Chairman's Report: Kehillat Kernow
AGM held at Cardrew Junior School

As chairman for the past year I have seen our group grow and come together as a real unit made up of warm, generous and good-hearted people. Our services have continued to be held regularly and have been well attended and I would like to pass on my official thanks to David Hampshire for all the wealth of knowledge he brings to our services and the enthusiasm with which he conducts and arranges those services. Thanks are also due to Ben Barnet who has taken on his share of Shabbat services during the past year.

We have also been fortunate in our association with the RSGB. David Jacobs, the Synagogue Support services Director for the RSGB has been in constant touch with me throughout the year via email and phone offering advice and practical help when required. He has also as you may know sent us a donation of prayer books and the Lulav and Etrog. Mr Jacobs has also been instrumental in boosting our congregation by letting his friends and associates know that we exist. Thus we have had a number of visitors from Finchley and Edgware as well as from further afield. One such family has since become a collective member of Kehillat Kernow.

Our monthly adult group meetings have also continued and been very fruitful and we hope that these will be maintained throughout the coming year, at alternating venues.

We have also seen several of our members Bat and Bar Mitzvahed, which has been a great joy to us all.

Although at one point during the year my health was low, the community's interests continued to be served by our Deputy Chair, Bonnie Rockley, and I would like to thank her officially for her terrific support during that time, especially when she, herself, was just getting over a serious operation.

On larger issues I have written a number of letters to various organisations on such matters as the Torah scroll held in trust by Truro Museum - this is waiting to go before a Museum Council meeting shortly so we should have some kind of decision quite soon - , the use of a portion of the municipal burial grounds outside Camborne - again we are waiting for a council decision on that - and the purchase of kosher foods from Sainsbury's store in Truro. No news on that one either as yet - getting quick decisions on anything here in Cornwall seems a no-no area.

For the future I see our community continuing to grow with new members from other areas who have holiday connections with the area wanting to join and with closer links being made with other communities, Exeter and Totnes for example. David Jacobs and I have already tentatively talked about a study/community weekend at a central location for South West Jews, hosted by DJ in order to help establish enduring links between our communities.

We have also seen the establishment of a web site, www.kehillatkernow.com, which is beginning to take shape. At the moment, its creator, the innovative Noah Hearle is the only one who can do anything with it, but I hope to have the time in the future to get to grips with it so that I can add additional material and information as and when necessary. In the meantime our thanks go to Noah for all his hard work in that respect.

Finally I would like to thank all members of the committee who have given their time and energy in the support of our community, and especially to Jackie and Leslie who have both kept me on my toes - even when I would have preferred to lie flat on my back!

Harvey Kurzfield - October 14th 2001 : Tishri 27 5762

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