Monthly Archives: March 2016

Elkan's View

Elkans View from Netanya

Israel at the moment is in the lovely gap between Purim and Pesach.   Last week the country was full of people in fancy dress, after a week of preparation schools were closed for three days, the weather for this Jewish Bank Holiday was excellent, and everyone enjoyed themselves. In a country which faces daily the presence of 21st Century Hamans, Purim has particular resonance.

Pesach, the Festival of Freedom, with its demanding schedule of preparatory work, looms ahead. Stores are beginning to fill with “special offers” – food wine haggadot etc. A sense of excitement affects the younger members of the family. “Where will you be for Leil Haseder – Seder night” (only one in this country) is asked, and notes compared.

This week I went with the Association for the Welfare of Israeli Soldiers to visit the IDF doghandling unit. The dogs are trained to do a number of tasks. Some are able to sniff out explosive material and are on patrol in the West Bank almost nightly. Some are trained to chase and corner suspects, and move silently without barking. Yet others can be sent out to find mines and other explosive devices, for which purpose they carry radio receivers to hear the instructions of their handlers.

As with any army there are casualties. The base has a cemetery in which dogs who have died while in the IDF are buried. Each has a small tombstone bearing his or her name and how they died – on active service, or in the course of an operation. During Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in 2014, two of the dogs were killed in the tunnels. Lugo and Riso were brought back and interred in the cemetery, and a small piece of concrete from one of the tunnels was placed over their graves.

I found this deeply moving, that such concern should be shown and in this form, but dogs are Gd’s creation and the army reflects this sensitivity. On the memorial statue at the entrance, showing a soldier and his dog, is a poem that finishes “Walk softly, for here lie soldiers of Israel”. True, very true.

 

Jeremy’s Notes

Tzav

…and He called to Moses, speaking to him from the Communion Tent. These are the words with which the parsha of Va-yikra launches Leviticus, the third book in our annual cycle. God instructs Moses in the intricate rituals of sacrifice. There are many kinds of offering, some freely made by any member of the community, peace and sin offerings, one for the High Priest, one for the King (though there is not yet a King to sin) those for the community and those for commoners. There are also offerings for unintentional sins, for misappropriation and for dishonesty. Some of the sacrifices allow people who cannot afford to bring an animal to substitute it with a pair of birds and, if they cannot afford these, they may bring wheat meal. There is a whole range of animals – kosher, of course –  doves and flour indicated for different purposes The manner of their preparation and sacrifice must have required much study and care on the part of the priests.

The laws relating to offerings continue in Tzav, whose commands cover what may be eaten of the sacrifices and how. It goes on to deal with the installation of the priests. That is all there is to be found in this announcement, but you may find out much more and share in the joy of Shabbat by coming to this week’s service, which will be held at 10.30. Adam Feldman will be leading us.

Jeremy’s Notes

P’kudei

Earlier Moses received instructions on the making of the tabernacle, the ark, the altars, the lamp and other furniture and implements to be used both to host God’s presence and to serve for his worship. In Ya-yakhel, the construction of these things begins. We have become used to berating ourselves for our failings: the golden calf, our complaints and fears. Here, however, the people show the best within them. Moses ask for offerings of skins, wool, fine linen, gold, silver and precious stones with which to build and weave the furniture and furnishings. He asks for volunteers to craft and form everything as it should be, and he is overwhelmed by the contributions and by the volunteers. So much is given that the architects and builders have to ask the people to stop bringing more things. Sometimes one’s family can bring sorrow and pain, but here they bring joy.

And so we come to P’kudei, or the accounting, the making of the priestly vestments and the literal joining of the tribes of Israel to the High Priest by the names attached to his breastplate. Moses is pleased with all the work and everything is made ready. “God’s glory filled the Tabernacle” and the people are ready to move on, as move they must. Chazak, chazak, v’nitzchazeik.

To join the congregation in prayer and to gain insight into this week’s parsha, come along this Saturday at 10.30. David Jacobs, former Director for Synagogue Partnership for the Movement for Reform Judaism and now a Community Consultant, will be leading the service.

News

Ceremonies to Mark Restoration of Penzance Jewish Cemetery

The restoration was completed in August 2105. For more details of this and of the cemetery in general go to Penzance Cemetery on this site and to Friends of Penzance Jewish Cemetery.  A great deal of credit for the restoration rests with Leslie Lipert, Treasurer of both Kehillat Kernow and the Friends of the Cemetery, in raising the funds, and with Jon Pender, former Planning Officer and Chairman of the Friends, in processing the listed building applications and overseeing the restoration itself.

Two ceremonies are scheduled to mark the restoration. The first of these will be a re-sanctification, which will take place on 13 March, to be attended by the Jewish community in Cornwall and to be led by David Jacobs.

The second ceremony will take place on 18 May and will be attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, Colonel Bolitho OBE, Colin Spanjar, of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, local dignitaries, significant donors and friends of the cemetery. Please note that attendance at the civic ceremony is strictly by invitation.

Elkan's View

Elkans View from Netanya

Last Monday I ventured for the first time into a Hebrew play at the Habimah theatre in Tel Aviv.

The Habimah started life in Bialystok in 1912 and despite persecution by czarist authorities continued throughout the war after which its existence was confirmed by leading Bolsheviks including Joseph Stalin. In 1926 the company left to tour abroad, and although some of them remained in America other members immigrated to Mandate Palestine. Habimah speedily gained a position as the National Jewish theatre, with a large Hebrew repertoire, and it retains this position to this day. Among their early productions in Tel Aviv were Hebrew translations of Shakespeare, but perhaps their most famous play was Ansky’s “The Dybbuk”, telling of a Demon who possesses the body of a young bride. Performed in a Hebrew translation by the famous poet Bialik, this became one of the great cultural emblems of the Hebrew theatre.

Habimah’s first purpose-built theatre in Habimah Square in Tel Aviv was erected in 1945, and then vastly extended in 2012 so that the building now includes four auditoriums of different sizes.

The play that I saw was a biography of the famous Chazan Yossele Rosenblatt. He is one of the greatest Chazzanim and his influence on the art is incalculable. Born in the Ukraine he moved through a series of positions in Europe until in 1912 he emigrated to New York where he was to have his greatest impact. Many of his compositions have entered the repertoire of synagogues, but perhaps his most famous is the tune for Shir Hama’alot that most of us sing before Birkat Hamazon – look up “Yossele Rosenblatt Shir Hamaalot” on YouTube.

Rosenblatt commanded vast fees for concerts and appearances as guest Chazan in various synagogues, but he was financially naive and lost his money to fraudsters. To restore his fortunes he appeared in the first talkie film “The Jazz Singer”. In 1933 he came to film in Israel but died on location and is buried in Jerusalem.

The combination of the historic theatre, the great Chazan and the Hebrew stage was riveting; I will be back there soon