Author Archives: Damion Hazael

Lag B’Omer Walk

Angela and Barry Sklan invited the congregants to join them on Lag B’Omer for a walk from the Cenotaph to Coy Pond and back. Nearly 20 people turned up and enjoyed a leisurely stroll to Coy Pond in glorious Summer sunshine. Upon arrival in Coy Pond, Angela and Barry produced strawberries with cream and ice cream rolls, in celebration of their wedding anniversary, which were enjoyed by all. Some of the participants then undertook more energetic activities involving frisbees, tennis balls, etc.  A wonderful time was had by all.

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Reflections on the Holocaust

Yom Hashoah at BHC (559x800)

On Sunday 27th April 2014 we held the annual Yom Ha’Shoah Remembrance Day event at the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation, during which Ivor Weintroub, BHC President, gave a speech entitled Reflections on the Holocaust, which gives a personal and detailed perspective of the history on Anti-Semitism over the centuries to the present day.

For those of you who would like to read the text of this informative speech, we are making it available as a PDF file which you can download and save on to your computer by clicking on this link Reflections on the Holocaust .

Yom HaShoah Remembrance Service

Yom Hashoah at BHC (559x800)

This year’s Yom HaShoah Remembrance Service at the BHC was a well-attended, moving and memorable occasion. After the Mincha Service, President Ivor Weintroub gave a talk which chronicled the roots and the history of anti-Semitism which led to the horrifying events of the Holocaust. This was followed by the Maariv service and prayers for the 6 Million Jewish souls that perished during the Holocaust.

After the Shul services, everyone went down to the Menorah suite to attend a discussion led by Prof David Weitzman, during which he interviewed three Holocaust survivors, Prof Otto Hutter, Walter Kammerling and Henry Schachter, who recalled their experiences, during which members of the panel as well as the attendees were moved to tears. Walter and Henry talked about the educational work that they do, visiting schools, talking to the younger generation about their experiences. Candles were lit in memory of the victims of the Holocaust by six congregants who lost family members during the Shoah. The Service was concluded by everyone singing the HaTikva and Adon Olam, led by Rabbi Jesner.

Photos courtesy of Mahir Ozdamar.

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Emunah Young Musician of the Year

Bournemouth Golda Emunah’s Emunah Young Musicians of the Year lunch was a great success and a real treat for the 100 attendees. We were privileged to meet and hear Anoushka Sharp age 14, Cellist (Winner 2012), Amos Sharp age 12, Violinist (Winner 2013) and Aviva Sharp age 10, Violinist (Finalist 2014),  accompanied by their father Dr David Sharp (piano) and supported by their mum Jessica. These young and talented musicians call themselves the A-Sharp Trio, a fitting name.  They entertained us with a number of short pieces including Hungarian Dance No1 by Brahms, Czardas by Monti and Swan by Saint-Saens to name a few.

The attendees also watched an Emunah video outlining the vital work undertaken by Emunah in Israel, which moved many to tears. Following the video, Prof Weitzman made a small speech inviting everyone to donate to this worthy cause. Rabbi Jesner gave the vote of thanks, as well as presenting the young musicians with a present to commemorate the occasion.

The event raised more than £2000. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event such a great success.

We hope this will be a recurring event and we will get the opportunity to meet young, talented musicians in the coming years.

Photos and videos courtesy of Mahir Ozdamar.

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A Short Thought on Purim

By Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

If you’re driving through a Jewish area this Saturday night or Sunday, don’t be surprised if you see lots of children in the streets wearing fancy dress and masks, or people going from house to house delivering presents of food and drink. The reason is that we’ll be celebrating Purim, the most boisterous and exuberant of all Jewish festivals.

Which is actually very odd indeed, because Purim commemorates the story told in the book of Esther, when Haman, a senior official of the Persian Empire, persuaded the king to issue a decree to annihilate all Jews, young and old, men, women and children, on one day: a warrant for genocide. Thanks to the vigilance of Mordechai and the courage of Esther, the decree was not carried out, and ever since, we’ve celebrated by reading the story, having parties, giving to the poor and sharing gifts of food with friends.

I used to be very puzzled by this. Why such exhilaration at merely surviving a tragedy that was only narrowly averted? Relief, I can understand. But to turn the day into a carnival? Just because we’re still here to tell the story?

Slowly, though, I began to understand how much pain there has been in Jewish history, how many massacres and pogroms throughout the ages. Jews had to learn how to live with the past without being traumatised by it. So they turned the day when they faced and then escaped the greatest danger of all into a festival of unconfined joy, a day of dressing up and drinking a bit too much, to exorcise the fear, live through it and beyond it, and then come back to life, unhaunted by the ghosts of memory.

Purim is the Jewish answer to one of the great questions of history: how do you live with the past without being held captive by the past? Ours is a religion of memory, because if you forget the past, you’ll find yourself repeating it. Yet it’s also a future oriented faith. To be a Jew is to answer the question, Has the messiah come?, with the words, Not yet.

There are so many parts of the world today where ancient grievances are still being played out, as if history were a hamster wheel in which however fast we run we find ourselves back where we started. Purim is a way of saying, remember the past, but then look at the children, celebrate with them, and for their sake, put the past behind you and build a better future.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your family a Chag Purim Sameach.

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