ShabbatUK at Leytonstone and Wanstead Synagogue

Report: ShabbatUK at Leytonstone and Wanstead Synagogue 1st - 2nd March 2019

Summary: First Ladies’ Challah Make in Leytonstone Shul – led by the Shul’s Rabbi’s wife – Rebbetzen Chaia Brackman. 

Leytonstone families honoured to host the Travelling Chassidim over Shabbat overnight in their own homes, including two hosted overnight in sleeping bags in the Shul itself.

Extraordinary Shabbat led by the Travelling Chassidim including communal Friday night meal, Shabbat morning service, communal lunch followed by mincha, Seuda Shlishit followed by Kumzitz, and Musical Havdalah.

First time that Leytonstone and Wanstead Synagogue is participating in ShabbatUK.

First Federation Shul to host the Travelling Chassidim

Ladies’ Challah Make – 28th February 2019

Led by Rebbetzen Chaia Brackman

The ladies made dough together using the ShabbatUK recipe, while Rebbetzen Brackman taught the meanings behind the ingredients that go into challah, as well as how to make the dough, knead and leave it to rise. This was followed by discussions about the meaning of taking Challah and the brachah and why it is a good time to make a prayer. After the dough had risen, Rebbetzen Brackman showed the ladies how to take Challah, how much to take, and how to burn it. Then the dough was taken home where attendees then each baked their own Challahs. Collectively the group also made challahs for the Shul including two enormous Challahs for the communal Friday night dinner the following day and smaller vegan Challahs following Lucy Barnes’ Vegan Challah recipe.

Chassidic Families hosted in Leytonstone:

Families in Leytonstone hosted members of the Travelling Chassidim including Cheski Monheit and Yossi Austerlitz and their families, Binyomin Binet, Rabbi Ahron Weingarten and Chazan Hereshi Friedman. Straight after Shabbat they were joined by further family members and Ari Kalish and his accordion.

Friday night: Chazan Friedman and his Travelling Chassidim comrades led a harmonious Kabbalat Shabbat with energetic dancing and followed by maariv. Chairman Phil Schryber namechecked all the Chassidic guests in his welcome at the end of the service, and invited all present to stay for a communal Friday night dinner. There were further songs as Kiddush wine was poured and hamotzi was said over enormous Challahs made in the Shul from the Ladies’ Challah Make the night before. Yakov Korer from Lubavitch led heated debate and discussions over a hot “Chinese-style” chicken meal (with veggie option). Further harmonious songs were shared over the meal, ranging from Shabbos favourites, Yiddish classics, to riffs on the lyrics “ShabbatUK”, “Shabbat in Leytonstone”, and “Leyton is the best”. Even the very late arrival of member Sammy Ebrahimoff was greeted with applause and songs spontaneously adapted with Sammy’s name inserted into harmoniously performed lyrics.

Shabbat morning: Rabbi Weingarten and Chazan Friedman led the davening, our very own Etan Blass leined and did the haftarah, and Cheski Monheit led Musaf. The service was punctuated by harmonious singing from our Chassidic guests and plenty more dancing. Kiddush and a lunch with more Challahs baked in the Shul followed, with hot Chulent and Kugel. Following lunch the Chassidim joined Leytonstone members for mincha, after which a convoy of members of the community and Travelling Chassidim and their families took a chilly stroll around Leytonstone. They visited the green and sunny Leyton Flats and showed the guests Leytonstone’s plentiful wildlife at Hollow Ponds, returning to the Shul for Kumzitz and Havdalah.

Musical Havdalah: Following a cosy Seudah Shlishit in the Shul, Rabbi Weingarten led a meditative Kumzitz drawing Shabbos to a close. As further members of the Leytonstone community arrived, the Travelling Chassidim prepared for Havdalah, the lights were dimmed, and lit candles were passed around for everyone present to hold while the Havdalah candle was lit. Rabbi Weingarten explained how the single candles represented how we are all individuals lighting our own candles at the start of Shabbat; whereas at the end of Shabbat we are all as one. He compared this to the way we are all members of a diverse Jewish community, whether from the Chassidic community or the local community, but also we are all as one like the woven strands of the Havdalah candle.

Meanwhile, Ari Kalish arrived with his accordion just in time to accompany a series of atmospheric traditional songs, as the Travelling Chassidim sang together in harmony with Chazan Friedman. Rabbi Weingarten led an evocative sensory Havdalah ceremony and the Shul’s treasured spice box was passed around. Further Travelling Chassidim family members arrived during the evening, having made the journey over from Stamford Hill as soon as Shabbos went out. This was followed by further dancing and singing with Ari Kalish alternating between keyboard and accordion, Chazan Friedman and Rabbi Weingarten leading the songs.

By the end of the evening Chassidim and Leytonstone members were swapping phone numbers, looking ahead to Purim and to forging long term connections between our communities.

Report by Ruth Solomons (secretary and treasurer of Leytonstone and Wanstead Synagogue)

Photos: Challah make photos courtesy of Wendy Smith

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bwpsQmOo1taN5pWguCjUzwAH-03C1h5r?usp=sharing

Musical Havdalah and Motzei Shabbos photos courtesy of: Bernard Stern

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/130X5q9OEGANSgIxeq0f9ZUEfc06l-kxf?usp=sharing

Contacts: Contact at Leytonstone Shul: Phil Schryber (Chairman of Leytonstone Synagogue) 07961124391

Contact for Travelling Chassidim: Rabbi Menasche Scharf 07974160252 - www.travellingchassidim.org.uk

Thank you HaShem!

There were about 15 residents living out in Midrand at the facility. The organisation has a head-office in Sandringham in JHB. I was often asked to bring things or people up and down between the offices & the factory. One morning on my way to the factory, I was asked to give a lift to one resident. This is a person who can’t talk properly, and she limps around. She is not able to use a knife and fork for eating, but can only use a spoon or a straw. An extra-mural that she does (and is very good at) is paint. But, because she can’t hold a paint brush with her fingers, she hears a helmet / hat-sort of thing, with a paint brush in the front, and she dips the paint in the brush & paints amazing pictures. (When we got married, she gave us a painting she did, and it hangs in our house – it is a very humbling picture). On this particular day, I decided to take a different route to Midrand, and went on the R21 instead of the N1 (probably because of traffic, but I can’t remember why I did it). In the car, I was talking to the resident, and she asked me why I am going on the R21, and not the N1? I asked her if she knows where we are, to which she answered me that she knows exactly what is going on around her, but she just has a non-functional body. I asked her how she lives, and she said she is a very happy person, I then asked why, she replied: she is happy with what she has, because she knows lots of people who are a lot worse off than her – I nearly drove off the road and had an accident hearing this from this person. it was a wake-up call of note, as to how grateful we need to be for everything we have in life.

Shabbos in Kenton with Travelling Chassidim

By Isaak Kohn of TCUK

A group of Chassidic with families attended the Kenton Community where they were warmly welcomed by the Kehilla members and President Roy Block, davening has uplifted the spirit with lively songs, cantor Moshe Mordche Meizlik impressed the whole Kehilla with his wonderful services, the walls of the Shul sang together whilst the Mispallelim burst out dancing, anyone who attendee the shul felt the air of joy when it was followed by a special Seudat Shabbos which has been host by the Rov of the kehillah Rabbi Yehudah Black and family, non of the attendance was ready to leave the room whilst the Chassidim spoke their feelings and how they feel from this holy Shabbos together with this wonderful kehilla, Shabbos morning the Chassidim sang a part of Yekum Purkon followed with the rosh Chodesh bentching, none of the mispallelim were ready to leave the shul from the spiritual time they had, later afternoon it was Q&A which it gave the kehilla the opportunity getting to know a chassidish farbreng, Motze Shabbos is indescribable the emotions went up whilst the chassidim sang the tefillah of the Barditschever rov which has been explained in English before they sang it, after havdoloh the chassidim danced for an hour with the entire community. No words could describe when we in Kenton had the longest Shabbos since we exist which it was amazing said by Roy Block, Mr Menashe scharf said every kehillah should learn from the Kenton kehilla the Achdus they have and how welcoming they were.

There was an introduction by every member of the Travelling Chassidim on Friday night at the Shabbos meal.

One of the TCUK members arrived minus Shtreymel, which created hilarious scenes of musical hats, with the chazan donating his headgear to the poor lad until he finished when the other chazan took over and in turn handed his furry hat to cover for the shlemazal...

This made the participants realise why he was wearing a cap instead of a Shtreimel as a sign from Hashem - leaving behind only the Shtreimel - reminding him about his late father zichroine livrocho who was born in Siberia and there is this kind of dressing code comes from, where he refused to say Schema Yisroel in Russian, Polish or Hebrew and refused to learn the Alef Beis, once he had his bris at the age of six in Krakow at the seudat bris he gave in and said Schma and he also started learning, this shows how we all Klal Yisroel belong to the same tree and we are connected to Hashem; it doesn’t matter what background, dressing code, kind of heart, a Jewish Neshomo stays always connected. 

On moitze Shabbos Yitzchok (Isaak)

Kohn sang the tefilloh from the Heliger Rabbi Levy Yitzchok of Barditchev for the new week, wearing a pheasant's cap and explaining the meaning behind the song. It was an amazing atmosphere when all the participants where overwhelmed and where stunned of those incredible moments, after havdoleh the dancing became an unforgettable experience. At the end they couldn’t leave the chassidim and asked to come again.

Rabbi Shmuel Yitzchok Salzman sang and explained the story behind the song of the modzitz chossid who produced the Ani Mamin that was composed to the rhytm of the train wheels, when people were being led to their death in the extermination camps.no one will forget this extraordinary moments.

Special thanks to Rabbi Binjomin Bineth who organised the Shabbos

Bayis Ne-eman – HaGefen UK

On Rosh Chodesh Sivan, Bayis Ne-eman – HaGefen UK held a Seudas Rosh Chodesh in Park Avenue Restaurant on Clapton Common in which thirty three shadchonim participated. The gathering was preceeded by a kvias mezuza at the new office on Clapton Common. Rabbi Chaim Michoel Biberfeld, Rav of Tchortkov Beis Medrash is South Tottenham was honoured with kvias hamezuzah which was followed by a lechaim. Rabbi Avrohom Monderer, Rov of Kossov Beis Medrash In Stamford Hill, spoke at the event, giving chizuk to the shadchonim in their avodas hakodesh. This was followed by the main speaker, Rabbi Biberfeld.

Bayis Ne’eman is the new name of the revamped shidduchim organisation HaGefen UK in London.

The organisation is a forum for shadchonim to discuss and brainstorm shidduch ideas in their weekly or forthnightly meetings. The office is a place where dedicated shadchonim with many years of experience in the field operate from. The shadchonim are provided with a comfortable workspace from where to make calls and emails and where they can meet people. It is planned that in the near future ladies shadchaniyos will also be employed and they will work from the office in separate shifts.

Bayis Ne’eman is also the address for parents of singles to turn to; every name is taken seriously and given its due attention. For the askonim at Bayis Ne-eman – HaGefen UK, marrying off any single is considered a chessed whatever the person’s age. It’s all about setting up a Jewish home, a place for hashroas hashchinah.

The new name of the organisation “Bayis Ne-eman – HaGefen UK” heralds a new lease of life to the shidduch scene in London. Several new askonim have become involved to offer support and local Rabbonim are giving their wholehearted encouragement. There are exciting plans for expansion, one example is the employment highly respected shadchonim. Advertisements in the press will make their services more widely known, with the hope that soon we will all be happy to participate at the establishment of many a bayis ne-eman beyisroel.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is this world so unfair? Please don't tell me "We can't understand G-d's ways." I am sick of hearing that. I want an explanation.

Answer:

Are you sure you want an explanation? Do you really want to know why the innocent suffer? I think not. You are far better off with the question than with an answer.

You are bothered by the fact that people suffer undeservedly. As you should be. Any person with an ounce of moral sensitivity is outraged by the injustices of our world. Abraham, the first Jew, asked G-d, "Should the Judge of the whole world not act fairly?" Moses asked, "Why have You treated this people badly?" And today we still ask, "Why G-d, why?"

But what if we found the answer? What if someone came along and gave us a satisfying explanation? What if the mystery were finally solved? What if we asked why, and actually got an answer?

If this ultimate question were answered, then we would be able to make peace with the suffering of innocents. And that is unthinkable. Worse than innocent people suffering is others watching their suffering unmoved. And that's exactly what would happen if we were to understand why innocents suffer. We would no longer be bothered by their cry, we would no longer feel their pain, because we would understand why it is happening.

Imagine you are in a hospital and you hear a woman screaming with pain. Outside her room, her family is standing around chatting, all smiling and happy. You scream at them, "What's wrong with you? Can't you hear how much pain she is in?" They answer, "This is the delivery ward. She is having a baby. Of course we are happy."

When you have an explanation, pain doesn't seem so bad anymore. We can tolerate suffering when we know why it is happening.

And so, if we could make sense of innocent people suffering, if we could rationalise tragedy, then we could live with it. We would be able to hear the cry of sweet children in pain and not be horrified. We would tolerate seeing broken hearts and shattered lives, for we would be able to neatly explain them away. Our question would be answered, and we could move on.

But as long as the pain of innocents remains a burning question, we are bothered by its existence. And as long as we can't explain pain, we must alleviate it. If innocent people suffering does not fit into our worldview, we must eradicate it. Rather than justifying their pain, we need to get rid of it.

So keep asking the question, why do bad things happen to good people. But stop looking for answers. Start formulating a response. Take your righteous anger and turn it into a force for doing good. Redirect your frustration with injustice and unfairness and channel it into a drive to fight injustice and unfairness. Let your outrage propel you into action. When you see innocent people suffering, help them. Combat the pain in the world with goodness. Alleviate suffering wherever you can.

We don't want answers, we don't want explanations, and we don't want closure. We want an end to suffering. And we dare not leave it up to G-d to alleviate suffering. He is waiting for us to do it. That's what we are here for.