All the High Holy Day services were well attended this year on the 8th and 9th of October with many visitors from afar and our own community of Kehillat Kernow.  Services were masterfully led by student rabbi, Eleanor Davis, and included on Yom Kippur afternoon, a special discussion of modern sins and their connection with the twenty-two sins cited throughout the service as part of the atonement liturgy in our machzors on this solemn holiday.  

With Jeremy Jacobson’s reading of  the Jonah story in the afternoon  and the concluding Shofar blowing by Adam Feldman, the holiday concluded with Havdalah, and a breaking of the fast with a fine supper.

Special thanks to all those who contributed to making this a most meaningful observance and to Mai Jacobson, Rachel Brown and Leslie Lipert who took all the pictures.

PIctures of Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur can be viewed by clicking onto the Photo Gallery above.

It may have been raining on Erev Rosh HaShannah and on the  day of 5780, but the sun certainly shone when a large number of people from within the Cornish community  and from the greater community gathered together for services and delightful celebratory cuisine, both traditional and contemporary to observe the first part of the High Holy Days.

 Led enthusiastically by KK’s  talented Adam Feldman, the service was warmly received and much appreciated. 

The catering was the traditional wine, whiskey, apples and honey, Challah and honey cakes were  contributed by members of the KK community.

All good wishes for a happy, healthy and good new year: L’Shannah Tovah. Hag Sameah!

Photos of this event supplied can been seen clicking by

Mai Jacobson and/or Rachel Brown

The Fiction, Film, Food Event at Malpas Village Hall on the afternoon of 22nd September proved that both secular and religious rites of passage can somehow be managed with the showing of Sixty-Six for members of Kehillat Kernow and the greater community from the Cornwall Faith Forum. Add some popcorn, scones, brownies, and some Rosh HaShannah goodies, it was a fine combination of the best of British and the best of Jewish.

The funny and moving film told the story of a Jewish boy whose Bar Mitzvah was scheduled on the day of the famous 1966 World Cup at Wembley. Talk about a conflict of interests. A way around this tricky situation is happily resolved and offered much food for thoughtful and light-hearted  inter-faith conversation that belies the adage that sometimes, one can be all things to all people. Organised by Adam Feldman, this popular venue always promises to be of interest to a varied group of pictures. 

Photos can be seen by clicking here.

Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur will be celebrated in Cornwall this year as follows.

Erev Rosh Hashanah (Sunday, 29 September), 29 Elul 6:30 p.m.

Service will start promptly at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a catered evening meal provided  by Kehillat Kernow to bring in the New Year.

Rosh Hashanah (Monday, 30 September, 1st day), 1 Tishri, 5780 at 10:30 a.m.

Service will be followed by a catered luncheon sponsored by Jo Richler and Paul Kleiman.

Kol Nidre, Erev Yom Kippur (Tuesday, 8 October), 9 Tishri 7:00 p.m.

Yom Kippur (Wednesday, 19 September), 10 Tishri 10:30 am

Yischor Service is scheduled for about 4:30 – 5:00 p.m.. A catered dinner to  break the fast will follow the last service which should end about 6:30 p.m.

Visitors who will be here during this period are welcome to attend our celebrations and services. Donations to help cover costs will be appreciated.  At the same time, we participate in the MRJ High Holy Days Ticket Scheme for anyone aged between 18 and 27, but without the tickets!  In other words, if you are Jewish and aged between 18 and 27 just come along without worrying about making a donation.

A highlight for this year is that we will again be blessed with the services of Student Rabbi, this time, Eleanor Davis, who is escaping from London to conduct Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur, so another reason to add to those you already have to come along and join in our most sacred days. Eleanor began as a peripatetic music teacher in Gloucestershire before moving to work in arts administration, spending many years in London’s West End. She has been especially involved in adult education at Edgware & Hendon Reform Synagogue and for Reform Judaism. “Why should children have all the fun studying Torah?” asks Eleanor. Covering maternity absence led her to four years of creating a weekly e-newsletter (Eits Chinuch) for Jewish educators, which wove Torah together with many and varied topics. That in turn led her to Leo Baeck College to further her search for ways both to bring our whole selves into the synagogue and inspire us to take our Jewishness with us as we go back out into the world.