1929 to a Satmar Hasidic family in the small village
of Ombod in Romania. Leslie survived several death
camps including Auschwitz and was liberated while on a
death march to the infamous Dachau Extermination Camp
on April 23, 1945. Always with a twinkle in his eye he is an
inspiration to all that meet him and hear his story of
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Leslie & Miriam Kleinman together with Benjamin Perl, President
of Yavneh Collage, and children from Ohr Yisrael and Yavneh.
Photography by Alan Fish Living World
miraculous survival.
During our second session, the children were inspired by
Alec Ward. Alec was born in Parysow, Poland, in March
1927. In October 1942, the Warszaw family was moved
into the ghetto in Kozienice. Alec ran away from the
ghetto and hid with a Christian family for a few months.
While he was gone, the ghetto was liquidated and his father,
mother, and siblings were taken to Treblinka. On January
20, 1945, he arrived in Buchenwald and was assigned
to the Flössburg subcamp for a time, before being transferred
to Mauthausen. Alec was liberated from Mauthausen
by American troops on May 5, 1945. He lives with
his wife Hettie in Elstree and is a true Jewish hero, who is
a huge inspiration to all that are privileged to meet him.
Our final session was given by Mr. Yisroel Abelesz who was
born in Hungary and lived in the Jewish community in Kapuvár.
As a young boy of only 14 he arrived at Auschwitz.
His miraculous story of surviving not only the death camp
but several brutal selections is remarkable. Many within
the community heard his story first hand on one of our
trips to Poland. Now is the time for the younger generation
to hear, to learn and be inspired.
By hearing the lessons from these wonderful heroes, the
Photography by Alan Fish Living World
children gained a greater appreciation of their blessings.
Rabbi Garson told them that the mantra of Never Again
can only occur if we Never Forget; and learning from those
who suffered is one sure way to achieve this.
We are grateful to all the survivors and hosts for helping
make this programme a success.
Family Ties
This year saw the launch of a new initiative. Every Motzsei
Shabbat, parents and grandparents came to shul to learn
with their children/grandchildren. The successful
programme ran some 10 weeks over the winter and was a
golden opportunity to spend quality time bonding with
our children and learning Torah.
Scholar in Residence - Judge Dan Butler
As the winter months began, our community was inspired
over Shabbat with a special Scholar-in-Residence.
Audiences all over North America have been bowled over
by Judge Butler’s personal and professional perspectives,
his whirlwind delivery, gentle humour, and remarkable
insights into the human condition. He drew on his
experiences as a father, a syndicated weekly columnist, a
securities salesman, a college professor, a retail store
manager and a regional director for the National Conference
of Synagogue Youth (NCSY).
Dan had been a judicial law clerk, a prosecutor, a family
court hearing officer and a family court mediator,
successfully settling over 1,100 custody cases. In addition
he served as a judge of the Municipal Court of Pittsburgh,
as well as on Pittsburgh’s specialized, Domestic Violence
Court.
BBM – Relaunch with a Power Hour
The Borehamwood Beit Hamedrash Winter term was
launched with a special BBQ dinner and a Power Hour. Six
local Rabbis each gave a punchy short ten minute dvar
torah, full of inspiration.
Chanuka Fair - A Little Goes a Long Way
In the wider world, the commercialisation of religious
festivals has largely overshadowed their spiritual meaning.
Amidst the maelstrom of frantic shopping, the money
spent goes largely to megalithic corporations, whose mass
produced goods can be acquired in any number of places;
but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Our community is blessed with talented artists, musicians
and entrepreneurs. This year, we gathered fourteen of
them, including fine artists Emil Fuer and Tilla Manya
Chaya Crowne, and for one day only, transformed our shul
into a vibrant Chanukah Gift Fair.
It was a wonderful social event, that not only gave our
Page 4 Hamaor / April 2013

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NEWS & EVENTS
members the chance to buy unique and beautiful gifts, but
also served as an opportunity to support a wide range of
local businesses; many of whom have suffered through
the dark days of the recession. At the same time we raised
a Chanukah gift for the shul, £280, through stall holder
fees. Chanukah teaches us that a little can go a long way,
and in this spirit, I hope that this money will be spent
imaginatively, on the ‘little things’ that will make a big
difference. In this way, we can use it to brighten our entire
community, maybe even until next Chanukah. Our thanks
to Dr. Michelle Supper for organising this event.
Sixth Jewish Journey to Poland
26th – 29th May 2013
(dates to be confirmed)
Following 5 successful trip to Poland, Rabbi Garson
together with Tzvi Sperber director of JRoots will be leading
another trip. This time we will be visiting:
Warsaw, Lublin, Majdanek, Lezajsk, Lancut,
Zbylitowska Gora, Tarnow, Krakow and Auschwitz
Birkenau. Once again we will be immensely privileged to
be joined by Leslie Kleinman, survivor of several death
camps and the death march to Dacahu. Opportunities like
this are becoming rarer each day.
For more details please email Rabbi Garson at
rabbi@ohr-yisrael.org.uk or call 07966-105-609.
Head Office
Chevra Kedisha Seuda
The Burial Society have been very fortunate this year to
have received a most generous donation from one of our
benefactors – Mr Ronald Brown.
Mr Brown of Ronald Brown Opticians fame is a regular
Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen, Joint Treasurer of the Burial Society, addressing
colleagues and guests at the 7th Adar Chevra Kedisha
Seuda held on 17 February 2013 at the Waltham Forest Hebrew
Congregation, Boundary Road
Hamaor / April 2013
visitor to our cemetery in Rainham tending to his parents’
graves who are interred there and although not our member,
he always makes time to chat to our staff. On a recent
visit he noticed that our Rev Malcolm Brown was struggling
to pull the bier uphill and in his usual quiet manner
asked if an electric bier would be of benefit to the cemetery.
Rev Brown said yes and without any hesitation, he
decided to donate a new electric bier in memory of his
parents.
The top table at the Chevra Kedisha Seuda: (left to right)
Mr Michael Ezra – Joint Honorary Treasurer of the Burial Society
Mr Alan Finlay – President of The Federation of Synagogues
Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis – Guest Speaker, Dayan Y. Y. Lichtenstein –
Rosh Beis Din, Dayan M. D, Elzas – Head of Kashrus
Rabbi E. Salasnik – Former Rav of Waltham Forest Hebrew
Congregation, Rev S. Myers – Rav of Waltham Forest Hebrew
Congregation, Mr M. Phillips – Chairman of Waltham Forest
Hebrew Congregation
For those of the boxing fraternity, you may recall the
Brown brothers who both had a distinguished career in
boxing in the early part of the 20th century. Ronald’s uncle
known as ‘Johnny Brown’ became a star performer
throughout his nine-year career, eventually rising to Bantamweight
Champion of Great Britain and the winner of
a Lord Lonsdale Bantamweight Challenge Belt. He won the
belt at that weight and defended it twice and his was the
last original belt to be won outright.
Ronald’s father known as ‘Young Johnny Brown’ followed
in his older brother’s footsteps and also became an accomplished
fighter in his own right. His boxing career spanned
more than ten years and took him into the precincts of
the world famous National Sporting Club (NSC) to fight
for an English championship and the Lord Lonsdale Belt.
He also appeared at London venues such as the Royal Albert
Hall, Olympia and the Holland Park Rink. He also performed
with distinction in both South Africa and in
America.
The Federation Burial Society is indeed indebted to Mr
Brown for his generous donation.
Page 5

Frontal Courtesy
By Alan Finlay
The story is told of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
zt’l and Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky zt’l,
both Torah giants of American Jewry,
who, following a convention, were
waiting in a hotel lobby for their driver.
The two were engrossed in deep conversation
and the other conference delegates
wanted to know what
intricate talmudic matter, what
detailed halachic issue, they
were discussing. The delegates
approached to discover that
they were working out which
one of them was going to be dropped off first by the driver so that
that person could sit in the back seat and not leave the driver
unattended in the front seat for the remainder of the journey. Such
sensitivity for the feelings of another is a lesson to us all.
I recently spoke at the Chevra Kadisha dinner which the Federation
Burial Society holds annually to express its appreciation for the work
carried out by the volunteer ladies and gentlemen of the Chevra.
Quoting from Parshas Shemini, I said that Moses officiated as the
Cohen Gadol (High Priest) for the first seven days of the inauguration
of the Tabernacle and on the eighth day, he stepped down in favour
of his brother Aharon.
Rabbi Bernstein zt’l links this event with the episode at the burning
bush where Moses has a dialogue with Hashem, over seven days,
about leading the Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt. Moses’ objections result
in Hashem becoming angry and, as stated by Rashi, Moses is told
that had he accepted Hashem’s call, he, not Aharon, would have
been Cohen Gadol permanently.
As Rabbi Bernstein says, if someone says to you “I was going to make
you a king but I have changed my mind”, you will think “I do not
know what it means to be a king.” But make me a king for seven
days, let me enjoy the power and the majesty and then say that I
can no longer be king, I will know what it means to be a king and
will know what I have lost.
And so, when Moses at the burning bush is told by Hashem that he
will not be Cohen Gadol, he does not know of what he is being deprived.
But make Moses a Cohen Gadol for seven days and then tell
him that he has to step down in favour of his brother, he will fully
understand his “punishment.”
Rabbi Bernstein, quoting the Medrash Shmuel, links the same idea
to the concept, quoted in Ethics of the Fathers, where after certain
sins have been enumerated, the mishna says that these “remove a
person from the world”. Says the Medrash Shmuel, this refers to the
Ho’olom Habo, the World to Come. Say to a Jew that you will not
be going to Ho’olom Habo, we do not know what it means. Let a
Jew see what he could have had and then take him out for the rest
of eternity, he will know what he could have had and what he will
never have.
In carrying out the tahara, the preparation of the body for burial,
the ladies and gentlemen of the Chevra Kadisha treat every mais
with respect and sensitivity, whether the deceased has been a good
person, a wicked person or an average person. Every deceased Jew
enters the World to Come. How long he or she stays there is not for
us to judge, in truth because as we do not know what reward is
given for each mitzvah. Treating everyone with sensitivity and respect
is an honourable aim, whether the person is alive or dead.
I hope that I have upheld this ideal during my tenure as Federation
President. However, being responsible for an organisation the size
of the Federation, it is inevitable that there are, on occasions, disagreements
and conflicts.
I have developed a theory called Frontal Courtesy. Ever been behind
a driver who allows every car to come out from a side road, or waits
for a pedestrian three yards from the zebra crossing to approach and
cross over, or slows down on approaching a green traffic light? What
a considerate driver to the needs of others! But such drivers show
concern only for the people in front; never mind the three-mile tailback
of frustrated drivers behind. That is what I call Frontal
Courtesy.
Notwithstanding our desire to be respectful and sympathetic to the
person in front of us, the Honorary Officers also have a legal and
moral responsibility to the membership as a whole and are obliged
to make decisions or take certain courses of actions, even if this
means that someone is upset. Being respectful and sympathetic
does not mean that we are a “soft touch”, having to agree to whatever
somebody demands. We would always prefer to settle disputes
but if that cannot be achieved, then we are forced to end up in
litigation whether before a Beis Din or in the secular courts.
So, if one of our kashrus licensees has outstanding license fees, we
are entitled to take legal action to recover the outstanding debt.
That money is needed for the running of our kashrus operation. We
may be sympathetic to individuals’ personal circumstances but a
debt has been incurred which needs to be pursued.
Another example. The Federation owns various properties jointly
with individuals. At the time of writing this article, one co-owner
claims that his proportion of the relevant property is higher because
of work which he has previously carried out, although without the
knowledge or prior consent of the Federation. The Honorary Officers
cannot gift any of its assets, either legally or morally, because they
are held for the benefit of the whole membership. Okay we say, but
show us the invoices for the work that has been carried out so that
we can obtain a revised valuation and take a view. Invoices have
not yet been submitted and the individual is upset that we have not
agreed to his demands.
This is my last term of office. Whether I have upheld the highest
principles of Yiddishkeit is for others to judge. But I can say that I
have always treated everyone with courtesy and respect, whatever
the provocation. Who knows who we might end up meeting after
120 years in the World to Come?
My colleagues in Head Office join with me in wishing you and your
families a happy and kosher Pesach.
Page 6 Hamaor / April 2013

The Legend of YS
By Dr Eli Kienwald - Chief Executive
eternity. As with all drowned cities, it is said that on
stormy nights you can hear the bells of the church of
Ys ringing dolefully out, and sometimes even the
mournful cries of the lonely mermaid.
The great French composer Claude Debussy
(1862-1918) was one of the main exponents of the
so-called Musical Impressionism, a movement in
European classical music which appeared in the late
19th and continued into the beginning of the 20th
century. This novel style focused on a suggestion and
an atmosphere rather than on a strong emotion. One
of his most notable piano compositions is a Prelude
named ‘La Cathédrale Engloutie’ (The Submerged
Cathedral). The piece is based on an ancient Breton
myth in which a cathedral, submerged off the cost of
the Island of Ys, rises up from the sea on clear
mornings when the water is transparent. Sounds can
be heard of priests chanting, bells chiming and an
organ playing from across the sea. Debussy uses
clever and innovative harmonies to allude to the plot
of the legend which, according to several of its
versions, originated around the 11th or 12th century.
The events which gave rise to this folk tale centre on
the city of Ys, built by King Gradlon for his daughter
Dahut on the coast of Brittany. There was no city in
the world which came anywhere near the beauty and
magnificence of Ys but its inhabitants, and
particularly the Princess, were evil and corrupt. The
island was protected from the ocean by a strong
system of gates and sea-locks, with King Gradlon
carrying the only key around his neck all the time.
One night, while the king was asleep, Dahut and one
of her paramours stole the key, opened the gate and
the sea flooded into the city submerging it. King
Gradlon was so enraged with his daughter that he
threw her into the oncoming torrent where she became
a mermaid, doomed to swim the lonely seas for
Hamaor / April 2013
But is there a true story behind this legend? In the
days when simple town-folk had no means of
committing facts to written records, real events were
easily distorted with the passage of time; fiction was
added liberally to the facts, often weaving a rich
embroidery of imaginary detail into the original
narrative.
As I was researching “A Holiday to Remember” (see
Hamaor Pesach 5772), I became profoundly interested
in the relationship between St Michael’s Mount at
Marazion in Cornwall, the subject of that story, and
its twin counterpart off the coast of Normandy, Mont
Saint-Michel. The geographical correspondence between
the two tidal islands and the geophysical
similarities are wondrous miracles of nature. Equally
amazing was the discovery that that region of France,
including Brittany, the Loire Valley and Normandy,
were the site of many important Jewish communities
from Roman times and throughout the Middle Ages.
In 1976, excavations in and around the Palais de
Justice in Rouen (Normandy) yielded an unexpected
treasure: probably a yeshiva or a synagogue dating
back to the 12th Century, making it the oldest preserved
Jewish monument in Western Europe. Rouen’s
Palais de Justice is on the northern boundary of what
was the Rue de Juifs. French records from the 15th
Century describe a Jewish school on the spot.
What happened to the Jewish people of Rouen and
what is their connection with the Island of Ys and La
Cathédrale Engloutie?
In the year 1096 the Crusaders were marauding
through Europe on the way to Jerusalem. They were
pillaging and destroying and murdering in the name
of a faith about which many of them had little
understanding. Anyone who was not a practising
Christian would be at risk.
In the spring of that year, the Jews of Rouen were
baking their matzos for Pesach when a company of
Crusaders from the Rhineland descended into the
Page 7

peaceful Norman town. An evil young woman, by the
name of Ahes, had given birth to a baby out of
wedlock and, unable to bear the ignominy, together
with her partner decided to murder the child. They
did so by cutting the baby’s wrists and letting him
bleed to death. Ahes, concerned that her crime might
be discovered by the authorities, turned to the captain
of the Crusaders and accused the local Jewish
community of killing her baby as part of their ritual
to bake matzos (blood libel).
The Jewish community was put on trial and this lasted
several weeks: news spread throughout northern
France and reached Troyes and the revered Rabbi
Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi). Although he personified the
genius of northern French Judaism (his devoted
attachment to tradition and his untroubled faith and
his piety were highly respected), he was powerless to
stop the wave of anti-Semitism and blind hatred that
ran through the local populus.
The hastily assembled tribunal ruled that the Jewish
community was guilty of infanticide and, since Ahes
was the indirect victim of the crime, she could decide
the punishment that was to be meted out. The cruel
woman suggested that, since the Crusaders had been
waging a bloody dispute with the King of Ys, a little
island off the Brittany coast, they would achieve two
objectives at the same time by gathering the 300 or
so members of the Rouen Jewish community into the
largest building on the island, its cathedral, and
opening the sea-locks; flooding the island and
drowning men, women and children. The Crusaders
agreed, loaded the whole of the Jewish community
onto horse-driven carts and transported them to Ys.
They shepherded everybody into the cathedral, locked
the doors, ordered only Ahes to act as the executioner
and left.
Inside the church panic was raging; women were
screaming, children were crying and men were
preparing themselves for the sad destiny that was
waiting for them. The tumult soon gave way to an
eerie silence, broken only by the quiet whispering of
prayer, when a young maid by the name of Tiferes,
who knew her way round the place because she had
been working on the island as a cleaner, said: “I know
a way out of here. There is a secret passageway from
the crypt that will take us back to the mainland”. It
was not long before everyone had filed out of the
main nave and into the narrow aperture and the
Page 8
tunnel that was to lead them to safety. No one was
talking and the thought that they were walking just
below a raging ocean did not cross anyone’s mind.
Once out in the open they found themselves in the
thick of a pine forest. They all agreed that they should
disperse and try to reach various surrounding villages
where they could find refuge. And so they did.
In the meantime, determined to commit her heinous
crime, Ahes had reached the locks separating the
island from the sea.
The Island of YS
Normally, the way to operate these locks was for the
internal and external gates never to be opened
together but, in her frenzy, Ahes did not notice that
the internal gate was already wide open and, as she
released the outer one, the ocean poured into the
island and swept her away in an unstoppable vortex.
!
A boy-shepherd, who was tending to his flock on high
ground along the mainland coast, saw it all happen.
He heard the roar of the waters and looked in amazement
as the ocean cascaded into the void. He heard
the bells of the cathedral ringing as they were swung
by the rushing torrent and he could pick up the sight
of a young woman, her lower body deep in water,
gripping desperately the top spire of the church. To
his simple mind, she really looked like a mermaid.
This is how the legend of Ys was born.
Many years later, after the Crusades, the Jews of
Rouen returned to their city. They baked their matzos
again and they founded a yeshiva which they named
Tiferes Yisrael, with the ‘shin’ and the ‘reish’ of Yisrael
separated by a slightly larger gap, as an everlasting
reminder of the miracle that was performed for them
through young Tiferes on the island of Ys.
May we all enjoy our matzos this Pesach in peace and
freedom.
Hamaor / April 2013

The Hebrew Months Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz and
the Adoptive Attitudes of the Second Temple Period.
By Rabbi Alan Lewis
The Ramban writes that when
we came out of Babylonia
to build the Second
Temple we kept the
Persian names of the
months of the Hebrew calendar
as a reminder that, that
was the place where we were
dwelling and that was the place
from where we made our
Aliya to Eretz Yisroel.
In a fascinating thought brought in his Emess
L’Yaakov, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzsky asks, on our
return from Bavel why did we keep these Persian
names of the months of our calendar, especially since
they were obviously non-Jewish and also, more
importantly, at least one of them, the month of
Tammuz, was the name of an idol? Surely if there was
no need for living in the diaspora and a redemption
was being experienced by the people of Israel, why did
we not revert back to calling our months as they were
originally called in the Torah and in the vast majority
of the books of the Prophets? Nissan is simply called
Hachodesh Harishon (the first month), Iyar is called
Hachodesh Hashaini (the second month). In fact the
only time the months are called by their Persian
names in Tanach (Bible) is in Megillas Esther and in
the books of the Prophets of Bavel!
Reb Yaakov also brings to our attention the very
poignant practice in the times of the Second Temple
to use Aramaic as the spoken language and Loshon
Hakodesh (Hebrew) was only spoken by Talmidai Chochomim
(Torah Scholars) and written for the purposes
of Divrai Torah. Once again we can ask if this was a
time of redemption why were they not speaking
Loshon Hakodesh, for don’t Chazal praise the Bnai Yisroel
in the Egyptian exile for speaking and retaining
the Holy Hebrew Language?
In order to answer these questions we should make
ourselves aware of a very interesting piece of information
that the Gemorrah Yuma 21b tells us about
the Second Temple. Namely, there were five things
missing from the Second Temple that were present in
Hamaor / April 2013
the First. Top of the list of these missing items was
the Aron Hakodesh, the Holy Ark of the Covenant
which contained the Luchos, the two tablets of stone
engraved with the Ten Commandments. The Aron had
been deliberately hidden by King Yoshiyahu before the
destruction of the First Temple. A Cohen who was
serving in the Second Temple, once noticed that there
was something irregular about the floor of the Temple.
When this Cohen came to tell his friend about
his discovery, his soul suddenly departed from him.
Seemingly everyone knew that this Cohen had found
King Yoshiyahu’s hiding place for the Aron and they
also understood that the Aron was not supposed to
be placed in the Kodesh Kedoshim the Holy of Holies
during the Second Temple period. Nevertheless we
must ask why this was so?
Reb Yaakov explains that the builders of the Second
Temple must have known that this great, awe-inspiring
edifice, was not going to stand forever. They also
comprehended that their present return to Eretz Yisroel
was not the Final Redemption. In fact they
looked upon this time of Jewish history as an interim
period of preparation for the long Golus (Diaspora)
ahead. Truthfully, they needed to remain in Bavel for
a lot longer. However through Hashem’s guiding
hand, it was seen very clearly that, as a result of assimilation
and inter-marriage with the Babylonians
and Persians, if the Jewish people were to remain in
Babylonia, hundreds of thousands of Jews would be
lost. To remain as a distinct clearly-defined nation,
we had reached a most critical point in our spiritual
and physical well-being. As a result, Hashem took pity
upon His people and granted them passage from
Babylonia back to Eretz Yisroel, all be it, temporarily.
He gave them the opportunity to rebuild the Temple
in order that they could reinvigorate themselves with
the foundations of faith in the Master of the World
and so that there should be a waning of the bitterness
of the Golus.
However, in order that it should be clearly apparent
that this period in our history was not the real redemption,
the holy Ark of the Covenant, which was
the true source of sanctity in the first Temple, was
missing in the second Temple.
Page 9

In recognition of the fact that this was not the time
of the Final Redemption, those who came up from
Bavel to the Holy Land accustomed themselves to
portray, in a number of matters, that this time period
was still one of Golus and that this second Temple was
destined to be destroyed. Consequently as a true reminder
of their Golus state, the names of the months
were still called by their Persian/Babylonian names.
The names did not revert back to their numerical titles
of the Torah. The spoken language, even for these
new dwellers in the Land, was Aramaic and not
Loshon Hakodesh and the Talmud Yerushalmi, in spite
of the fact that it was written in Eretz Yisroel, was
written predominantly in Aramaic.
Interestingly in this period of our history, there was
no re-establishing of the Kingdom of the House of
Dovid; for this would have created the incorrect impression
at a time when the overriding sentiment still
had to be one of Golus. Only once the future Redemption
has arrived can a king from the dynasty of King
Dovid truly be enthroned. Based on this reasoning
that these times were still of the experience of exile,
we do not find many complaints from our Sages directed
towards the Hasmonean kings, even though it
was wrong for Kohanim to become kings.
For many years now it has always troubled me, especially
when it came to Yomtov, that the Anshai Kenesses
Hagdolah (The Men of the Great Assembly)
who composed, in the Second Temple period, the
major part of the liturgy of our prayers, wrote the following
words for us to say during the Musaf service.
“And it is because of our sins that we have been exiled
from our land and we have been distanced from our
ground. We cannot go up and appear and prostrate
ourselves in front of You (G-d) and do our obligations
in your Temple.”
How could our Rabbis tell us to recite such utterances
when at the time of their instructing of our prayers,
there was a Temple in which all our obligations were
being fulfilled and we were living in our land?
Through the understanding that we have gleaned
from Reb Yaakov of this Second Temple period, we can
now appreciate why our Sages composed such liturgy.
The Men of the Great Assembly were merely reflecting
the sentiments of the time; that even though there
was a Temple, it was still a time of Golus. We need to
remain in this frame of mind until, speedily in our
days, we will no longer be in the diaspora with our diaspora
mindset, but rather we will experience the fulfilment
of the prayer, when we will be able to go up
Page 10
to Yerushalayim and really fulfil all our Temple duties.
May this month of Nissan, the First month of our calendar,
be a month of Final Redemption when we can
throw off at long last the bitter yoke of Golus and experience
the great Yomtov of Pesach in all its redemptive
glory.
Chag Kosher Vesameach.
HAVE YOU
considered including the Federation of Synagogues in your
WILL?
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the community
Hamaor / April 2013

Pesach and Jewish Eternity
By Rabbi Jonathan Hughes,
Associate Rabbi at Hendon United Synagogue and Tribe Chinuch Liaison
On Jewish festivals we do not
recollect national events in
our history; we relive them.
The access to holiness during
Pesach 2013 is no different
than at the time of the
Exodus itself over 3000 years
ago. In Jewish thought,
time does not merely
pass over us (no pun
intended!) in a linear
fashion; rather, we
pass through time, which carries with it cycles of
spiritual portals. At this time of year, we re-enter the
chambers of the redemption from Egypt. What secret
can be discovered there?
When we read the Haggadah, we fulfil the Talmudic
dictate of starting the recounting of the Exodus with
a description of the humble origins of the Jewish
people, before ending in its praise: 'In the beginning,
our forefathers were idolaters… Terach the father of
Abraham and Nachor…'. What is the point of doing
this? Why highlight the embarrassing polytheism of
our pre-Abrahamic progenitors? After all, Abraham
heroically detached himself entirely from his
predecessors and established a new family devoted to
the cause of promulgating ethical monotheism. So
why bring up the 'non-frum' genealogy he so
doggedly strove to break away from?
Rav Dessler, zt'l, explains that the reference to
Abraham's lowly origins is not something to be
ashamed of. On the contrary, his determination,
courage and insatiable pursuit of truth were only
brought to the fore on account of his upbringing. His
background gave Abraham the opportunity to be a
trailblazer! Each of us knows how difficult it is to
swim against the tide, to boldly go where no one has
gone before, to muster the sheer gall to rebel against
one's environment. Abraham's stiffed-necked refusal
to bend the knee to the rampantly idolatrous society
in which he lived, is to be embraced, not ignored.
How, though, is Abraham's recalcitrance relevant to
the Exodus, and in what way does it speak to us
today? Rav Dessler tells us that in return for his
stubborn allegiance to truth, Abraham received a
covenant from G-d ensuring that the kernel of
holiness he implanted within himself would, in turn,
be passed on to his progeny and be ensconced in the
heart of every Jew for all time. This covenant was
nothing short of spiritual gene therapy, precipitated
by Abraham's achievements. In effect, G-d promised
that the evil inclination, against which Abraham so
bravely battled, could never entirely obliterate the
indefatigable Jewish soul.
Under the nefarious Egyptians, the Jewish people
descended to the 49th level of impurity. The 50th
level would have meant irrevocable spiritual death.
But there was a covenant - a brit - that G-d promised
to Abraham. So we were whisked out of Egypt in a
supernaturally speedy fashion, as is symbolised by
matzah, which it is taken out of the oven just before
it rises to become chametz - the puffy dough that
represents spiritual negativity. Pesach is the time
when Abrahams's struggle was rewarded, when we
re-encounter the essence of the indomitable Jewish
soul.
In our lives we go through our own exiles and
redemptions, as individuals and as a community.
There are times when we think there is no way out,
that all hope is lost. The message of Pesach is that
no matter how dark it gets, or how dejected we feel
inside, the neshama we have inside of us can never
be destroyed, our hope can never be extinguished.
May this Pesach be the time when we rediscover the
essence of who we really are and that we see the final
redemption of the Jewish people, speedily in our days.
Hamaor / April 2013
Page 11

Dayan Yitzchak Rudnick -
A lonely man of faith
By Rabbi Johnny Solomon
Dayan Yitzchak Rudnick was
born in Lithuania in 1904 into
a distinguished rabbinic family.
In his youth, he studied in
the famous Slabodka
Yeshiva under Rabbi
Moshe Mordechai
Epstein, but in 1924,
in response to the
Russian conscription
edict, he travelled with around 150 students from
Slabodka to Chevron, where they established
Yeshivas Chevron.
In the wake of the 1929 Arab attacks, in which 24
fellow students were killed, Dayan Rudnick came to
London where he married the daughter of Rabbi
Pinchas Yaakov Gerber, then the rabbi of the
Cannon Street shul. On the death of his father-inlaw,
Dayan Rudnick took over this position, where
he served until his death in 1975.
Dayan Rudnick was an expert in Talmudic studies,
and it pained him greatly 1 that his community was
only interested in homiletic sermons and did not
ask him Shailos (halachic questions) which he was
more than qualified to answer. He writes 2 that one
of the Birkos HaTorah that we recite each day is the
bracha of La’asok B’divrei Torah, which is fulfilled
by strengthening Torah practice. Faced with the
decline of Orthodoxy in his community, he
lamented that he did not have many opportunities
to strengthen Torah practice. He explains: ‘I have
therefore decided to fulfil my duty to strengthen
Torah practice by compiling and printing my Torah
thoughts’.
Whilst Dayan Rudnick could have achieved this
objective by submitting articles to Rabbinical
journals, there was a further reason why he felt
compelled to publish seforim. He writes that ‘we are
pained that we did not merit having sons...
Therefore, my wife the dear Rabbanit Zlata, daughter
of HaRav HaGaon Rabbi Pinchas Yaakov Gerber
z’l, author of the books Yad Pinchas and Raui L’Bila,
asked that I make an eternal memorial. I have
therefore printed and published, with much
exertion, this book, so it should be an eternal
memorial for us’.
His first book, which contains a mix of Chiddushei
Torah (Torah insights) and Shailos U’Teshuvos
(Responsa) was called Sefer Sadeh Yitzchak
(literally, ‘field of Yitzchak’). It was published in
London in 5721 (1960) and it was given this title
because he felt that his novellae were seeds that
were sown with the help of G-d 3 .
Eight years later, Dayan Rudnick published Sefer Pri
Yitzchak (literally, ‘Fruit of Yitzchak’) – which also
contained Chiddushei Torah and Shailos U’Teshuvos.
It was given this name because this was the fruit
of the original ‘field’ 4 .
Shailos U’Teshuvos
Many of the questions which Dayan Rudnick
addresses were theoretical, and he emphasises that
his responses are intended to stimulate halachic
discussion, and so represent only his own intellectual
opinion, rather than a practical ruling. In fact,
in his approbation to Sefer Pri Yitzchak, Rabbi
Moshe Feinstein reiterates this message, noting that
this sefer is intended to stimulate halachic discussion
and demonstrate how to plumb the depths of
halacha. However, where any of these questions
arise in practice, a Moreh Hora’ah (halachic
arbitrator) should revisit all the key sources.
In light of this, one may have expected these
responsa to have little practical application.
However, the questions which Dayan Rudnick
chooses to address are both broad in their subject,
and remain profoundly relevant today, such as:
Does Judaism permit active euthanasia? 5 Can a Jew
become a boxer? 6 Is it permitted to watch a church
service on television? 7 Is it permitted for Jews to
frequent betting shops and if they do, are they
forbidden to testify in a Jewish court? 8 Is the
testing of medicines on animals permitted? 9 Is it
permitted for Jews to watch a bullfight? 10 Can a
Jew model clothes? 11
Page 12 Hamaor / April 2013

Given his expertise in Talmudic studies, it is unsurprising
that each answer quotes a wide range of
rabbinic texts and incorporates a great number of
halachic insights. However, I also feel that there is
a sense of melancholy as most of these questions
are entirely fictitious.
loneliness. Our challenge is to avoid perpetuating
this experience: by thinking about our Judaism, by
asking our Rabbis questions, and by appreciating
their Torah knowledge in light of the answers they
provide.
Chiddushei Torah
In addition to Shailos U’Teshuvos, Dayan Rudnick
penned many Chiddushei Torah. Here is one beautiful
example:
The fifth bracha of the Amidah, known as Hashiveinu,
opens with ‘Bring us back, Our Father, to Your
Torah, and bring us near, Our King, to Your service’.
Why, asks Dayan Rudnick 12 , do we refer to G-d as
‘our Father’ when speaking about Torah, but in reference
to ritual service, we address Him as ‘our
King’?
He explains that children inherit the possessions of
their parents. Since the Torah is an inheritance to
the Jewish nation, we refer to G-d as ‘our Father’
when speaking about Torah. However, the Temple
service provided atonement not only for the Jewish
nation but also for all other nations. Therefore, the
phrase ‘bring us near, Our King, to Your service’,
which does not refer to the Jewish nation alone but
includes all the other nations in the world, is used. 13
Conclusion
One of the reasons Dayan Rudnick wrote his books
was to establish an eternal memorial for both himself
and his wife. It is therefore an honour to have
the opportunity to fulfil his wish by sharing some
of his Torah. However, it remains very sad that
many of us have not heard of Dayan Rudnick. He
was a man who knew much Torah yet was able to
share very little of it with his community; he was a
man of great faith yet he was also a lonely man of
faith.
All too often we don’t appreciate our leaders until
they move on or pass on. Anglo-Jewry is a small
community but it has been the home of many great
people. Sometimes we think that Rabbis are too
busy to answer questions but, most often, they
can’t wait for someone to ask them a challenging
Torah question.
Dayan Rudnick’s personal tragedy was his religious
Hamaor / April 2013
Front page of Sefer Sadeh Yitzchak
Rabbi Johnny Solomon has worked in a range of capacities
in the Anglo-Jewish education community,
most recently as Head of Jewish Studies at Hasmonean
Girls’ School. He now lives in Israel where he
is a Jewish education consultant. This article is part
of a larger project studying the responsa of UK Rabbis.
To find out more, visit https://ukresponsa.com
1
Introduction to Sefer Sadeh Yitzchak
2
Ibid. See also introduction to Sefer Pri Yitzchak
3
Introduction to Sefer Sadeh Yitzchak
4
Introduction to Sefer Pri Yitzchak
5
Ibid. No. 6
6
Ibid. No. 9
7
Sefer Pri Yitzchak No. 4
8
Ibid. No. 8
9
Ibid. No. 18
10
Ibid.
11
Ibid. No. 24
12
Sefer Sadeh Yitzchak No. 35
13
In light of this, Dayan Rudnick explains that since non-Jews
were also stakeholders in the Temple, we publicise the miracle
of Chanukah to both Jews and non-Jews.
Page 13

FAMILY HAMAOR
‘The Olden Days’
By Gedalia Guttentag
The events of 3400 years ago
are closer than you think
If recent history is anything to
go by, then this year a majority
of Jewish people worldwide will
sit down for a traditional Pesach
Seder, including reading from the
Haggadah. An overwhelming
majority of Israelis (94%
according to one survey)
and over 70% of American
Jews commemorate
the redemption of the Jewish people every year.
In a Jewish world that is mostly secular these figures
are remarkable. It means that despite rampant
assimilation, Jews continue to cherish and transmit
the most basic idea of Judaism. It means that against
the odds, the chain of our Mesorah [tradition]
stretching back to the Exodus from Egypt, remains
unbroken.
This begs some questions. We as Jews continue to
transmit a tradition more than 3000 years old. How
reliable can a tradition over this length of time be?
And why do so many otherwise unaffiliated Jews
hold fast to this particular aspect of our Mesorah?
The answer to these questions is that we’re probably
not aware how much of our knowledge of the world
is absorbed through family tradition rather than
formal study. Young children love to ask ‘Grandpa,
tell me what it used to be like in the olden days’. They
listen open-mouthed to tales of the bygone world
without TV or internet. Parents, and grandparents
for those fortunate enough to have them, provide a
strong link to the past.
In Parshat Vayechi we read of how Yosef, reigning
viceroy of Egypt, finally got to enjoy some time with
his family after his long years of suffering. He lived
to the ripe old age of 110 and saw his great-grandchildren.
Why does the Torah tell us this? Is it
simply a description of a man enjoying some
well-earned rest? Perhaps so.
But maybe the Torah is telling us something else. The
strength of a child’s connection to Judaism depends
on the quality of his connection to the Jewish past.
Parents transmit our tradition, but grandparents reinforce
that link to the past. Yosef’s great-grandchildren
were raised and educated with his input which
heightened their connection to their Jewish past.
This process of tradition exists everywhere in our
lives. For a child born in the last few years, the
concept of a world without cell-phones is bizarre.
How do they know that this reality existed? Not
through reading, but because someone told them.
Or take for example the Second World War. Someone
whose grandfather fought in the British Army is
likely to know an approximate outline of the War
even before he opens a history book. Having a Holocaust
survivor in the family means that you probably
know a lot without ever studying the Holocaust.
The fascinating thing about tradition formed through
these conversations across generations is just how
easy it is to span vast lengths of time. Our own
grandparents may have told us of their experiences
70 years ago around the time of the Second World
War. Their grandparents would have told them of
what they saw as far back as the 1870s. And their
grandparents might have told them of their youth in
the 1800s. Three normal conversations, interactions
between grandparents and their grandchildren,
connect you to more than 200 years of history.
If we apply this logic to the tradition that we trace
back to the Exodus, we can understand why our
consciousness of these events is so remarkably clear.
Read as a number, 3400 years is an extremely long
time. But let’s take it as the living chain of Mesorah
that it really is. How many times did a Jewish
grandfather tell his grandchild what it was like in the
olden days? How many times did a Jewish grand-
Page 14 Hamaor / April 2013

FAMILY HAMAOR
mother pass on what she had learned in her childhood
home?
Incredibly, it takes only 48 such conversations to span
thousands of years since the Exodus! In educational
terms, 3400 years is not that long at all. That is why
our national consciousness of these ancient events is
so clear to us today.
When people are affected by something they see and
tell the next generation, this becomes tradition. But
when people are sure that their very essence depends
on transmitting this information, this is something
stronger: Mesorah. Even in the darkest times Jews
have risked themselves to extend this golden chain,
as in this moving story.
The Bluzhever Rebbe was a well-known Chassidic
leader famous for his piety. During the Holocaust he
was interned in Bergen Belsen where he tried to encourage
fellow Jews even in the depths of that hell.
His incredible life is documented in Israeli writer Yaffa
Eliach’s book ‘Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust’.
In that kingdom of death it was unthinkable to do
more than just survive, but the Bluzhever Rebbe was
determined to do the unthinkable: he wanted to bake
Matzah for Pesach. Procuring some flour and at great
risk, he managed to bake a few Matzos; but then word
got out. Soon he was surrounded by Jews wanting a
morsel of Matzah.
Suddenly above the commotion, he heard a woman’s
voice asking for some Matzah. ‘I have children’, she
said. ‘They have never seen any Matza. If we ever get
out of this, they have to know what Pesach is. Give
me some Matzah for them!’
This commitment to passing on the foundations of
our life as Jews, is the reason why after all these
thousands of years our Mesorah is alive and well.
As you sit down to the Seder this year, you will be
joined by millions of Jews of every possible hue all
doing the same thing. All are doing the most
meaningful thing possible for a Jew. We are adding
another link in the golden chain of tradition. We are
joining our grandparents as they joined theirs;
creating a conversation that stretches 3400 years
back all the way to ‘the olden days’ in Egypt.
Hamaor / April 2013
NOTICE FROM THE BURIAL SOCIETY
REGARDING EDMONTON
As you are aware, our cemetery in Montagu Road,
Edmonton is the Federation’s oldest cemetery dedicated
in 1890.
It is a cemetery of great kedusha and has a long and
distinguished history with many Rabbis and tzadikim
buried there. To mention a few, Lord Montagu who was
President of the Board in 1888 who headed the list of
contributors to fund the Federation in its early
development, is interred at Edmonton.
Rabbi Eliezer Gordon from Telz who died suddenly in
1910 while collecting for his Yeshiva is also buried at
Edmonton. More than 30,000 people attended his
Hespedim in the East End on the news of his death. Other
prominent Rabbis interred are the Sassover Rebbe, his
Father and the Father of Rabbi Dessler.
The cemetery is very well maintained open daily and
within easy reach of NW London. The Ohel has been
recently refurbished and there is a manned office for
anyone wishing to visit.
Members of the Federation Burial Society are ordinarily
entitled to be buried at our cemetery at Rainham.
A supplementary fee is added for members wishing to
reserve a plot at Edmonton. In response to recent
enquiries the Treasurers have decided to significantly
reduce the fee previous applicable for reservations at
Edmonton to £1,200 for a single person or £2,000 for a
married couple. It is anticipated that these
concessionary rates will be temporary and may be
reviewed in the light of the interest expressed in the
coming months. Spaces are limited and we request
members to contact the Burial Society should you wish
to reserve a plot in Edmonton. Non-members, subject to
status, may also reserve plots at either Rainham or
Edmonton under a different scheme. Details are
available at the Burial Office. Please contact the
Administrator, Mr Zelmanovits on 020 8202 3903.
Page 15

Inspired: A Taste of Israel
By Jessica Ansell
I will never forget my first visit
to Israel in June 2012. I was
very excited, nervous and
uncertain. At last I would
experience how it feels
to have a place where you
belong, a place that is
intended for you and your
people. Would it live up to
my expectations? Would I
feel the instant connection?
I was not disappointed. I
felt a sense of belonging, a sense of heritage stretching
back thousands of years.
Shabbat at the Kotel was an experience that will stay in
my heart forever. I was a tiny part of the combined
prayers offered up by thousands of Jews every Friday
night at the Kotel. The atmosphere was incredible as
we joined in unity to sing the Shema. Jerusalem was
buzzing with the Shabbat feeling at this deeply spiritual
place. I pressed my hands against the cold, softened
stone like so many Jews before me. It was an
unforgettable moment and it was really special to join
with so many Jews in such a religious place to herald in
Shabbat.
Before my visit to Yad Vashem, I had mixed feelings
about how I would cope. I didn’t know whether it
would be historical or emotional. As a matter of fact, it
was both. The scale and horror of the Holocaust was
brought home through the simple, yet powerful display
of thousands of shoes that once were worn by our ancestors
in Auschwitz. This really shocked and upset me
because I could build an image of the different people
who may have owned the shoes. The room that
affected me the most was a room dedicated especially
to the 1.5 million children who died in the Holocaust.
When I stepped in, I was surrounded by mirrors. Five
candles in the centre were reflected millions of times to
represent these young, innocent, Jewish lives lost. I
realised then how lucky I was to have my whole life
ahead of me; whereas those of these children had ben
snatched from them.
The museum was beautifully laid out. You began very
deep underground and, as you progressed through the
museum, you continued to walk upwards until the very
end, where you step out onto the balcony and you could
see Jerusalem stretched out before you. It was as if I
was making Aliyah – going up to the Holy Land.
Every morning, it was wonderful to sing Modeh Ani in
Israel. This prayer is all about thanking Hashem for waking
us up in the morning and returning our souls to our
bodies. There is the idea that we wake up blind, deaf,
and unable to walk, and Hashem gives us all of these
things as a gift. That is why we say Modeh Ani. One
thing I want to take out of my first visit to Israel is to
say Modeh Ani every morning; because I never want to
take anything for granted again.
Page 16 Hamaor / April 2013

Pesach
By A M Other
P is for peas - a no no for Ashkenazim
E is for Exodus - celebrated in style
S is for scrubbing, and soap and suds. With vim
and with vigour our homes sparkle and shine
Competition Winner
And the winner of our competition,
answering correctly
that Denise Phillips has written
5 recipe books, is…
A is for Afikoman- a night time treat. And almonds,
without which our cakes are incomplete
C is for cinnamon- its warmth infuses the air. Cushions
and comfort as we recline and remember
H is for Hagada, both wine stained and new.
Our guide to the journey we find a new every year
David Mankoff, Leeds. Well done David,
and thank you to everyone who entered.
The Hidden Message on a Piece of Paper
By Yaacov Dovid Kirschenbaum, member of Netzach Israel
When I’m told by so many people that the true tale I have just
relayed to them should be printed, where is the first place I turn
to? – Hamaor!
Shabbos was approaching, it was my birthday that week, so I had
an extra special feeling as I remembered my Barmitzvah parsha.
I came home quite late, close to Shabbos and as I was bringing
in the shopping and, of course, flowers for my wife, I noticed a
piece of paper on the floor of the car that I discovered was
sheimos – having Hashem’s name on it. As there were still a few
things to do before Shabbos came in, and not a lot of time, I put
the sheimos on the desk in the lounge and proceeded to empty
my pockets out so the last load of laundry could go on. My phone,
wallet and keys were put away and any receipts and papers were
collected up with the flower wrappings and put in a bag into the
rubbish. I threw out the rubbish and got ready to go to shul,
always preferring to be early.
Between Mincha and Maariv we say the prayer “Ana Bakoach” –
this is a very special prayer containing Hashem’s name in various
forms. It is made up of 7 lines of 6 words and correlates to the 42
letter name of G-d. As I reached the last verse the page seemed
to turn back, as if being blown by a breeze. But there was no open
window or draught. I moved the page back and again and again
the page kept turning back. Maybe the Siddur was bound too tight
and would not lie flat, so I held the page down with my fingers.
I reached the end and recited “Baruch Shem Kavod Malchuso
Le’olam Va’ed – Blessed is G-d’s kingdom forever and ever.” I was
concentrating very hard on this prayer, when my mind jumped
back to the piece of sheimos. What had happened to it? Where
had I left it? Had I left it in a sefer or put it to one side
somewhere? It bothered me so much I closed my Siddur and left
shul. I had to go home and find it. My search proved fruitless, so
I decided there was only one place left – the rubbish. As I checked
the bins I saw the last bag I had thrown out. There were the
receipts and papers, the flower wrappings and…the piece of
sheimos! The page was clean and I could now clearly see it was
the entire prayer of “Ana Bakoach”, the very tefillah I was saying
in shul, when the page kept turning and I couldn’t understand
why. Now I understood, astonished at the hashgocha pratis (divine
providence) of the situation. Had I not remembered, the
paper would have been destroyed and not buried in the manner
that is appropriate for sheimos.
It really struck me how the events of the afternoon had led me
to this point and how such a powerful prayer had made me
retrace my thoughts and steps to rectify the mistake I had made.
I hope you can take some strength from this story and see that
everything that happens in our lives is for a reason; whether we
recognise it at the time or not, we all have the ability to see the
hidden messages Hashem sends us in our daily lives.
Hamaor / April 2013
Page 17

Poland Diary
By Rafi Hambling
Day 1
Tuesday 20th November 2012
Location: Car
Time: 04:17AM
I am sitting in the car on the way to school to catch
the coach to the airport. I had to wake up at 3:40
this morning … very tired.
Location: Plane
Time: changed to Polish time zone 11:09AM
Starting the decent towards the airport. The plane
which I am sitting on has no room whatsoever! If,
G-D forbid, we would ever have to enter into the
brace position, I wouldn’t fit!
Location: Coach
Time: 18:33
We went on the coach from the airport, travelled
for around an hour and finally arrived at the Warsaw
Ghetto. We went to the Umschlaggplatz,
which is where all of the Jews from the ghetto were
rounded up to be taken away to the camps on the
trains. We also visited the largest cemetery in the
world, within which some famous Rabonim are
buried.
Location: Coach
Time: 22:48
We went to Treblinka death camp. There is nothing
left of it which made it more emotional. It was
pitch black so we walked along with candles and it
started snowing just as we arrived there. We visited
the monument which was where the gas chambers
were and spent half-an-hour walking back singing.
Day 2
Wednesday 21st November 2012
Location: Gromada Hotel
Time: 10:17
We woke up at eight-o-clock this morning. We are
going to Lublin today.
Location: Coach
Time: 18:47
We went to the concentration camp of Maidanek,
and then we travelled a little over to Yeshivat
Chachmei Lublin; a giant yeshiva where Daf Yomi
was first started by Rabbi Meir Shapira.
Location: Coach
Time: 23:01
We just left the most amazing synagogue. Unfortunately
I can’t remember its name. Rabbi Landau
sang amazingly and then we danced Hakofos with
the last surviving burnt Torah scrolls of this synagogue.
We each took turns in holding the remains
as we danced.
Day 3
Thursday 22nd November 2012
Location: A Shul in Lizhensk
Time: 13:34
We Davened at the hotel and decided to lein at Rav
Noam Elimelech’s shul. We auctioned off each of
the Aliyot and the leining and raised a total of £519
for the shul. We then visited the kever of Rav Noam
Elimelech which is a two minute walk from his shul.
Location: Coach
Time: 18:39
We went into a small town and walked through a
small forest until we arrived at a fenced off square.
It looked pretty plain until we discovered that it was
the mass grave of over 800 Jewish Children. We
ended up standing around the fence for a total of
around 45 minutes in utter silence. None of us
could say anything to each other. It was extremely
emotional for me personally, and we all lit candles
for them. In total there were about 80 candles
Page 18 Hamaor / April 2013

around one portion of the fence in memory of these
poor children.
Day 4
Friday 23rd November 2012
Location: Coach
Time: 13:15
We Davened in a shul in Auschwitz and then travelled
off to Auschwitz 2. We went around the barracks
and visited the Gas chambers, which the
Germans attempted to burn down but failed. We
walked along the train tracks down the whole
length of Auschwitz; it was a very long way and, as
it was misty, at the beginning we couldn’t see the
end of the camp. We then had a short travel off to
Auschwitz 1, which is now the main museum. We
saw the hair that was cut off everyone who came
through the gates into Auschwitz 2 and we also
saw a pile of glasses. Today has been a very, very
emotional day and yet also a very interesting and
educational day.
Wow - Shabbos was so amazing today! Last night
we Davened with a group of people touring Poland
from South Africa. Last night we ate with them as
well. On the way out of the place where we were
eating I slipped on the very slippery floor, fell into
a curtain and had a load of boxes which were hidden
behind the curtain fall down on top of me.
Luckily they were filled with plastic cutlery and
plates so it didn’t hurt but it was so funny! The
Rabbi helped me up and we rushed out of the room
before anybody noticed what I did.
Today a Polish woman spoke to us about how her
family had saved the lives of seven Jewish children
during the war. We are now off to the house where
the Herr Kommandant of a concentration camp
lived. I can’t remember which camp it was but it is
the one which features in Schindler’s List, the
movie.
Day 6
Sunday 25th November 2012
Location: coach
Time: 16:56
We Davened in the shul of the Remah and then visited
his grave. We also visited the grave of the
Tosvos Yom Tov. After that we went into Lodz and
visited the train station for the Ghetto. We went
inside one of the cattle cars. There were 80 of us
and it was pretty cramped, so we thought about
how hard it must have been for the Jews with 230
of them stuffed into one car at a time. We are now
on our way back to the airport to fly back to England.
I am very pleased with this tour of Poland,
which was planned with UJIA. It was a very emotional
and educational visit.
Day 5
Saturday 24th November 2012
Location: Coach
Time: 18:31
Hamaor / April 2013
Page 19

Halachic Legal Services
By Shmuli Simon
Shmuli is a corporate solicitor
whose former clients include
‘Goldman Sachs’,
‘Tate & Lyle’ and ‘Yahoo!’.
He has worked for international
firms in London
and Tel Aviv but he is now
living in Manchester and it
is from there that he has
launched his new range of services,
in association with a law
firm based in the heart of
person’s right to live, which is important as the NHS recommends
the withdrawal of nutritional support once a diagnosis of
permanent vegetative state (chas vesholom lo aleinu) has been
confirmed. However, this document is only helpful at the very
end of a person’s life; the lasting powers of attorney, which can
incorporate the ‘Halachic Living Will’ enable a patient to be
represented when they lose capacity, which can be months or
years before death. I’ve seen families rendered helpless because
they did not have the necessary protections in place for their
loved ones but, now more people are coming to me and I am
seeing the benefits of the time (and money) spent getting
relatives’ affairs in order, particularly among children now able
North Manchester’s Jewish to ensure their parents are being cared for properly.”
community, Latimer Lee LLP.
Shmuli has also launched ‘Resolve: Jewish Family Solutions’, a
Through his shomer Shobbas practice, Shmuli offers a full range service offering mediation and representation at Beis Din and
of legal services from buying / selling property to residential block also in the English courts for husbands and wives who are getting
management and from employment issues to complex business divorced. “It is a terrible reality,” says Shmuli, “that the level of
transactions. In addition to advising small to medium-sized companies
and owner-managed businesses, Shmuli is becoming
known as an expert in the field of residential block management
and he has built a successful practice rescuing leaseholders from
the hands of apathetic landlords and negligent managing agents.
divorce among frum families is increasing at an alarming rate
and, in these difficult situations, husbands and wives need advice,
support and guidance to make what, inevitably, will be a painful
experience more manageable for them and, of course, for any
children affected.”
However, it is Shmuli’s latest venture, ‘Halachic Legal Services’, Working with the Beis Din and/or with local Rabbonim, who often
which is capturing everyone’s attention in the kehillah. ‘Halachic see the earliest signs of distress in the lives of their balei basim,
Legal Services’ was launched in Chanukah, after Shmuli forged Shmuli’s expertise lies in his ability to cut the heart of the problem
working relationships with the
Manchester
Beis Din
and Dayan
and show those involved the realistic options available to them
Osher Westheim , to give people access to English to English legal legal advice via Beis within Din and a halachic the English framework. courts. One recent case concerned
advice within a halachic framework.
an issue that had been unresolved for almost two years but, after
spending just two hours with the wife and then the husband, a
“Business and personal documents that are usually governed by resolution was agreed and the Beis Din was able to proceed,
English law, should not have
to compromise
halacha”, says without the need for either side to turn to the courts.
Shmuli Simon. “Many people in the kehillah are familiar with and
use Heter Iska in private
transactions,
however,
people
don’t
“My goal,” says Shmuli, “is to make the law more accessible to
realise that personal documents, including wills and lasting the kehillah and to enable people to operate their businesses and
powers of attorney should also be written to comply with
halacha. Now, for the first time, these services are being actively
marketed in the kehillah from a firm of solicitors and, although
we already work alongside leading Rabbonim, we are in the
organise their personal lives within halachic parameters.”
Shmuli Simon is a member of Ohr Yerushalayim, in Manchester.
Shmuli’s clients come from across the UK, the US and Israel. You
process of seeking haskomos from the Dayan Lichtenstein can email Shmuli – pgs@latimerlee.com – and his direct,
, the London Beis Din and Rav Horowitz
, the Rov of confidential Satmar, Manchester number is 0161 798 1305.
Rov of Satmar, Manchester.”
“In some parts of the kehillah, people don’t realise the necessity HOT OF THE PRESS: ‘Halachic Legal Services’, in association
of wills and lasting powers of attorney, as well as what are known with Latimer Lee LLP, is the only provincial member of Jewish
as ‘Halachic Living Wills’. The ‘Halachic Living Will’ entrenches a Legacy’s panel of solicitors – www.jewishlegacy.org.uk.
Page 20 Hamaor / April 2013

Last and First Man
By Steven Schonberg (also the title of a classic work of modern British Science Fiction, by Olaf Stapledon)
It was Adam, You, and Me,
A Garden of Eden, built for three
Who are none other than Adam, Eve,
and the serpent that connected them –
Which then, through an Apple, brought into the world, Men;
Men, who had, the knowledge of G-d,
Men, on G-d’s Garden, their very soles, trod.
That became transformed into, a temple,
where one man’s sacrifice
Became for another man, on his head, a price;
And there was created, for the very first time,
the passion of hate –
A passion between brothers – only coming – as they both,
lacked a soul-mate.
Do men ever have, a true soul-mate, in life?
Or, are their lives merely tales, filled with sorrow and strife?
Can Man, actually, build a Temple, based on love?
Or, is this ‘love’ merely, a mirror, of a G-d above?
A G-d Who has given Man choice, after choice, after choice;
Whereas Man has not even bothered to hear His voice:
A Voice once heard on a mountain, loud and clear –
In fact, so loud and clear, that men were filled with fear;
The irony being, that only because Man felt fear,
Was he able to conquer himself, and hold ‘love’ dear.
A love, that springs from his soul, as well as from his heart;
A love, denied to the experienced,
only because their previous innocence, was but a jump-start;
Of course, you can jump-start, any car battery –
But you cannot save Man, through the untruth of flattery.
Indeed, Man cannot even, control, his own soul.
If his mind has not, his heart, actually stole.
For it is only when both, Mind and Heart, fall in love,
That a Divine Presence on earth, descends, from Above –
In order to construct a dwelling-place,
for Man’s everlasting soul –
A soul that he knows, he will never understand, or control;
For the apple of Knowledge, that Eve gave to men,
Was a test, very much like Daniel’s, in the lion’s den:
A test of Man’s will – to choose the Good or the Bad –
A test ending in salvation, yet another ‘experience’,
that Man’s soul, never had.
For the truth of the matter, was that,
when the apple was eaten,
Almost at the same time, was Man’s evil inclination, beaten;
The serpent was punished, by becoming a snake,
And the first man, by his own choice, did his future, make.
It was a choice, that bound him, to Eve, as his wife -
A choice so final, that it became a choice for life.
We can say that Adam, by eating that apple from the Tree,
Actually brought love into the world,
consisting of just you and me,
By eating that apple, Adam chose Life over Death –
Through a free will given by G-d,
from Adam’s very first breath;
For, did not G-d create Man, in His own image, at first –
To save Himself, from a similar loneliness, that only His very
own creature, through Woman, could slake his thirst?
So let me conclude, then, that the Knowledge,
derived from that Tree,
Was a knowledge that, only through love, could Man,
be truly free;
Provided, of course, that this truly liberating emotion,
Be linked with a second, equally liberating, notion –
That ‘love’, on its own, is just an innocent’s dream –
Only when combined with fear, does it become more,
than it seems.
Now, to return to that Temple, of which we spoke, before, -
It will be only be built, if love and fear – together -
become enshrined, as Law.
* * * * *
Note: The last line of the poem is a sort of justification for a
Torah-based state.
Herzog Hospital, Givat Sha’ul, 6.9.12
18th Elul 5772
Hamaor / April 2013
Page 21

JRoots & Ohr Yisrael Journey
to Radin and Lithuania Reflections
By Rabbi Raphy Garson
On the ominous date of September 11th, I together with Eli
Schryer of JRoots led a group back to Belarus. That day was
the 24th of Elul, the 79th Yahrzeit of the Chafetz Chayim.
Arriving in Vilna we made our way to the border of Belarus.
The country is run by its president Alexander Lukashenko who
has described himself as having an "authoritarian ruling
style". However Western countries have described Belarus
under Lukashenko as a dictatorship. Indeed the Council of
Europe has barred Belarus from membership since 1997 for
undemocratic voting and election irregularities in the
November 1996 constitutional referendum and parliament
by-elections. The Belarusian government is also criticized for
human rights violations and its unjust persecution of
non-governmental organisations, independent journalists,
national minorities, and opposition politicians. Former
American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice labelled
Belarus as one of the world's six "outposts of tyranny".
Indeed the above was made clear when we arrived at the
border. Our bus went straight to the front of the line yet we
were kept waiting some three hours. Despite all our visas
being in order, it took those hours of bureaucratic paper work
to process 40 passports. It was made abundantly clear that
Jews do not get preferential treatment. The guards do not
smile, have no patience and are not accommodating. Communism
was alive and well in Belarus.
As we travelled through villages and towns towards Radin,
passing forests where Jews had hid during the war, I began
to tell the story of the Chafetz Chayim. A difficult task to be
achieved in an hour.
Arriving at Radin it was remarkable on several accounts.
Firstly nothing has changed in recent memory; transport is
still the old Horse and Cart, many homes still use a well to
draw water. Secondly, Eli pointed out to us the absolute
silence. No noise, no distractions; one of the many reasons
the Chafetz Chayim chose to live in this town - a place where
he would not be disturbed, as he worked on himself to
become the Torah Giant he was.
His yeshiva is still standing and is sadly used today as a local
theatre. A magnificent brick building that stands out in stark
Transport in Radin
contrast to the other wooden houses of the area. All of us
were eager to stay and visit the Chafetz Chayim’s home, a
place where his life, and so many stories about him, occurred.
Much to everyone’s dismay, it was sold last year to a group
of Americans. The house was demolished piece by piece and
taken to Monsey in the States, where it will be rebuilt and
housed in a museum. Jewish Chuzpah took on a whole new
meaning.
Within our group was a gentleman who was not only born
in Radin, but whose home was located next to the Chafetz
Chayim’s. He reminisced about his early memories of the
place and was emotionally moved to be there.
The focus of our trip was to make the pilgrimage to the
gravesite of the holy Rabbi and after a brief tour of the town
we made our way to the small cemetery on the outskirts of
the town.
All the gravestones in the small section of the cemetery had
been destroyed by the Nazis in 1943. Only three matzevot
have been rededicated, two of which are the Chafetz Chayim
and Rabbi Naftali Trop.
One can clearly feel and sense the energy and kedusha that
emanates from that place. Sadly not a place where 1000s
come to pour out their hearts. Even on the very Yahrzeit of
the Chafetz Chayim, the only people there were our group
of 40 and a small group of 5 Breslov Chassidim from Israel.
It is possible that due to the difficulties in arranging such a
Page 22 Hamaor / April 2013

trip, which includes numerous visits to the Belarus embassy
to organise visas, coupled with Belarusian communist
hospitality, many are simply put off.
Elated from standing at the kever of one of the greatest
Torah giants, we now had to deal with a more sinister episode
in our history. In Poland and the Ukraine most mass graves
are generally in forests, and this always gives us time to recollect
our thoughts as we walk through the trees to the final
resting place of our people.
Here in Radin, the story is very different. A mere one minute
walk from the Chafetz Chayim’s grave is another grave. A
grave that contains the remains of the entire city of Radin.
2500 beautiful people from the wonderful community of
Radin. The Einsatzgruppen, German for task forces, were SS
Nazi paramilitary death squads that were responsible for
mass killings, typically by shooting. On May 10, 1942 – the
last day of Pesach, all the men women and children of the
Jewish community were massacred and butchered.
We returned to the Yeshiva for dinner arranged by Rabbi
Moshe Fhima. The Rabbi spoke to us and told us about his
amazing work. Before the Second World War, Pinsk was the
centre of Karliner chassidism, nearly three quarters of the
town's inhabitants Jewish. Pinsk Jews who were not exterminated
by the Nazis became lost to their heritage by
Communism. By the 1980s Pinsk Jewry was virtually
non-existent.
On August 15, 2005, Manchester-born Rabbi Moshe Fhima
came to town and founded Belarus' only Jewish boarding
school for boys. Today Yad Yisroel institutions in Pinsk include
not only separate boys' and girls' schools but also a
yeshiva, synagogue, mikva, soup kitchen and other charitable
institutions serving the whole of Belarus. This was quickly
followed by a parallel girls' boarding school, the renovation
of the local Beis Aharon shul, summer camps and the establishment
of a yeshiva for students from abroad. Rabbi Fhima
also has a programme to send his schools' graduates abroad
to further their education at Jewish schools, colleges and
universities in Israel and the USA. He said: "I believe in teaching
each child according to his or her ability. I decided that,
rather than build up a nucleus of committed graduates in
Belarus, it was more important to allow each student to
broaden their educational horizons by leaving the country."
And then it hit me. On Rosh Hashana we talk about WHO
WILL LIVE AND WHO WILL DIE. All those who died what did
they say? What did parents say to comfort their children
when they knew time was about to end? That we will never
know. But this we do know. The poignancy of that day, the
secular date of September 11th , a date forever emblazoned
in our collective memory. What did the people on those
planes 11 years ago say when they understood life was about
to end? We know. We have the messages. We have voice
mails recorded. All of them said the same thing.
“Darling I love you.” “We love you Grandma. We love you.”
I told the group, why do we need to wait to tell our family,
our loved ones, our friends that we love them? We heeded
the moment to make that commitment to start to love more,
to reach out, to smile, to bring more unity to each other, to
our friends, to our communities, to our people.
The words of Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta flashed before my
eyes. The only way to guarantee success and blessings, is
Shalom and peace. Peace, harmony and unity are the way
forward. Standing at the mass grave puts life into perspective.
Enough with the politics, infighting and broigeses. Life
is indeed too short! As we stood there united in pain, we understood
what needs to be done as a people if we are to bring
Mashiach.
Chafetz Chayim’s home that no longer exists
Who would have thought that seventy years after the war,
Judaism is still alive and well in Belarus.
We returned to Lithuania for a whirlwind tour at midnight
of the Vilna Jewish cemetery. The only lights we had, shone
from our cellphones. We located the Vilna Gaon’s kever and
spent some time davening our requests.
Our long day concluded with Selichot at the Vilnius’s Romanesque-Moorish
Choral Synagogue - the only remaining
Jewish synagogue that survived both the Holocaust and Soviet
rule. The synagogue was originally one of the several
Jewish centres in Vilnius. International donations and a small
community of Jews in Vilnius support the synagogue.
The rules outside make it clear that NUSACH SFARD is NOT
allowed to be used by the Chazan, only NUSACH ASHKENAZ.
This dates back to the times of the Vilna Gaon; a discussion
for another time.
Hamaor / April 2013
Page 23

Clean for Pesach and Enjoy the Seder!
By Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg zt’l
Edited By Rabbi Moshe Finkelstein Kiryat Mattersdorf, Jerusalem
These notes are based on the responsa of Moreinu veRabbeinu
HaGaon HaRav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, zt’l, to questions
posed by women attending his regular talks. They have been
compiled by a group of his students.
PREFACE
In former times, wealthy people who had large houses also had
many servants who did their bidding, while poor people, who
could not afford servants, lived in small homes with one or two
rooms. Understandably, the pre-Passover chores of the rich were
performed by the servants, while the poor, who had only their
one or two rooms to clean, a few pieces of furniture, a minimum
of utensils, and some clothing, took care of their needs themselves.
In those days, cleaning was hard. Tables were made of raw wood,
requiring them to be scrubbed or even to be shaven to ensure
that no pieces of food were hidden in the cracks. Earthen or
wooden floors also needed to be thoroughly cleaned and
scrubbed.
Today, we seem to be caught in a trap. The average modern home
is larger than formerly. Furniture, utensils and clothing are much
more plentiful. The average home today can compare with the
more affluent homes of previous generations. However, we do
not have the servants that they had, so that today, all the chores
fall on the woman of the home. At the same time she still feels
obligated to clean and scrub as they did formerly, even though
she has laminated furniture and tiled floors, making this type of
cleaning unnecessary.
As a result of this, the pressure of pre-Pesach cleaning has
reached unnecessary and overwhelming levels. The housewife
often becomes overly nervous, unable to enjoy the holiday joy of
Passover and unable to perform the mitzvos and obligations of
the Seder night.
INTRODUCTION
Passover, like every other yom tov, must be enjoyed by every
member of the family, including women. This is an obligation
clearly defined in the Torah as explained by our Sages. We can
understand a person dreading Tisha B’Av but Pesach is to be
looked forward to and anticipated with joy. Every woman should
be well rested, relaxed and alert at the Seder table so that she
can fulfill all the Torah and Rabbinic obligations and follow the
Haggadah with the rest of the family. Clearly, the performance
of her pre- Passover duties must be balanced against her Passover
obligations.
Pre-Passover cleaning is required to avoid the danger of transgressing
any Torah or Rabbinic prohibition of having chometz in
the house on Pesach. It is evident from the responsa of the Rosh
Hayeshiva shlita that this need not be excessive.
It is not the intention here to abolish traditions which have been
passed down by Klal Yisroel from generation to generation. Nevertheless,
some practices adopted by women in the Passover
cleaning today are not an actual continuation of the old traditions.
For example, if a person does not sell his chometz, of course
it is necessary to check his utensils and to wash off any chometz
left on them, or to render the chometz inedible. But if the
chometz is sold, then washing the pots, pans and dishes which
are going to be locked away is not necessary.
One might be tempted to insist on doing the extra work anyway
— to be machmir (stringent). However, in these stringencies lies
the grave danger of causing many laxities and brushing aside
many mitzvohs completely, including Torah and Rabbinic obligations
which women are required to do on Passover and particularly
during the Seder.
Many women like to do more “cleaning” than the bare minimum,
to such an extent, that some even incorporate their general
“spring cleaning” into their required pre-Passover chores. These
extra exertions should not prevent them from fulfilling their obligations
on Passover, and particularly on the Seder night.
GENERAL NOTES
A. All property and possessions must be cleaned and checked to
make sure that they are free of all chometz, except in the following
cases: B. If, during the year, chometz is not brought into a
place, that place does not have to be cleaned out or checked for
chometz. C. Any article which is not used on Pesach does not
need to be checked for chometz, provided it is put away properly
and the chometz in it is sold. D. Crumbs which have been rendered
completely inedible [C.J. Weisberg explains: by coating with
small amount of household cleaner] to the extent that they are
not fit to be eaten by a dog are not considered chometz. E. The
general obligation to check for and destroy crumbs does not
apply if the crumbs are less than the size of an olive (kezayis) and
are dirty or spoiled enough to prevent a person from eating them.
F. The household cleaner (mentioned below) used must spoil the
crumbs slightly to the extent that people would refrain from eating
them. G. It is customary that any item to be kashered should
not be used for 24 hours prior to kashering, in order that it should
not be a ben- yomo.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
1) CLOTHING CLOSETS: If there is some significant possibility that
chometz went into them, they should be checked for fully edible
crumbs of chometz, besides large pieces of chometz. If the probability
that chometz entered these places is remote, a rav can be
consulted to clarify the conditions under which they do not have
to be checked. This includes chests, dressers, basements, and all
other similar places (see General Note E).
Page 24 Hamaor / April 2013

2) FLOORS: We don’t have earthen floors with deep cracks in
them. It is sufficient for tiled or covered floors to be swept and
washed with a household floor cleaner. Cracks and spaces between
tiles do not have to be checked if the cleaning solution
reaches into them.
3) FOOD CABINETS: If the cabinet is not going to be used on
Passover, then you just have to lock it or seal it in a manner that
will remind you not to use it on Passover and sell it with the
chometz (see General Notes C & E ). If the cabinet is going to be
used on Pesach, take out all the food and wash it with a rag
soaked in a household cleaner. Be sure the cleansing agent
reaches into all the cracks and soaks into any crumbs that might
be left there. The usual practice is to line the cabinets.
4) REFRIGERATOR: Take the food out, and wash it with a rag
soaked in a household cleaner. The racks are usually covered. (It
is advisable to leave holes for air circulation.)
5) KASHERING SINKS: Clean the sinks (see General Note G), and
pour a kettle of boiling water into them and on their sides. Some
people pour hot water mixed with bleach down the drain. The
usual practice today is to use an insert, or line the sinks (e.g. aluminum
foil, contact paper). If not difficult, this practice should
be followed.
6) FAUCETS (TAPS): Cleaning, without any other kashering procedure,
is sufficient.
7) MARBLE AND STAINLESS STEEL COUNTERS: If they were used
for hot chometz they should first be cleaned well. They should
either be completely covered so that nothing Pesach’dik touches
them or (if it will not ruin the countertop) pour boiling hot water
on them (see General Note G). Many people do both.
8) TABLETOPS: Wash them with a household cleaner. The usual
practice is to cover the tables.
9) KASHERING RANGE/OVEN/STOVE-TOP: Wash the top and side
surface areas with a rag soaked in a strong household cleaner.
Clean the knobs well. Grates can be kashered by first cleaning
them well (see General Note G), then put them back on the stove,
and then lighting all the burners, raising them to their maximum
heat, putting on a blech while the burners are on. This spreads
the heat over the whole top and intensifies the heat on the grates.
Let it burn for 5 – 10 minutes. [Be careful that the knobs don't
melt.] After kashering, the usual practice today is to cover the
stove-top with aluminum foil (being extremely careful not to
block the air inlets around the burners and on the back of the
stove, as this could create poisonous fumes in the room).
* OVEN: If you want to use the oven: (a) First clean the oven well
with an oven cleaner (e.g. Easy-Off). Make sure that it reaches
into all the cracks and around the screws. (After using the oven
cleaner, there is no need for further cleaning). (see General Note
G). Then heat the inside of the oven by turning the oven on to its
highest temperature for about one hour. (b) If your oven has a
turbo option (a fan which circulates the heat ), consult a rav about
your particular type. (c) After kashering, if the oven door has a
glass window, preferably cover the entire inside of the door with
aluminum foil. (d) If a closed oven insert is available, this would
Hamaor / April 2013
be preferable. In this case, only washing and cleaning are necessary.
(e) Do not use the chometz-dik oven racks for Pesach. If this
is difficult, then one can kasher the racks with the same procedure
as for the oven, placing them as close as possible to the
heating element.
If the oven is not going to be used: None of the above is necessary.
Just make certain that there is no edible chometz inside,
tape it closed well and see below #10.
10) POTS, PANS, DISHES, & SILVERWARE (CUTLERY): Whatever is
not going to be used for Pesach should either be locked up, or
put away and sealed in a manner which will remind you not to
use them on Pesach. If there is a possibility of actual chometz in
them, the chometz should be sold (see General Note C.). If you
do not sell chometz, then they should be either washed or soaked
in a household cleaner; it is not necessary to scrub them. (Concerning
kashering utensils for Pesach consult a rav.)
11) FOOD PROCESSOR/MIXER: A rav should be consulted.
12) DISH TOWELS: If one does not have a Pesach’dik set of dish
towels, then one’s regular dish towels may be used if they are
washed with a detergent and no food remains attached to them.
(It is customary to have a set of Pesach’dik dish towels.)
13) PESACH TABLECLOTHS: These can be ironed with the same
iron as is used during the rest of the year.
14) CLOTHES, BLANKETS, POCKETS, ETC.: If they have been washed
in detergent or dry cleaned, then there is no need for them to be
checked (see General Note E). Otherwise they need to be cleaned
and checked thoroughly by brushing or shaking them out well.
However, if there is a possibility of crumbs between the stitches
or in a hidden crevice which cannot be shaken out, then they
must be wiped with a rag which has been soaked in a detergent.
Clothes which will not be worn on Pesach do not have to be
checked, but they should be put away and the chometz in them
sold (see General Notes C. and Sec. 10 on Pots and Pans).
15) SIDDURIM, BENCHERS, SEFORIM, BOOKS: If there is a chance
that they contain chometz, then they should either be put away
and sold with other chometz utensils (see General Notes C.), or
cleaned and checked well.
16) TOYS: If there is edible chometz, then it should be either removed,
or rendered inedible (see General Notes E). There is no
need to scrub them.
17) TECHINA & OTHER KITNIYOS (legumes): May be used after
the house has been cleaned for Pesach. They should not be
cooked in utensils that will be used on Pesach, and certainly not
on Pesach itself (according to the Ashkenaz minhag).
20) LAST MINUTE PREPARATIONS: For example, setting the table,
etc., should be completed early enough in the day, so that you
will be able to rest a little bit. Be ready to start the seder immediately
after ma’ariv, to ensure that the children won’t fall asleep
at the Seder.
21) ENJOY PESACH! Try to make the Pesach chores easy for yourself.
Don’t do unnecessary hard work. Don’t do unnecessary cleaning.
You can be like a Queen and you must enjoy your Pesach!
Reprinted from www.Orchos.org.
Page 25

Jewish marriage council
Continuing to HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR Life
The Jewish Marriage Council-JMC- runs a busy and successful counselling programme and is now
currently chaired by his Honour Judge Martyn Zeidman QC and Mrs Verity Zeidman. The JMC remains faithful
to its original principles as the institution of marriage itself.
Here at the JMC we council married, single and divorced people; plus people who are married but
wish to talk about their problems/difficulties without their spouse being present. We also now have a Family
therapy team that are doing some wonderful work. The community come with varying worries and concerns
such as;
‘He/She is so abusive that I am frightened that if he/she comes with me, I will be too nervous to speak.’
‘I have recently got divorced. I’m not coping’
‘We’re about to get engaged but should we be concerned about x, y or z?’
‘I think it’s my fault that the marriage is going wrong. I was not shown a good example by my parents. Can you
help me?’
Last year over 100,000 people got divorced. This equates to close to or just over 50% of marriages.
Obviously the Jewish community has not been affected to that extent but it is most definitely on the rise and
with that, we are also seeing a rise in individual problems too. These issues can no longer be hidden or pushed
under the carpet; they have to be dealt with carefully, caringly and competently.
Divorce and individual issues have risen as society has changed so rapidly around us. Our work and
private lives have become filled with technology, stresses, illness, anxieties and a very fast paced life. We are
also no longer able to keep out the outside world and its threats to our Jewish community as well as we did, and
our society is just not facing these challenges well. They are affecting our every waking moment from our work
lives, to our family lives to our personal lives.
The JMC has the expertise and knowledge to help people who are suffering from life’s issues. We have
14 voluntary counsellors, all of whom are very experienced and qualified operating under the BACP (British
Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) guidelines for ethics and practice. Each of them has constant
supervision and keeps their knowledge up to date with training every 6 weeks.
Our clients come from all sections of the Jewish community. At the initial assessment clients are asked
if they have a particular preference for a counsellor e.g. female or male and level of orthodoxy. All our
counsellors work within halachic guidelines and are under the Rabbinic supervision of Rabbi Mirvis.
The JMC is run under strict confidentiality and this is of paramount importance to us. We do charge for
all our services, but nobody is turned away through lack of funds:
We receive no government support or funding making things very difficult for us. This is one of
the reasons why the JMC turns towards the community for financial help and assistance. We ask you to
please continue to support us, and if you have been unaware of us in the past please start to support our
worthy cause us.
With many thanks and gratitude from the JMC team,
Clinical Director
Daniel Segal
MSc mental health counselling
For more information, please visit the JMC’s website
www.jmc-uk.org; or call Yasmine on 0208-203-6311

Pesach Recipe
By Denise Phillips
Tel: 01923 836 456
www.jewishcookery.com
Mediterranean Chicken Tray Bake
A one pot complete meal for
Seder night has got to be
the ideal main course.
Cooked in wine and
stock it cannot dry out.
If you bake both chicken
thighs and breasts
everyone will be happy!
The secret of this dish
is to get all the ingredients
golden
and crispy without
it looking
burnt and dry.
For a slight variation ~ add pitted black olives
and capers.
Chefs Tip: To peel the shallots with ease, pour
boiling water over them and leave for 5 minutes.
Drain and then peel.
Method
1)Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 400F / Gas mark 6.
2)Tip the potatoes into a large shallow roasting
tin and drizzle with some olive oil, salt and
freshly ground black pepper.
3)Roast for about 20 minutes until they start
to go crispy.
4)Season the chicken and add to the roasting
tin along with the garlic, shallots, lemon,
aubergine and peppers.
5)Return to the oven for 20 minutes.
6)Pour over the wine and stock and roast for a
final 20 minutes until the chicken is golden and
cooked through.
Serve onto warm plates and garnish with sprigs
of fresh basil and a dusting of black pepper.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients
1 kg new potatoes thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
~
10 -12 chicken thighs/ chicken breasts portions
6 cloves garlic
12 shallots – peeled
1 lemon – sliced into wedges
1 aubergine – cut into large cubes
2 red peppers – deseeded and cut into cubes
~
100ml white wine
200ml chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish: Sprigs of fresh basil
Hamaor / April 2013
Page 27

DATE ON A PLATE
This is a really successful format
for meeting new people –six men &
six women learn to cook a threecourse
meal, and then eat it!
LEARN TO COOK - THE STYLISH
WAY
Join Denise Phillips for a fun “hands-on”
class, presented in my trademark simple
but stylish manner. Enhance your love of
food and add to your cooking repertoire:
Sun 3 March: Age: 28-40 French Bistro
Sun 17 March: Age: 35-50 Tasty Tex Mex
Sun 14 April: Age: 40 –55 Gourmet Greek
Sun 21 April: Age: 30 – 45 A Taste of Italy
Sun 28 April: Age: 26 -30
Lebanese
Sun 5 May: Age: 50 – 60 Fancy Fusion
Sun 12 May: Age: 40-50 Shavuot Special
Sun 26 May: Age: 28–38 Classy Caribbean
Sun 9 June Age:35-50 Sensational Summer
Wed 6 March
Thurs 7 March
Sun 10 March
Wed 10 April
Thurs 11 April
Wed 8 May
Thurs 9 May
Sun 19 May
New Ideas for Pesach
Thai Banquet
New Ideas for Pesach
Vegetarian Italian
Pastry Master Class
Chocolate Desserts
Stylish Vegan Cooking
Friday Night Dinner
Venue : Northwood. Times : Weekdays 10am –1.30pm. Sunday : 6pm-10pm
Cost : £65 including three course meal and all ingredients
More info : www.jewishcookery.com or denise@jewishcookery.com
Or phone Denise on 01923 836 456
Don’t forget to
look out for
Shabbat Spice
Out now, and in your local Shul

PERSONAL
Mazal Tov wishes are extended to the following people:
BIRTHS
Head Office
Dayan and Mrs YY Lichtenstein on the birth of a grandson
Dayan and Mrs MD Elzas on the birth of a grandson
Chevra Kadisha
Bruce and Ruth Mordfield on the birth of their first
grandson
Finchley Central
Mr and Mrs M Caller on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs M Moss on the birth of a son
Mrs P Wittner (Secretary) on the birth of a grandson
Machzikei Hadath
Rabbi and Mrs Pearlman on the birth of a granddaughter
and a grandson
Rabbi and Mrs Daniel Pearlman on the birth of a daughter
Rabbi and Mrs Eli Segal on the birth of a son
David and Sue May on the birth of their two granddaughters
Daniel and Anna Lester on the birth of a daughter
Ben and Tamara May on the birth of a daughter in Eretz
Yisrael
David and Doris Lanzkron on the birth of a granddaughter
Robert and Naomi Lanzkron on the birth of a daughter in
Eretz Yisrael
Clive Coleman on the birth of his grandson Yishai and of his
granddaughter Libby Sheindel Esther
Michal and Mord Maman on the birth of a son
Reuven and Lucy Coleman on the birth of a daughter
Mrs S Fishman on the birth of a great grandson and a great
granddaughter
Lawrence and Sylvia Kleerekoper on the birth of a grandson
and of a granddaughter
Ohr Yerushalayim
Mr and Mrs Lenny Horwitz on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Richard Danziger on the birth of their twins
Mr and Mrs Grant Pakter on the birth of a daughter
Mr and Mrs Tony Levinson on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Simon Wanderer on the birth of their daughter
Hadassah
Mr and Mrs Nissim Hassan on the birth of their son
Mr and Mrs Adam Bookman on the birth of twins Michal
Brocho and Akiva Simcha
Mr and Mrs Yoel Smus on the birth of their daughter Noa
Mr and Mrs Andrew Addleman on the birth of their son
Yisroel
Hamaor / April 2013
Mr and Mrs Michael Freedman on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Mordechai Tabor on the birth of their son
Binyomin Dovid
Mr and Mrs Raymond Blackston on the birth of their son
Shmuel Chaim
Mr and Mrs David Jacobs on the birth of their daughter
Avigail
Sinai
Mr and Mrs Yehoshua Adler on the birth of a daughter
Rabbi and Mrs B Knopfler on the birth of a granddaughter
Mr and Mrs Yaakov Yisroel Krausz on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Yossi Knopfler on the birth of a granddaughter
Mr and Mrs Pini Harris on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Zvi Zimmels on the birth of a grandaughter
Mr and Mrs Jacky Weg on the birth of a granddaughter
Mr and Mrs John Simmonds on the birth of a grandson
Mrs J Leitner on the birth of her granddaughter
Mr and Mrs Yechiel Leitner on the birth of a grandson
Rabbi and Mrs Shimon Gurwicz on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Moshe Adler on the birth of a granddaughter
Mr and Mrs Motti Adler on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Kalmi Adler on the birth of a grandson
Rabbi and Mrs Chanoch Hoffman on the birth of twin
grandsons
Rabbi and Mrs D Kirsch on the birth of a grandson
Rabbi and Mrs Avromi Kirsch on the birth of a
granddaughter
Mr S Dzialowski on the birth of her great granddaughter
Dr and Mrs Yossi Adler on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Lezer Bloch on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Moshe Grun on the birth of a grandson
Rabbi and Mrs J Grunfeld on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Binyomin Bokor on the birth of a grandson
Rabbi and Mrs Ephraim Klyne on the birth of a grandson
Rabbi and Mrs AC Posen on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Yisroel Meir Orzel on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Ralph Klajn on the birth of a granddaughter
Mr and Mrs Mendy Itzinger on the birth of a granddaughter
Mr and Mrs Doni Kaufman on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Dovid Ryness on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Yisroel Kaufman on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Richard Kaufman on the birth of great
grandsons
Mrs D Steinberg on the birth of great grandsons
Mr and Mrs Gerald Halibard on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Danny Rotenberg on the birth of a grandson
Page 29

PERSONAL
Mr and Mrs Yosef Meshulam Englard on the birth of a
grandson
Mr and Mrs Mordechai Silbiger on the birth of a
granddaughter
Mr and Mrs Dovid Rosenthal on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Andrew Cohen on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Yitzchok Kruskal on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Leiby Levison on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Yitzi Bamberger on the birth of a grandson
Mr and Mrs Ezra Kahn on the birth of a great granddaughter
Yeshurun
Alan and Kathryn Finlay on the birth of a granddaughter
Jonathan and Hilary Raymond on the birth of a
granddaughter
Mark and Rochelle Goldwater on the birth of a grandson
Rabbi and Mrs Shindler on the birth of a twin grandsons
Toni and Charles Green on the birth of a grandson
Victor and Kathy Panas on the birth of a granddaughter
Stuart and Hilarie Ifield on the birth of a grandson
Helene Littlestone on the birth of a great grandson
Jonathan and Hilary Raymond on the birth of a grandson
Warren and Angela Peston on the birth of a grandson
Phyllis Peston on the birth of a great grandson
Barrie and Jeanette Gordon on the birth of a granddaughter
Mordaunt Cohen on the birth of a great grandson
Richard and Stacey Taylor on the birth of a granddaughter
Alex and Anne Fleischmann on the birth of a grandchild
Michael and Susie Kleiman on the birth of a granddaughter
Chover and Mrs Leon Topol on the birth of a granddaughter
Mr and Mrs J Raphael on the birth of a great granddaughter
Mark and Rochelle Goldwater on the birth of a
granddaughter
Julian and Rena Greenaway on the birth of a granddaughter
ENGAGEMENTS
Mazel Tov to the following:
Head Office
Mrs Eve Polikoff on the engagement of her daughter
Deborah to Josh Pyzer
Machzikei Hadath
Stuart and Anne Rosen on the engagement of their son
Joshua to Miss Adina Bishop
Ben and Hannah Sadka on the engagement of their
daughter Rachel to Meir Adler
Netzach Israel
Rabbi and Mrs Doron Ahiel on the engagement of their
daughter rachel to Meir Adler
Sinai
Mr and Mrs Danny Rotenberg on the engagement of their
son Hillel to Miss Hannah Kachani
Mr and Mrs Ronnie Weisbart on the engagement of their
son Moishe to Miss Chani Weltscher
Mrs E Homburger on the engagement of her son Yehoshua
to Miss Chani Eiss
Yeshurun
Barrie and Jeanette Gordon on the engagement of their
grandson David Hanan to Esther Solomon
Tony and Anne Silverston on the engagement of their son
Daniel to Amanda Katz
Stephen and Ruth Freeman on the engagement of their son
Adam to Nadia Taylor
Julian and Rena Greenaway on the engagement of their
daughter Abi to Elliot Pollak
Rabbi and Mrs Alan Lewis on the engagement of their son
Moishie to Gitty Yundov
Stuart and Hilarie Ifield on the engagement of their son
Adam to Rachel Freeman
Andy and Sylvia Harwood on the engagement of their
daughter Gemma to Yoni Goldstein
Shmuli and Minkie Orenstein on the engagement of their
son Avi to Stacy Nelken
Mrs Diane Finkel on the engagement of her son Jonny to Risi
Adler
WEDDINGS
Mazel Tov to the following:
Head Office
Rabbi and Mrs D Katanka on the marriage of their daughter
Sorah to Daniel Mirwis
Finchley Central
Drs D and G Gertner on the marriage of their daughter
Danielle
Mr SD Hirsch on his marriage to Chantelle
Ilford
Martin and Yvonne Rowland on the marriage of their
daughter Lucy to Jonathan Camissar
Paul Levy on his marriage to Zoe Bean
Jeffrey and Lois Levy on the marriage of their son Paul to Zoe
Bean
Eddie and Marie Lazarus on the marriage of their son Paul to
Laura Dobkin
Machzikei Hadath
Mrs S Fishman of the marriage of her grandson Alexander
Page 30 Hamaor / April 2013

PERSONAL
Lawrence and Cynthia Kleerekoper on the marriage of their
son Alexander to Abby Aarons
Sinai
Mr and Mrs Shimon Bowden on the marriage of their son
Chaim to Ruth Barukh
Mr and Mrs Leiby Levison on the marriage of their son Yossi
to Miss Chayele Gurwicz
Mr and Mrs Danny Rotenberg on the marriage of their son
Meir to Miss Nechama Fisher
Mr and Mrs Julian Cohen on the marriage of their son
Moshe Aaron to Miss Miriam Borden
Mr and Mrs Martin Lipszyc on the marriage of their son Yossi
to Miss Clara Cohen
Rabbi and Mrs Yoel Kahn on the marriage of their son Chaim
Zvi to Miss Soroh Leah Birnhack
Yeshurun
Michael and Ilana Goldberger on the marriage of their
daughter Laura to Joshua Golding
David and Lorraine Harris on the marriage of their daughter
Miriam to Ziv Hadad
Richard and Cheryl Sandground on the marriage of their son
Daniel to Esther Learman
Ahron and Huguette Menczer on the marriage of their
daughter Sabrina to Joshua Feiner
Daryl and Diane Miller on the marriage of their daughter
Tamara to Jeremy Elster
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES
Mazel Tov to the following:
Head Office
Noson and Chani Kahler on their tenth wedding anniversary
Finchley Central
Mr and Mrs L Cohen on their Diamond wedding anniversary
Ilford
Max and Rose Arnold on their Ruby wedding anniversary
Stanley and Ros Barclay on their Golden wedding
anniversary
Ohr Yisrael
Geoffrey and Josephine Kay on their Golden wedding
anniversary
Yeshurun
Edwin and Joy Solomon on their Ruby wedding anniversary
Ellis and Jennifer Paul on their Golden wedding anniversary
David and Ann Hanstater on their Golden wedding
anniversary
Hamaor / April 2013
Alan and Zena Sloam on their Ruby wedding anniversary
BAR MITZVAHS
Mazel Tov to the following:
Head Office
Dr and Mrs E Kienwald on the barmitzvah of their grandson
Joshua Wakefield
Croydon
Anthony and Melanie Bond on the barmitzvah of their son
Zak
Finchley Central
Mr and Mrs A Liebert on the barmitzvah of their son Castril
Ilford
Howard and Clare Oldstein on the barmitzvah of their son
Ben
Ohr Yerushalayim
Mr and Mrs Mark Shapiro on the barmitzvah of their son
Naftoli
Mr and Mrs Malcolm Fagelman on the barmitzvah of their
son Alex
Mr and Mrs Nati Sebbag on the barmitzvah of their son Eli
Sinai
Rabbi and Mrs C Hoffman on the barmitzvah of their son
Bentzi
Mr and Mrs Eliyohu Reich on the barmitzvah of their son
Danny
Mr and Mrs Jeffrey Reuben on the barmitzvah of their son
Eliyohu Refoel
Mr and Mrs Julian Cohen on the barmitzvah of their son Zvi
Mr and Mrs Uri Kaplan on the barmitzvah of their son
Moishy
Mr and Mrs Michael Kramar on the barmitzvah of their son
Yitzi
Yeshurun
Mrs R Veng on the barmitzvah of her son Avital
Jonathan and Sara Bernstein on the barmitzvah of their son
Adam
Rabbi and Mrs Moshe Zeidman on the barmitzvah of their
son Yosef
Shmuli and Minkie Orenstein on the barmitzvah of their son
Dovi
David and Nadine Bakst on the barmitzvah of their son
Samuel
Adam and Juliette Tash on the barmitzvah of their son
Jordan
Page 31

PERSONAL
BAT MITZVAHS
Mazel Tov to the following:
Ilford
Anthony and MaxineLeckerman on the batmitzvah of Molly
SPECIAL BIRTHDAYS
Mazel Tov to the following:
Croydon
Esther Fishman on her 80th birthday
Finchley Central
Mr M Hajioff on his 70th birthday
Mr M Reich Honorary Life President on his 65th birthday
Mr P Westbrook Financial Representative on his 60th birthday
Ilford
Davina Palmer on her 104th birthday
Phil Keen on his 99th birthday
Sophie Lewis on her 90th birthday
Priscilla Baum on her 90th birthday
Ruth Bernstein on her 85th birthday
Ruth Montlake on her 80th birthday
Yeshurun
Mr Ahron Hadjizade on his 90th birthday
Renee Wise on her 90th birthday
Mordaunt Cohen on his 95th birthday
CONDOLENCES
We offer condolences to:
Finchley Central
Mr and Mrs E Amron on the loss of their daughter Carole
Matalon
Mrs B Cohen on the loss of her husband
Dr D Gertner on the loss of his mother
The family of Mrs S Hart
Mr Peter Arbeid on the loss of his father
Mr Bradley Conway on the loss of his father
Ilford
Shirley Anderson on the loss of her brother
Lillian Jay on the loss of her brother
The family of Harry Lawrence
Sandra Field on the loss of her sister
Tony Miller on the loss of his mother
Tony Rones on the loss of his brother
The family of Janice Klein
Lillian Oposs on the loss of her brother
Anita Brack on the loss of her husband Israel
Maxim Segal on the loss of his mother Cecilia
The family of Pearl Kane
The family of Joseph Jackson
Irene Wald on the loss of her mother Pearl Glazer
The family of Ronald Lewis
David Silkman on the loss of his wife Marie
Ruth Montlake on the loss of her son Nicholas
Andrew Montlake on the loss of his brother Nicholas
Elsa Linder on the loss of her mother Betty Diamond
Phil Keen on the loss of his brother
The family of Greta Rosefield
The family of Marion Coulson
Maurice Lee and family of Estella Lee
Alan Mendleson on the loss of his sister Anita Keminsky
Marion Grant on the loss of her father Lou Sterne
The family of Sonya Feldman
The family of Maurice Lawrence
To the family of the late Jane Jager
Ohr Yerushalayim
Dr Daniel Dresner on the loss of his mother
Mr Moishe Wacks on the loss of his father Dr Harvey Wacks
Sinai
Mrs Yael Levison on the loss of her father Rabbi C Lipshitz
Mrs Rebecca Baddiel on the loss of her father Mr Morris
Vernick
Mrs Hinda Rosenthal on the loss of her father Mr Chaim
Steinberg
Mr Yosef Meshulam Englard on the loss of his parents Mr
Pinchos Englard and Mrs Klara Englard
Yeshurun
Mrs Eleanor Silver on the loss of her mother Cecilia Segal
The family of Mr Barrie Kitsberg
Mr Eli Perl on the loss of his father Yitzhak Perl
The family of Mr Max Silver
Mr Alan Cohen on the loss of his mother Mrs Bertha Cohen
Mrs Rena Greenaway on the loss of her father Mr Eli Haruni
Mrs Flora Goldin on the loss of her brother Monty Marks
Mrs Johanetta Bayer on the loss of her sister Bertha Fisher
Mrs Sharon Feiner on the loss of her mother Bertha Fisher
Mr Michael Kleiman on the loss of his mother Shirley
Kleiman
Mr Howard Grossman on the loss of his mother Ruth
Grossman
Mrs Marilyn Vertes on the loss of mother Betsy (Betty)
Cohen
The family of Mrs Anita Holmstock
The family of Mr Joseph Kraft
Mr Leslie Bernard on the loss of his wife Mildred
Mrs Yvette Cohen on the loss of her mother Mrs Mildred
Bernard
Page 32 Hamaor / April 2013

DIRECTORY
FEDERATION OF SYNAGOGUES
KASHRUS BOARD
Chairman: Mr A. Finlay
Director of Kashrus: Dayan M. D. Elzas
The following establishments are licensed by the
Federation Kashrus Board and are under
the Supervision of the Beth Din of the Federation of Synagogues:
CATERERS:
PARK LANE HOTEL
Piccadilly, London W1Y 8BX 020 7290 7368
STARGUEST CATERING
Arieh Wagner - www.starguest.com 020 8458 7708
THE PILLAR
19 Brent Street, NW4 2EU 020 8457 4000
DELICATESSENS AND SHOPS:
MATOK BAKERY
1 Bridge Lane, London NW11 0EA 020 8458 0280
MR BAKER
119-121 Brent Street, London NW4 2DX 020 8202 6845
PELTER STORES
82 Edgware Way, Edgware, Middx HA8 8JS 020 8958 6910
PELTER STORES (Meaty & Parve Delicatessen)
7 Edgwarebury Lane, Edgware, Middx 020 8958 4536
SIMPLY DELI (Meaty)
313 Hale Lane, Edgware,
Middx HA8 7AX 020 8958 7999
THE KANTEEN BAKERY
23 High Road, Bushey, Herts WD23 1EE 020 8950 0400
MENDY’S FOOD (Delicatessen)
17-19 Edgwarebury Lane, Edgware, Middx 020 8958 3444
JENNY’S CAKES
70 Kings Close, London NW4 2JT 020 8202 1795
RESTAURANTS:
AVIV RESTAURANT (Meaty)
87-89 High Street, Edgware, Middx HA8 7DB 020 8952 2484
020 8381 1722
BEIT HAMADRAS (Meaty - Indian)
105 Brent Street, London NW4 2DX 020 8203 4567
K GRILL (Meaty)
60 Edgware Way, Edgware HA8 8JS 020 8958 7062
K PIZZA/ FISH K CHIPS (Milky)
66 Edgware Way, Edgware HA8 8JS 020 8958 9087
MET SU YAN (Meaty)
134 Golders Green Road, London NW11 8HB 020 8458 8088
MET SU YAN (Meaty)
1-2 The Promenade, Edgwarebury Lane,
Edgware HA8 7JZ 020 8958 6840
PITA (Meaty)
98 Golders Green Road, NW11 8HB 020 8381 4080
PIZAZA (Milky)
53 Brent Street, London NW4 2EA 020 8202 9911
PIZAZA (Milky)
100 Golders Green Road, London, NW11 8HB 020 8455 4455
SLICE (Milky)
8 Princes Parade, London, NW11 9PS 020 8458 9483
SOYO (Milky)
94 Golders Green Road, London, NW11 9HB 020 8458 8788
THE KANTEEN (Milky)
23-25 High Road, Bushey, Herts WD23 1EE 020 8950 0747
THE KANTEEN (Milky)
Unit 22 Brent Cross Shopping Centre,
London NW4 3FD 020 8203 7377
THE KITCHEN (Meaty)
16-17 Promenade, Hale Lane,
Edgware, Middx, NW4 2JT 020 8905 4488

65 Watford Way, London NW4 3AQ
Tel: 020 8202 2263 Fax: 020 8203 0610
Email: info@federationofsynagogues.com
www.federationofsynagogues.com
Federation of Synagogues
Honorary Officers
President: Mr Alan Finlay
Vice-Presidents: Mr Henry Dony &
Mr Benjamin Mire
Treasurers (Federation):
Mr Leon Newmark & Mr Malcolm Greenbaum
Treasurers (Burial Society):
Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen &
Mr Michael Ezra
Beth Din
Rosh Beth Din: Dayan Y Y Lichtenstein
Dayan M D Elzas
Registrar: Rabbi Z Unsdorfer
Enquires to the Registrar
Tel: 020 8202 2263
Chief Executive
Burial Society
Administrator: Mr Thomas Zelmanovits
Sexton: Mr Noson Kahler
Tel: 020 8202 3903 Fax: 020 8203 0610
Out of hours answerphone: 020 8202 3903
Cemeteries
Montagu Road, Edmonton N18 2NF
Tel: 020 8807 2268
416 Upminster Road North, Rainham,
Essex RM13 9SB
Tel: 01708 552825
During the winter months both cemeteries
are open daily, except Shabbos and Yom
Tov, from 9am until dusk.
During British Summer Time gates are
open until 5pm and during the month of
Ellul until 6pm.
Dr Eli Kienwald

!"!
FEDERATION OF SYNAGOGUES
65 Watford Way,
London NW4
3AQ
Tel:
(+44)
020
82022
2263
Fax:
(+44) 020
8203 0610
E-mail: info@kfkosher.org
o
Website:
www.kfkosher.org
ww.kfkosher.org
BETH
DIN
This form should be completed and handed over or delivered to the Beth Din
before Friday 22 nd March 2013
POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR THE SALE OF CHOMETZ
I,
the undersigned, ed, fully
empower
and
authorise Dayan
M D Elzas
to
act
in
my
place
and
stead and,
on
my
behalf,
to
sell any Chometz possessed
by me
(knowingly
or
unknowingly) up
to
and
including Monday 25 th March 2013 at 10.47 am including
any
food in
respect
of
which
there is
a
doubt
or
possibility that
it
might
contain Chometz, , and
all
kinds
of Chometz mixtures,
and to
lease e
all
places
wherein
the
Chometz owned
by me
is stored
and found,
especially e
in
the premises
specified
below, or
elsewhere.
Dayan
M D Elzas has
full
authority
to
sell
or lease
all
Chometz and all
places
wherein
the
Chometz owned
by
me
is
found,
by any
transaction
in
any
manner
which
he
deems
fit
and
proper,
and
for
such time as
he
believes
necessary, in
accordance
with
the detailed
terms
and
conditions set
out
in
the
agreed Contract
or
Sale
which
he
will draw up.
This
authorisation ation is
made
a
part
of
that Contract.
I
also
give
Dayan an M D
Elzas
power
and
authority to
appoint
any proxy
he
deems
fit
in
his
place,
with
full
power
to
sell
or
lease as
provided
herein.
The above-given powers are
to
be
exercised in
conformity
with
all Torah
and
Rabbinical
regulations and
laws,
and
also
in
accordance
with
the
laws
of
the
country.
And to
this
I hereby e
affix
my
signature on
this
!!!!.day
of
!!!!!!!!..2013.! !!!!!..201
Name
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Address
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..
!!!!!!!!!..
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..!
!!!!!!!!!..
Signature
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.. ! Witness
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Exact
location
of
Chometz within
the
above premises
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..
!!!!!..
Sale price
of
Chometz (approx) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!
Keys
available
at !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
!!!!!.
TYPES OF CHOMETZ (please
delete
items that
are
not
applicable) plicable
Bread
products,
biscuits,
it
flour,
cereals,
beverages, alcoholic
li
spirits, its,
beer,
pasta
products,
semolina,
farfel,
f
canned foods,
soft
drinks,
confectionery, all
other
foods
containing ning
Chometz, , medicaments, ents,
perfumes,
cosmetics, aerosols, ols,
cleaning
materials, any
Chometz in
or
adhering to
ovens,
food
mixers
or
food
processors,
and
any other
Chometz on any other utensils,
shares s in
companies
or
business producing,
trading or
owning
Chometz.
.

Constituent Synagogues
CLAPTON FEDERATION SYNAGOGUE
(Sha'are Shomayim).
(in association with Springfield Synagogue)
202 Upper Clapton Road, London E5 9DH.
Secretary: Robin Jacobs. Tel: 020 8530 5816.
CROYDON & DISTRICT SYNAGOGUE
The Almonds, 5 Shiriey Oaks Road, Croydon, Surrey CRO 8YX.
Tel: 020 8662 0011.
Mrs B Harris. Tel: 020 8726 0179. Rav: Rabbi N. Asmoucha
Email: enquiries@croydonsynagogue.org.uk Website:
www.croydonsynagogue.org.uk
EAST LONDON CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE
30/40 Nelson Street, E1 2DE. Tel: 020 7790 9809,
Rav: Rabbi Y. Austin. Secretary: Mr J. Beninson. Tel: 020 8529 8146.
FINCHLEY CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE
2 Redboume Avenue, N3 2BS. Tel: 020 8346 1892.
Rav: Rabbi Y. Hamer. Secretary: Mrs P. Wittner.
Tel: 020 8346 1892
Website: www.finchleyfed.org.uk
HENDON BEIS HAMEDRASH
65 Watford Way, Hendon, London NW4 3AQ.
Tel: 020 8202 2263. Rav: Dayan Y.Y. Lichtenstein.
Contact: P. Burns. Tel: 020 8203 7757.
ILFORD FEDERATION SYNAGOGUE
14/16 Coventry Road, llford, Essex, IG1 4QR. Tel: 020 8554 5289.
Rav: Rabbi A. Chapper. Secretary: Mrs L. Klein
Email: ilfordsynagogue@btconnect.com Website: www.ilfordfeds.org
MACHZIKEI HADATH V’SHOMREI SHABBAT SYNA-
GOGUE
1-4 Highfield Road, London NW11 9LU. TEL: 020 8455 9816
Rav: Rabbi CH. Z. Pearlman. Secretary: R. Shaw.
NETZACH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
281 Golders Green Road, London NW11 9JJ Tel: 020 8455 0097
Rav: Rabbi Doron Ahiel.
Email: netzachisraeltrust@gmail.com
OHR YERUSHALAYIM SYNAGOGUE
470 Bury New Road, Salford, Manchester M7 4NU Tel: 0161 792 9242
Rav: Rabbi Berel Cohen. Website: www.ohryerushalayim.org.uk
OHR YISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
31/33 Theobald Street, Elstree, Herts WD6 4RN
Rav: Rabbi R. Garson. Secretary: Josephine Kay Tel: 020 8207 4702
Website: www.ohr-yisrael.org.uk
Affiliated Synagogues
AISH HATORAH COMMUNITY
379 Hendon Way, London NW4 3LP. Tel: 020 8457 4444.
Rav: Rabbi J. Roodyn.
Website: http://aish.org.uk
CONGREGATION OF JACOB SYNAGOGUE
351/353 Commercial Road, London E1 2PS. Contact: Mr David Behr.
Tel: 020 7790 2874.
Email: info@congregationofjacob.org Website: www.congregationofjacob.org
FIELDGATE STREET GREAT SYNAGOGUE
41 Fieldgate Street, E1 1JU. Tel: 020 7247 2644.
Secretary: Mrs F. Treep.
Email: fieldgatestsynagogue@fsmail.net
FINCHLEY ROAD SYNAGOGUE
(Sassov), 4 Helenslea Avenue, London NW11 8ND.
Rav: Rabbi S. Freshwater. Tel: 020 8455 4305
LEYTONSTONE & WANSTEAD SYNAGOGUE
2 Fillebrook Road, London E11 4AT.
Secretary: Cllr. L. Braham. Tel: 020 8989 0978.
LOUGHTON SYNAGOGUE
Borders Lane, Loughton, Essex, IG10 1TE. Tel: 020 8508 0303.
Rav: Rabbi Y. Aronovitz. Secretary: Mrs M. Lewis.
Email: admin@loughtonsynagogue.com Website: http://loughtonsynagogue.com
SPRINGFIELD SYNAGOGUE
202 Upper Clapton Road, London E5 9DH. Tel: 020 8806 3167
Rav. Dayan I. Gukovitski. Secretary: Mr. R. Conway. Tel: 020 8806 3167
STAMFORD HILL BEIS HAMEDRASH
50 Clapton Common, London E5 9AL. Rav: Dayan D. Grynhaus.
Secretary: M. Chontow. Tel: 020 8800 7369.
WALTHAM FOREST HEBREW CONGREGATION
(Queens Road) 140 Boundary Road, London E17 8LA Tel: 020 8509 0775.
Rav: Rev. S. Myers. Secretary: Mrs B. Rose.
Email: secretary@wfhc.co.uk
WEST END GREAT SYNAGOGUE
(Beth Hasepher & Soho), 32 Great Cumberland Place, W1H 7TN.
Tel: 020 7724 8121.
Minister: Rev. Ari Cohen. Administrator: Ephraim Rosen
Email: wegs@clara.co.uk
SHOMREI HADATH SYNAGOGUE
64 Burrard Road, Hampstead, London NW6 1DD.
Rav: Rabbi D.Glass. Secretary: Mrs P. Schotten.
Tel: 020 7435 6906.
Website: http://shomrei-hadath.com
SINAI SYNAGOGUE
54 Woodstock Avenue, London NW11 9RJ. Tel: 020 8455 6876.
Rav: Rabbi B. Knopfler. Secretary: Mr E. Cohen. Tel: 020 8455 6876
YESHURUN SYNAGOGUE
Corner of Fernhurst Gardens and Stonegrove, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 7PH.
Rav: Rabbi A. Lewis Emeritus Rav: Dayan G. Lopian.
Administrator: Lisa Denby. Tel: 020 8952 5167.
Email: admin@yeshurun.org Website: www.yeshurun.org

15:28:00
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of Hamaor Magazine
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PHONE: 020 8958 7000
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