On a very stormy Shabbat, with weather warnings all round the UK, a small, intimate but very active congregation were treated to a lovely service led by Rabbi Barry Baron who is the Chaplain at Colgate University in New York State. On the Friday evening before, he had led the service for the JSoc at the Penryn campus in Falmouth

For his dvar torah, Rabbi Barry took us on an historical tour of the week’s parsha, Chayei Sara, which happened to be his barmitzvah sedrah. We discovered when, how and why vowels were introduced under (and also, originally, over) Hebrew letters; how mention of Abraham meeting with the Hittites places the moment at a particular and identifiable time in history; that it is the first time a prayer appears in the Torah and, significantly, it is a prayer for someone else; and that the story of Rebecca’s veil gives us the tradition of ‘bedecking’ at Jewish weddings.

At the kiddush following the service, Rabbi Barry was presented with a Kehillat Kernow kiddush cup in recognition for his support for our small community.

Members of Kehillat Kernow joined other Faith groups from across Cornwall on Wednesday 13 November to sign Cornwall’s new Faith Covenant, a joint commitment between Cornwall Council and Cornwall’s faith communities to work together to support Cornwall residents.

The Covenant was developed by Cornwall Council in partnership with faith groups to support the council to help bring communities together and promote a sense of pride in Cornwall’s diversity.

Cornwall Council is the first local authority in the south-west to develop a Covenant but many other councils across the UK have developed one using a model created by the All Party Parliamentary group on Faith and Society.

All the groups involved came together at an event at Lys Kernow/County Hall in Truro to sign the Covenant which included members of the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jewish, and Pagan faiths, alongside a representative from the Humanist community. Each group brought a sacred object that represented their faith, to be placed in the Inter Faith room of reflection at Lys Kernow.

Members of Kehillat Kernow joined students at Falmouth University and the University of Exeter at the Penryn Campus in Falmouth to celebrate Sukkot. In lovely autumn weather we gathered outside the Chaplaincy building on campus where Gemma Tracey (centre photo), the Co-ordinating Chaplain and member of Kehillat Kernow, had erected a small Sukkah. Jo Richler and Paul Kleiman brought the KK Lulav and Etrog and a number of students along with Adam Feldman – who happened to be teaching just around the corner that day – joined us in saying the Berachot/Blessings and enjoying the refreshments.

Once again the Kehillat Kernow community celebrated the High Holy Days in the peaceful, contemplative rural surroundings of Roselidden Farm near Helston.

The Rosh Hashana service was led by the quartet of Hilary Ackland, Mai Jacobson, Paul Kleiman and Jo Richler. The Yom Kippur services were led by Student Rabbi Jennifer Verson.

As always both services were followed by a lovely communal meal with food and wine supplied by members of the community.

^{Clockwise from top left: KK Chair Jeremy Jacobson and Treasurer Leslie Lipert before the service; Two members chatting before the service begins; Communal Meal ‘selfie’ taken by Roger Chatfield; peaceful Roselidden.}

During Pesach, members of Kehillat Kernow gathered together for their annual Matzah Ramble and Picnic at Enys Gardens. The weather was glorious and Enys is famous for its massive display of bluebells that cover the ground as far as the eye can see. As well as enjoying the food and company, a few members took up Mai Jacobson’s offer of leading a Qigong (pronounced chi-kung) session on the lawn outside Enys House.