BOURNEMOUTH SEPHARDI ASSOCIATION

CONTACTS

Simon Tammam: simontammam@aol.com

Aviran Reuven: avig54@hotmail.co.uk

Bournemouth Sephardi Association
c/o Bournemouth Community Hebrew Congregation
Wootton Gardens, Bournemouth BH1 1PW

20th Anniversary

23rd March 2019

Twenty years ago, on Shabbat Ha Gadol, the Sephardi Services began in Bournemouth. The amazing thing is that twenty years ago the date was also the 23rd of March and Parashat Hashavua was also Parashat Tzav!

So…..What a weekend the Bournemouth Jewish community just had!!!
This weekend marked the 20th anniversary of the Bournemouth Sephardi Association and to mark this occasion a wonderful weekend was organised.
The Bournemouth Sephardi Association is very grateful to Rabbi Jesner for all his support and encouragement. Allowing them to bring their Sephardi flavours not only to the dinner table but also to the Shabbat morning service. Sincere thanks also go to President Mahir Ozdamar, the Executive and Reverend Barry Sklan for all their support and hard work.

It all started with very well attended Sephardi Minha & Kabbalat Shabbat services on Friday evening. The services were led by Dayan Toledano, Rabbi Mino Labi of Holland Park Synagogue and Aviran Reuven. The services were followed by a lovely four course Sephardi dinner for about 90 guests, many of them from out of town who made the journey to Bournemouth in order to participate in this important occasion. The atmosphere over dinner was warm and full of singing and chanting as per the Sephardi tradition.

The Shabbat morning service was a combined Ashkenazi & Sephardi service in the main prayer hall of the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation. The service was led by Rabbi Mino Labi and Aviran Reuven. The synagogue was packed and the service was very engaging. After Aviran’s beautiful layening, Rabbi Jesner invited Dayan Toledano to give the Dvar Torah which was excellent and will be remembered by those present for a long time to come.

After the service there was a kiddush-lunch for all present. Many commented that they had never seen so much food in their life. The quality and the variety of the Sephardi food was AMAZING!! This continued at the Seudah Shilishit. At his speech during the Kiddush, President Mahir Ozdamar, announced that the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation has donated a leaf on the Tree of Life to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Bournemouth Sephardi Association.

On Sunday morning we all davened together and after the service there was a delicious Israeli style cooked breakfast in the Menorah Suite attended by about 30 people. Once again, the food was outstanding and the Shakshukah, salads and Harif really hit the spot.

It was a great way to wrap up such a wonderful and special weekend and we look forward to celebrating many more S’machot together in the future.

Dedication of Third Sefer Torah

Published 19 May, 2013

The Bournemouth Sephardi Association dedicated a third Sefer Torah on the occasion of its 14th anniversary. About 80 men, women and children participated in this happy occasion.

The congregation gathered at the Glen Fern entrance. After the Sefer Torah was inspected, it was carried under a Chuppah to the Wootton Gardens entrance and taken into the Shul. The new Sefer Torah was paraded around the Bimah seven times after which seven Agbahot were performed. Finally the new Sefer Torah was placed in its Ark.

After the ceremony, the participants were invited to take part in a Sephardi style Kiddush in the Menorah Suite.

History

It all started in 1999 with a meeting between David Kalfon and Simon Tammam at an event in the Menorah Suite, Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation. With Larry Kaye, the then President of Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation, giving David and Simon the ‘go ahead’ The Bournemouth Sephardi Association was born and the rest is history.

The two were the pioneers, driving the idea at first with the late Alfie Boyle z”l, Jack Valencia & Tammy Wade joining a week later; Aviran Reuven joined after six months as our Hazan. Recent years saw other key players in our Minyan; Meir Cohen & Haim Faibish.

The past twenty three years have been simply magnificent with so many people contributing in so many ways over the years; The Tammam family, The Kalfon family, The Boyle family, Hacham Dayan Toledano, Rabbi Shlomo David of Israel, Chazan Ellis David, Rabbi Mino Labi of Holland Park Synagogue, Hannah & Faelino Luzon, the late Louis Greenblat z”l, The Gozlan family, the Abargil family, the Igla family, Mordechai Bitton, the late Haim Avisar z”l, Maurice Bitton, Lynn Boland, Phil z”l and Howard Fishman, Michele & David Perry, Ruth & Richard Saunders, Barry & Angela Sklan, the late Raye & David Sopher z”l, Michele & Mark Sopher, Carol & Rick Sopher, Edward Sopher, Rachel Sopher, Julia & Jack Valencia, Abner Youdim, Max Dias, Lucy & Ran Avissar, Jenny & Jonathan Lamski, Ilana & Michael Goldberger, Jonathan Kaye, Ghally Genah, Mervyn & Anne Shaya and many more.

Behind every successful religious organisation there is a spiritual leader and no doubt Hacham Dayan Toledano is the one who the Bournemouth Sephardi Association turns to for his inspiration. Apart from being a listening ear and an advisor, Hacham Dayan Toledano is continuously being a great supporter and a wonderful friend to the Bournemouth Sephardi Association.

In the early days, there was very little available to the Bournemouth Sephardi Association. We started with just monthly Shabbat services, often on Shabbat Mevarechim. But thanks to all the support over the years we managed to acquire three Siphrei Torah, Sepher Haftarot, Siddurim, Hummashim, Mahzorim and more! This enabled the Bournemouth Sephardi Association to develop, grow and provide Sephardi Services over the Hagim, and more often during the summer tourist season.

Over the years the Bournemouth Sephardi Association’s very popular Rosh Hashanah & Motsei Yom Kippur communal meals have been well supported by all involved with the Bournemouth Community Hebrew Congregation, annually raising money for different charities.

The Bournemouth Sephardi Association has held a number of Bar Mitzvahs and special occasions with many more to come in the future please G-D. Our most special S’mahot to date were Hachnasat Sepher Torah, led by Rabbi Mino Labi of Holland Park synagogue, and our 20th Year anniversary celebrations. Both took place in the main prayer hall of the Bournemouth Community Hebrew Congregation with hundreds of people attending from all over the UK.

Our success story of the last twenty-three years would not have been possible without the ongoing support and help of Bournemouth Community Hebrew Congregation. We are especially grateful to Larry Kaye who gave us the ‘green light’ to start a Sephardi Service in Bournemouth.

We are also very thankful to all past Presidents and Rabbis; Rabbi Jeoffrey Shisler, Rev. Lionel Rosenfeld, Rabbi Yossie Alperowitz & Rev. Meir Lev. We especially value Rabbi Adrian Jesner’s continued encouragement since his arrival in Bournemouth.
Our appreciation and thanks go to the Trustees, Ivor Weintroub, Stephen White and Mahir Ozdamar for their help and backing over the years, and of course more recently for the allocation of a part of the building as the Bournemouth Sephardi Association’s new home: the Sha’are Tzetek Hall, Kehillat Kodesh Hasephardim.

We look forward to welcoming you to our future services.

Bournemouth Sephardi Association