Dear Rabbi Anna, Members and Friends

Earlier this month we had our first service inside the OMH for more than a year.  It was attended by 12 and more than a dozen others participated via Zoom.

As mentioned last month, Rabbi Anna will be taking our Yom Kippur services, but she is with her London community, BKY, for Rosh Ha’Shanah.  The High Holydays are very early this year, with erev Rosh Ha’Shanah being on the evening of Monday 6^th September.  We will be having a home-grown service at OMH and with participation via Zoom for those unable to be present.  Home-grown services were much appreciated in 2018 and 2019.

I presented Rabbi Anna with a small gift, a paperweight, from NLJC in recognition of her recent wedding.

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As part of the preparations for resuming services inside the OMH, Annie Henriques and I went there on Thursday 29^th July.  The eternal light in the Ark is powered by batteries which should last no more than six weeks. They were last charged in March 2020.  Remarkably, this is how I found the light:

Still glowing, just, after nearly 18 months.  A nes gadol, a great miracle, reminiscent of Chanukah.

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On Thursday 27^th July we visited the Norwich Hebrew Congregation shul to see the renovations.  NLJC participants were Sarah Boosey, Venetia Strangwayes-Booth, Byron Simmonds and Philip Lawrence.  We were warmly greeted and shown around by Marian Prinsley and Poppy Simons.

Written questions concerning the NHC proposal have been submitted by the NLJC Council to the NHC Committee.  We have been asked for some additional information about NLJC and understand that a written response will be sent.  This will form the basis for further discussion.

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Peter Whear, a former Chair of NLJC and long-serving Council member, has had to stand down because of ever increasing work commitments.  We all thank him for his efforts on our behalf over the years.  Recently Leiat Becker, Donna Frankel and Elise Page were co-opted onto the Council.

Philip Lawrence

Dear Rabbi Anna, Members and Friends

Last month we had our first ‘in person’ service for more than a year, in the grassed area behind the OMH. It was attended by more than a dozen. The rain stayed away and the wifi for the Zoom component of the service worked, most of the time.

Rabbi Anna is getting married over the weekend of our July service and is therefore on leave. A big mazeltov to her and Tamara from NLJC. We are very fortunate that Rabbi Roddy has kindly agreed to take Friday evening and Shabbat morning services via Zoom.

In August the plan is for Rabbi Anna to lead another service in Norwich. We are looking into how we can arrange this inside the OMH. Government and LJ guidance will be followed and we may decide to take even stronger precautions to maintain everyone’s safety.

The High Holydays are early this year, with erev Rosh Ha’Shanah being on the evening of Monday 6 September. Rabbi Anna will be with her other community, BKY, but she will be  taking our Yom Kippur services. Possibilities for our RH services are to join the BKY service  by Zoom, to have a locum minister or a home-grown service.

By now you should all be aware that Rabbi Anna will be leaving us at the end of the year. Preliminary steps are under way to find a successor.

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And now for something completely different. I had arranged a treat for you on Thursday

10th June – a 31% partial eclipse of the sun. Unfortunately, I missed the newsletter  deadline. To make up for this I shall be arranging a total eclipse of the Moon in May 2022 and a small partial solar eclipse in October 2022.

Philip Lawrence

Dear Rabbi Anna, Members and Friends,

You may be wondering what is happening ‘behind the scenes’. It may seem like not much has been happening, but I can assure you that many hours of effort have been and are being expended for the NLJC and its members.

The big topic is about the resumption of services ‘in person’. Services via Zoom have been amazing, by the fact that this wonderful technology exists at all – my Boobas and Zaidas would have been astounded – and by their warm content. They could have been cold and impersonal, but we must thank Rabbi Anna for making them the exact opposite. They have kept us going in very trying circumstances.

You will have received emails about our service on Saturday 12^th June taking place outdoors at the OMH. This will be proof that Rabbi Anna is not generated by computer graphics. We will be restricted to a maximum of 30, prior ‘booking’ will be needed, everyone will be widely spaced, no singing although you can hum behind a mask! No schmoozing or hanging around afterwards. Bring your own siddur, umbrella, and chair or blanket. No shared Kiddush, so no Palwin’s number 9³/4. We would be reassured by negative Covid tests in the previous 24-48 hours.

Rabbi Roddy has kindly agreed to officiate for the July service, which will be via Zoom.

No decisions have been made yet about August and then the High Holydays, although we are hoping that national circumstances will be such that we can resume services inside the OMH. Rabbi Anna will be taking our Yom Kippur services, but she will be with her other community, BKY, for Rosh HaShanah.

Philip Lawrence

Dear Rabbi Anna, Members and Friends,

In an idle moment, not that I have many of those these days, I was thinking ahead to the High Holy Days and musing on the topic of charity. In one of the services there is a section about charity. Different types of charity are listed from best to not so meritorious, such as charity where the recipient does not know the donor and the donor does not know the recipient and no-one knows that the donor has given anything.

And then there is the saying ‘Charity begins at home’. Sounds a little surprising, but I presume the phrase does not mean monetary charity and so there must other types of charity. The word derives from the Latin ‘caritas’ meaning ‘dear’ and the word ‘charity’ appeared in late Old English and meant ‘Christian love of one’s fellows’.

So charity is motivated by love (compassion, empathy and the desire to make life better for others) and sometimes manifests itself by the giving of money. Where is ‘home’? I think ‘home’ in this case means ‘the people you know’, whether under your roof, in your family, among your friends or within your community. And ‘begins’ has to mean that this is your prime responsibility. What factors make an act of charity better? – when it is uncomfortable for the donor – monetarily (or otherwise) or by giving way for the sake of others. You want to say something. Think first. Could it upset someone? Bite your tongue. Don’t say it. That is charity. Someone says something which does upset you. Try not to react. Preserve the relationship. Swallow your pride. That is charity.

On occasions you will think someone has been unreasonable. Consider apologising yourself for the difficult situation. It is very hard to do, but that is charity. Put yourself in the shoes of others. Try to understand their difficulties. Accept that they are not perfect, not always thoughtful. After all, you are not perfect or always thoughtful. Give some leeway. That is charity.

I have tried to adopt these ways of thinking and behaving. Being diplomatic, tolerant, understanding and forgiving are important for the Chair of a synagogue and for everyone in all situations.

The above is not an exercise in writing prose. This is something for you to read and to think about and to change your behaviour and approach. Don’t shrug it off. Make the world a better place. Bring us a little closer to the Messianic age. Be charitable. Otherwise, why are you here?

Philip Lawrence

Dear Rabbi Anna, Members and Friends,

Following our 31st AGM on 24 March you have a new Council. It is new in the sense that it is newly elected, but many of the faces round the virtual table are the same as last year. You do, however, have a new occupant of the hot seat, so I’d better introduce myself, for those of you who don’t know me.

I was a founder member of the then Progressive Jewish Community of East Anglia in January 1990. Our first Chair was the wonderful Liz Allan from 1990-1996. I took over from her until 1999. Seven others have occupied the position between then and last month. I thought once was enough for me – dayenu –and did not expect to be here again. I guess it’s just the way the matzah crumbles.

I have been on Council for most of the community’s 31 years. It’s a sense of duty and looking after ‘my baby’, not a desire to hog (sorry, unkosher word), centre stage. For those who have seen me, but not known who I was, I usually have a white beard of rabbinic length, although it does get drastically trimmed on rare occasions. It makes up for the lack of hair on top. I generally sit at the back of the Old Meeting House – partly shyness and partly to add marginally to security. Our American members would know this as riding shotgun.

Many years ago I was involved as co-author of our Constitution. For a short period I was membership secretary. I started the burial group and drew up guidance for members of the group and I have been involved with the Rites and Practices Committee and with the Finance Committee. Generally I pick up the odd jobs like researching a topic or drawing up some document or other. For three years I have written the Yiddish column in our newsletter and I proof-read the newsletter, so any residual errors are entirely down to me.

There have been a few occasions when we’ve had no rabbi to take a Shabbat service and two years when there was no rabbi for the High Holydays. For the latter we were blessed with a nes gadol – a great miracle – in the form of Kim Greenacre, who arranged and led the services with sensitivity and precise organisation, with me as her second in command, and Lily Whear, whose singing was outstanding. Kim, Alan Joseph, Steven Haire and I read from the scroll, which is an indescribably moving experience.

I hope that in the coming months we shall be able to meet in person and that the newer Members and Friends will be able to see us all in 3-D. For the moment I’ve taken up enough of your time and I have to save something for next month and the month after………… Philip Lawrence