ShabbatUK meets TCUKE in Manchester

In what has become a much anticipated event, ShabbatUK was once again a huge success in shuls across the UK. This year the stakes were higher than usual as ShabbatUK was an opportunity for Rabbis to encourage their congregants to take the plunge and properly come back to shul, since attendance had dropped to all-time lows due to COVID-19. Rabbis and their devoted Rebbetzins worked tirelessly to create programmes, which would attract people - both new and regular attendees - to make this a very special Shabbos. Two shuls in Manchester teamed up with the popular kiruv group – the Travelling Chassidim – to offer their congregants a very special Shabbos to remember. At the Shrubberies, which is run by Rabbi Dovid and Rebbetzen Eisenberg, the ShabbatUK activities began with an arts and crafts session on the previous Sunday. The children made beautiful posters which were not only hung up around the shul building but also printed in the special souvenir bencher, which was distributed in honour of the occasion. A hands-on Challah Bake, held in the Hilton Suite, was likewise very successful, with a large number of people of all ages - including members of the Friendship Circle and Heathland Village - joining together to learn about the significance of taking challah, with practical demonstrations of beautiful challah making. ShabbatUK at the Shrubberies was a joint project with the Friendship Circle, which is no surprise to those who know this lovely community. They have developed a name as an extremely inclusive community and there are a number of special needs adults from the community who have chosen to make the Shrubberies their shul, for its welcoming, helpful atmosphere. The Travelling Chassidim joined Shrubberies for Friday night davening, where they created a beautiful atmosphere with their lebedig singing and dancing. At the chicken soup and whisky Kiddush which followed Ma’ariv, the Travelling Chassidim and their families stayed and mingled with the shul members, with more singing and friendly ‘schmoozing’. Shabbos morning found the Travelling Chassidim once more joining the shul where one of their members davened Shacharis for the omud. Musaf was followed by a beautifully laid out ‘kiddunch’; a buffet style Shabbos lunch with cholent, kugel and more. The afternoon’s programme included a Q & A session with the Travelling Chassidim and the shul members asked some really good questions. The two groups really got to know each other and discovered that, as one person said, “...our similarities are so much more than our differences!”. The group made a fabulous impression on the shul members. One woman said: “Inviting the Travelling Chassidim was the best thing our shul ever did. It must have been hard for the chassidic men to come into our shul, but they were all so warm and friendly, and they didn’t just go home after davening; they stayed for the whole programme!”. In Meade Hill Shul, Rabbi Yanky and Rebbetzen Prijs started off their ShabbatUK activities with a Shabbos-themed paint night for the ladies, and an evening with Rabbi Yosef Grunfeld of Seed for the men. They also had a very successful Challah Bake, with participants aged 12 – 90! Some of the women had never baked challah before and this was a beautiful opportunity to become acclimated to this special mitzvah. Bags of dough were distributed, and after the women watched Mrs Sue First make her dough, they were each able to try out the plaiting techniques which were demonstrated. It was a very inspiring evening, and a perfect intro to the beautiful Shabbos ahead. Meade Hill Shul had some very special guests for the occasion: Chazzan Michoel Streicher from the USA (of Eyn Aroch Lecho fame) lifted the shul sky-high, with his beautiful singing and davening, and Rabbi Y. Y. Rubinstein was brought over as the guest speaker. Rabbi Rubinstein spoke four times over the course of Shabbos, leaving everyone inspired as they were entertained! The other guests, of course, were the Travelling Chassidim families who joined for the whole Shabbos. Friday Night saw them on the bimah, accompanying the Chazzan in his inspiring singing, and after Lecho Dodi, they led the men in spirited dancing around the shul. Here, too, a chicken soup and whisky Kiddush followed davening, where the Chassidim sat amongst the shul families and quickly made friends. Shabbos morning davening was followed by a beautifully laid out four-course Shabbos seuda, expertly arranged by Rebbetzen Prijs. Once again, the Travelling Chassidim and their families broke down many barriers as many pre-conceived notions were swiftly laid to rest. Both groups really enjoyed the experience; many new friendships were formed. Later in the afternoon, the shul hall filled up again for a gala Shalosh Seudos with a larger group of Travelling Chassidim joining. Once more the hall was filled with their lively singing and friendly demeanour. As with his previous droshos, Rabbi Rubinstein managed to delight the audience with his warm and witty words and exceptionally meaningful stories. Chazzan Streicher moved the people to tears with his composition – the Last Seder in the Warsaw Ghetto – where he poignantly sang about Moishele asking his father if they would be alive next year to ask the Mah Nishtanah. ShabbatUK ended on a high with a musical Havdalah by the guest Chazzan and the Travelling Chassidim and it was with feelings of having experienced something unique that old and new friends left the shul, looking forward to the next occasion where they would join together again. Mrs S., an active participant of Meade Hill said that for her, the best part was “...the way people from all walks of life came together to daven to the One Hashem, regardless of what they wore on their heads. As Rabbi Rubinstein said, we are all neshomas, not just black hats or kippot serugot”. Similar events took place in various shuls across London as Travelling Chassidim groups joined up with Kenton United Synagogue, Walford Road shul in Stoke Newington and also Woodford Forest Synagogue in East London, and much enthusiastic feedback was received from there as well. Immense hakoras hatov is due to the CCE – or Centre for Community Excellence - part of the Office of the Chief Rabbi, which graciously subsidised a significant part of the various ShabbatUK programmes.