Dear Friends

Another week has gone by and I am writing to you again. I am feeling very positive as I have finally had my hair done for the first time since Lockdown began. It is so silly that a haircut (and I have to admit colour as well) can make me feel so much better, but it does. I sat in the hairdressers thinking about how much we have all adapted to first of all the isolation, and now the uncertainty, and realised that there are a few things that I cannot change or adapt. Sewing – I couldn’t do this before lockdown and still can’t. Singing – I am still out of tune. Walking backwards – I still fall over. Cooked vegetables that aren’t soggy – an impossibility for me, as hard as I try. And yet, in the overall scheme of things these are not too important. What is important (at least to me) is family, friends, our community (you) and our Synagogue.

We are making progress in reopening and we are adapting to our new Synagogue “normal”. Last Friday night Rabbi Altshuler was in our Synagogue in person and on behalf of us all, I can say that we are all delighted to see him and Cantor Heller on the Bimah together. We know that we did not get the sound quite right and we are working hard on that for this coming Shabbat. The Synagogue was empty except for Ben Wolf, who was playing the organ, so Cantor Heller could still turn around for parts of the service. He will not be able to do that once there is a congregation in the Synagogue.

This coming Shabbat we will have our last rehearsal services and both Friday night and Saturday morning services will be transmitted on BelsizeLIVE. We will not be broadcasting an archived service on Shabbat morning, just the live one. We have a very small number of volunteers who will be attending so that we can practice how our security and exit arrangements work. It is possible that we may have to stop or slow down a part of the service or that you may see someone walk in front of the Bimah, these are all the things that we want to iron out. If you watch either or both services and have any feedback please do send it to me.

Please do not decide to just turn up this weekend, we will not be able to let you in. If everything goes well, you will be able to book in for services starting with Friday 7 August. Lee will be sending you an email on Monday and if you would like to attend, then please do watch out for it. We will still be transmitting on BelsizeLIVE for all of you who prefer to stay at home.

I have been in regular contact with Rabbi Mariner during this period and spoke to him today. He is not going out to Synagogue at the moment but sends his very best wishes to everyone.

I have already mentioned that the office has Siddurim which you can buy. We have books for Shabbat; the Festivals; Rosh Hashanah; Yom Kippur or you can buy a set. If you are interested please contact Adam Rynhold: adam@synagogue.org.uk

Last Sunday about 20 people joined Cantor Heller at Pound Lane Cemetery for our annual Tisha B’Av Memorial Service . It was entirely outdoors as the Prayer Hall is still closed and as always I found it very moving. We stood around the Holocaust Memorial for the service and I am attaching an old photo of it below. I did not take my camera with me but it has now been cleaned and restored and I want to thank Steven Bruck for working tirelessly to make that happen.

Tonight is our Zoom Tisha B’Av Programme and Service starting at 8:00pm with a Study Session with Rabbi Altshuler. This will be followed by a Ma’ariv (evening) service, Kinnot and Eichah (the book of Lamentations), led by the Cantor Heller, Chazan Stephen Cotsen and Rabbi Jeremy Gordon, both of New London Synagogue, with members of both congregations joining in. Adam Rynhold has already sent out an email with Zoom details on it. If you need it again please contact him: adam@synagogue.org.uk

That is all from me, everyone is busier as lockdown eases so I have not been sent any information on activities. Please do send me anything that you hear about.

As always please stay well and stay safe

Jackie

Gardening Tips

Just to remind you that whilst they are not experts, both Henny and John have agreed to answer any gardening questions that you may have. Please email questions to Adam Rynhold at adam@synagogue.org.uk and he will pass them on.

From John Alexander

• It is just the right time to divide Bearded Irises if the clumps have become congested. It’s a slightly tricky procedure but detailed advice is available on the RHS website at https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=526
• Dahlias need staking and the growing tips pinched out when they reach knee height to encourage bigger flowers.
• Collect seeds to plant for next spring from Aquilegias and Poppies as they ripen. Keep them in a sterile and airtight container in a cool place or refrigerator.
• Keep Agapanthus well-watered and fed now to encourage flowers next year.
• Feed Dahlias and Roses.
• Spray Box again to protect against the fatal caterpillars.

Enjoy!

Dear Friends

Today, 22 July, is the 1st of Av, the first of nine days leading up to Tisha B’Av the annual Fast Day which mourns the destruction of the Temple. During this period we all remember some of the terrible things that have befallen the Jewish people, for instance 22 July marks the first day of the Great Deportation of Jewish people from the Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka. However, I do not want to write an email to you that is solemn, although it would be fitting for this period. So I bring you some interesting Jewish facts about the 22 July and 1st Av.

• Aaron passed away at age 123 on the 1st of Av in the year 2487, about 1274 BCE. This is the only time that the Torah mentions the exact date of a yahrzeit (Numbers/Bamidbar 33:38)
• Emma Lazarus was born on 22 July 1849 into a wealthy New York family that was descended from Sephardic Jewish Americans. Her poem “The New Colossus” was chosen to be displayed on the base of the Statue of Liberty. It features the famous lines “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
• On 22 July 1598 William Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, was entered on the Stationers’ Register. By decree of Queen Elizabeth I, the Stationers’ Register licensed printed works, giving the Crown tight control over all published material. (Yes, I know I am stretching this as a Jewish fact but it is the subject of the play!)
• Lastly, not a Jewish fact, but very sweet, 22 July is Prince George’s birthday. He was born in 2013.

On the subject of younger people, Caroline Loison, Frank Joseph, Lee Taylor and I have also been working on when Cheder should physically reopen. The following plan has been approved and parents have been written to, but I thought you would be interested too. We considered re-opening Cheder “Live” at the Synagogue at the start of September. However, it would only have been possible to have three Sunday morning sessions at the Synagogue – 6th and 13th September and 18th October. The other Sundays clash with festivals. So instead of a rather disjointed start to “Live” Cheder, we have opted to delay the return to synagogue until November after half term and focus on the festivals. The timetable for the first half of term looks like this:
Sunday 6 September 2020 – Welcome to BSS Cheder Online
Sunday 13 September 2020 – Rosh Hashanah @ BSS Cheder Online
Sunday 20 September 2020 – 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah – NO CHEDER
Sunday 27 September 2020 – Kol Nidre – Yom Kippur @ BSS Cheder Online
Sunday 4 October 2020 – 2nd day of Succot – Succot @ BSS Cheder Online
Sunday 11 October 2020 – Simchat Torah – Simchat Torah @ BSS Cheder Online
Sunday 18 October 2020 – BSS Cheder Online
Sunday 25 October 2020 – Half-term – NO CHEDER
Sunday 1 November 2020 – Half-term – NO CHEDER

Online 1-2-1 Hebrew sessions will also continue in the first half the Autumn Term.

I want to express an enormous thank you to Caroline Loison, for all her hard work and Cheder leadership, it is much appreciated.

For the High Holydays we will be holding Youth Services on Zoom on Rosh Hashanah (led by Dilys Tausz and her team) and Kikar Kids (led by Richard Pollins). The Planning Group are also working on the design of Zoom services for younger people on Simchat Torah. Caroline, who as well as leading Cheder leads our Youth activities, is planning an informal programme that will run on Zoom during Yom Kippur. There will be short activities for anyone in the age range 4-13. Of course this will be in addition to our Youth Service. More information on all of this will follow in a few weeks.

You will shortly receive booking details for the August Shabbat services from Lee. I want to let you know that if you come by car, you will be able to book a place (subject to capacity) in our car park. You may need to wait in your car shortly before you can come into the Synagogue, as social distancing rules apply there too. Full information will be in Lee’s email.

The Planning Group have now agreed the lay out of the Bimah for Shabbat services, with Perspex screen protection for both Rabbi Altshuler and Cantor Heller. Neither will enter into each other’s space to make sure that they stay socially distanced and safe. We have also set up the Perspex screens along the front of the upstairs seating. Here are some pictures of how these will look.

Can I remind you that this coming Sunday is the Tisha B’Av Annual Memorial Service of the Chevra Kadisha at Pound Lane Cemetery. If you are planning to come, then please remember that it will all be outside and socially distanced. Please wear a mask and bring a folding chair if you would like to sit down. We will be handing out a booklet with the service in it, so you may want to wear gloves too but that is your decision. There will be no toilet facilities available.

I have been asked to let you know that there will be a Zoom “Limmud Together” taking place on 2 August 2020. The last one was very informative and fun. If you are interested and would like to sign up then please go to https://limmud.org/event/limmud-together-uk-summer/

Eve Hersov, our Community Care Co-ordinator has drawn my attention to Paperweight who continue to deliver amazing help to individuals. Paperweight offers guidance to those struggling with financial hardship particularly at the moment due to the COVID crisis. They help to manage credit card and other debts and to navigate the welfare and benefits systems. Their services include:
Financial support – managing debts, bills and budget planning. They can intervene with creditors to negotiate time to pay.
Welfare & benefits – to which benefits is someone entitled, and help is on hand to complete complex application forms.
Legal issues – support with family law (divorce and child custody) or civil law (home repossession or debt) processes.
Paperweight also releases regular Covid bulletins providing up to date information on all the latest government guidelines. You can find them at www.paperweight.org.uk

Finally, a reminder that The Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) are surveying in particular how Jews in the UK have been affected by COVID-19. Their aim is to gather valuable insights into how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted on health, employment, social relationships and Jewish lives. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO TAKE PART

That is all from me this week, but if you have any events or information that you would like me to include then please do send the details to me. Stay safe and stay well.

Jackie

Gardening Tips

Just to remind you that whilst they are not experts, both Henny and John have agreed to answer any gardening questions that you may have. Please email questions to Adam Rynhold at adam@synagogue.org.uk and he will pass them on.

From John Alexander

• Watch out for suckers, particularly from rose bushes and standard roses, and tear them off at their base.
• Seedlings of trees and weeds can be easily pulled up.
• Keep climbers under control.
• Don’t forget the slug pellets and water the pots and hanging baskets.
• Continue deadheading perennials and bedding plants (just pinch off the faded flowers, or cut off if the stems are a bit tougher) – something that can done every couple of days as you walk around and take pleasure in seeing what plants are flourishing.

Dear Friends,

I have written before about the difficulty that I have in deciding what to do when coming out of lockdown. I am returning to that, as I find myself bombarded with contradictory advice from the Government, well-meaning friends, newspaper articles, Zoom discussions and social media. Every time I think that I have made a decision, I find that I am questioning myself because of the latest thing that I have read or heard. At the start of lockdown I was anxious about where was I going to get food from, then it was how am I going to stay reasonably fit without going out, now it is simply what is it safe to do? In the end I think that we all have to make our own decision based on our level of tolerance for risk taking, our age, our health, and the information that we have on safety. I am sad because we have just cancelled our annual family trip to Spain, with our Gibraltar family, as we have decided that we do not want to risk flying. We have not physically seen our daughter, son-in-law and four grandchildren since February, thank goodness for technology that allows us to speak every day.

Your personal decision-making is very important, as I am writing to tell you about the plans to open the Synagogue. I know that some of you will be desperate to come to a service and others would not want to come at all. The working group including Rabbi Altshuler and Cantor Heller, the Executive and the Board have developed the plans and we have put your safety and the safety of our Minsters at the heart of what we are planning. The services will be different from what you are used to as a result of working within the Government Guidelines. We have done a detailed analysis of all the Guidelines. I want to draw your attention to a few key points:

• You have already seen the pictures of the limited numbers who can come to Synagogue with social distancing. We are introducing a booking system for Shabbat services and Lee will be writing to you about this shortly. The system will include a waiting list, so if you cannot attend a service having booked in, it is very important that you contact the office to let them know.  No-one will be allowed into the Synagogue if they are not on the pre-booked list.
• Unlike some Synagogues, we are not banning any age groups from attending but leave it up to individuals to make their own decisions. 
• There will be a strict one-way system for entry and exit in the Synagogue. You will have your temperature taken on the way in and if you have a temperature you will not be allowed in.
• Current Guidelines forbid singing (so no Choir, just the organ) except by one Minister to lead the service (Cantor Heller). The guideline is that the singer should sing behind a Perspex screen to protect the congregation. To avoid this we have agreed that the Cantor will sing facing the ark at all times.
• As a consequence of this, the ark will remain closed on Shabbat morning, no Torah will be taken out and all readings will be from a Chumash. Current Guidelines forbid chanting so everything will be spoken.
• You will have allocated seating and will have to wear masks in Synagogue. Sadly, the current Guidelines do not allow you to sing or chant. You will need to bring your own Siddur and Tallit. If you need to buy a Siddur we have them and Lee will write about that.
• There will be no call-ups. One warden only will be present to assist with decorum.
• We are separating the Bimah into two areas, one for Cantor Heller and one for Rabbi Altshuler so they will not walk into each other’s space and will be able to avoid any airborne particles. 
• We have developed a strict cleaning regime to keep you safe. The synagogue will be fully cleaned between the Friday evening and Shabbat morning services.

Having said all that, we are running a few rehearsals to check that everything we have planned will work both in terms of security and service format and plan to be open from Friday 7 August onwards.

We are continuing to work on the High Holydays and I will write about those in a few weeks.

On the question of Services I gave you the wrong date for Tisha B’Av Annual Memorial Service of the Chevra Kadisha at Pound Lane Cemetery. It will be on Sunday 26^th July at 11.30m. Please make a note and I am sorry for any confusion. No booking needed.

You will have seen in News from the Square that the weekly Sunday Morning Adult Discussion Group is taking a break from its normal class and guest speaker formula, but will meet for discussion, debate and an open forum. Rabbi Altshuler will join the group on Sunday mornings at 10.00am and this is a new venture for us as usually the Group breaks over the summer. I want to thank Rabbi Altshuler and Claire Walford for all their enthusiasm and work with this group.

I have news of an event this Sunday 19 July at 7pm. The online Jewish Academy has invited Maxim Vengerov to be a guest speaker on Zoom. Our member Allan Morgenthau will be interviewing him. If you would like to see this interview then please contact Adam Rynhold on adam@synagogue.org.uk for the Zoom joining details.

The Jaffa Institute are running a series of Webinars about the Institute. This evening, Wednesday 15 July and next Wednesday, both are at 9pm. If you wish to attend please RSVP on this link:  https://forms.gle/Bg6WBV2B2AgRupYe9

The London based Institute for Jewish Policy Research have a number of interesting articles and projects. The Institute have launched a UK-wide survey designed to investigate how Jews have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The survey invites all Jews based in the UK and aged 16 or over to answer a series of questions about the pandemic’s impact on their physical and mental health, as well as their employment, finances, social relationships and Jewish lives. The goal is to generate data that can be utilised to help inform public policy, both within the Jewish community and at a national level, to help the community to steer its way through this crisis. If you would like to know more please go to their website on www.jpr.org.uk.

That is all from me this week. As always please stay well and stay safe

Jackie

Gardening Tips

 Just to remind you that whilst they are not experts, both Henny and John have agreed to answer any gardening questions that you may have.  Please email questions to Adam Rynhold at adam@synagogue.org.uk and he will pass them on.

From John Alexander

Now we are into summer proper there is little to do in the garden other than deadheading, watering and keeping slugs at bay. However, Dahlias do need some attention. New shoots that emerge may need thinning. Select out spindly growth giving it a sharp pull to break it off at the ground. You should be left with a maximum of 7-10 sturdy stems per plant. If you’re growing giant flowered dahlias, limit the number of stems to 3-5 per plant so you get fewer, but bigger blooms. When dahlia stems get to around knee height pinch out the growing point at a pair of leaves to get branching at this point. Once flower buds appear, if you’re growing for giant flowers or for cut flowers, nip out the smaller buds behind the central larger bud for better quality flowers. This isn’t so important if you are growing dahlias for the border or as bedding.

Enjoy!

Dear Friends,

I read an article this week in the Jewish Chronicle which reminded readers that you cannot use anything electrical on Shabbat. It went on to say that Rabbi Menachem Perl of the Zomet Institute for Halacha and Technology near Jerusalem, has adapted a standard thermometer with a mechanism that programmes the device to automatically take a person’s temperature every four seconds. The article continues that the design has split the Rabbinate in Israel on whether its use is permitted on Shabbat.

This invention is very relevant to dealing with Covid-19 but to me it is also representative of what we are trying to achieve in re-opening Belsize Square Synagogue safely. In our discussions in the working groups with the Ministers we are re-inventing our services, so that they will fit within the current guidelines. For now, we are not allowed singing as you know, and no congregational responses. We also need to ensure that our Ministers remain protected from the virus when on the Bimah. Those things really change what we are used to having in our services.

However, be assured that we are making progress. We have ordered our supplies which will arrive over the next two weeks: hand sanitiser and dispensers, masks, Perspex Screens to run along the front of the seating upstairs to protect those sitting downstairs, tape for the floor, signage and more. We have started the upgrade of our Wi-Fi and have replaced the streaming camera with a wide angled one. We have a security plan. We have a first risk assessment completed but it still needs adjusting. We have worked out how to use the car park safely, with the required social distancing. We have worked out a “flow” to the toilets (sorry about the pun!). We have created a strict cleaning regime that will be in place for all services. We have agreed a booking system for attendance. We are working hard and will continue to Zoom meet this week. I hope to have more news for you in next week’s email.

In the meantime, as you might guess, the Jewish Chronicle article prompted me to Google “Little known Jewish Inventions”. I did not know that Conrad Hubert (born Akiba Horowitz), who came to New York from Russia in 1891, invented the flashlight. Eventually he turned his American Electrical Novelty Company into the well-known Ever Ready Company, famous for its batteries. Nathan Goldman, born in Oklahoma in 1898 ran a wholesale food store in Texas. In 1936 he patented the shopping cart (the article says “enough Shlepping!”) and later the milk bottle rack. Lastly Robert Adler born in 1913, arrived in America in 1941. Overall, during his lifetime he was granted 58 patents for inventions, the most famous being the TV remote control.

This is, however, a Synagogue email and you will have read last week in News from the Square that we have been working on a Tisha B’Av Zoom service for the evening of Wednesday 29 July. This is the third year in a row that we will hold the service jointly with Rabbi Jeremy Gordon, Cantor Cotsen and members of New London Synagogue. Members of both Synagogues will participate in chanting the chapters of Eicha, Lamentations. If you would like to be included in the list of individuals who are chanting, please email Cantor Heller on cantor@synagogue.org.uk.

On Sunday 2 August at 11.30am we will hold the Tisha B’av Annual Memorial Service of the Chevra Kadisha at Pound Lane Cemetery. The prayer hall at the cemetery remains closed, so the entire service will be conducted outdoors by the memorial. Everyone is welcome and no booking is necessary. We will need to observe social distancing and wear masks and if you don’t want to stand please bring your own folding chair. It is customary to have a small collection at this service in order to replenish the Chevra Kadisha funds. As we can’t do this for safety reasons this year, please contact Lee (lee@synagogue.org.uk) if you would like to donate. lee@synagogue.org.uk

This Shabbat we will celebrate with William Rosenberg who is having his Bar Mitzvah as an adult. William never had the opportunity to be Bar Mitzvah at 13 but has now prepared all the parts – D’var Torah, Maf and Haf and prerecorded them in the Sanctuary. I hope you will all watch the service to support William. I am very proud to be part of a congregation that inspires individuals to do this and send William and his wife Julie, very best wishes on behalf of us all.

On Sunday, 12 July at 4pm you can join Caroline Loison for Zoom Dingbats v2. No previous knowledge necessary – all you need is the ability to read, a pen and a piece of paper to write your answers down! And don’t forget to bring a drink and some snacks with you… A quiz just isn’t the same without these!!! Contact caroline@synagogue.org.uk for the Zoom login details and she looks forward to seeing you virtually on Sunday!

Gardening tips are below. Henny is taking a break as she tells me that this is the time to sit back and enjoy the allotment. She will however still answer questions. John is still sending tips in and will also answer questions. Thank you both!

That is all from me and as always please stay safe and stay well.

Jackie

Gardening Tips

Just to remind you that whilst they are not experts, both Henny and John have agreed to answer any gardening questions that you may have. Please email questions to Adam Rynhold at adam@synagogue.org.uk and he will pass them on.

From John Alexander

• Clematis with large flowers which have finished flowering, can now be pruned lightly in the hope they may flower a second time this summer.
• It’s not too late to plant autumn flowering bulbs such as Autumn Crocuses and Hardy Cyclamen. My favourite supplier is Bloms Bulbs who will post them to you.
• Keep deadheading and putting out slug pellets.
• Despite the cool, wet weather this past week, hanging baskets and pots still need watering.
• We all know the expression ‘stop and smell the roses’. I looked up its meaning: ‘To relax; to take time out of one’s busy schedule to enjoy or appreciate the beauty of life.’ So go into the garden every day, or parks now that some of us are allowed out a bit more, and take pleasure in watching all the plants grow and the summer colours begin to show themselves. Enjoy and stay safe.

Dear Friends

During lockdown I have been re-watching the Harry Potter films, all of which I loved first time round and still do. The books and movies stress the importance of teams and how each individual contributes to the overall success of the group. Where would Harry be without Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore (and everyone else who helps him)? Pretty much every time Harry tries to accomplish something on his own, he is relieved to find Ron and Hermione at his side. As a team, they are able to come together and accomplish what appeared impossible. This theme runs all the way through the eight books and subsequent films and I find it a joy to look out for it, amongst the rough and tumble and excitement of the storylines.

I first thought about teamwork in lockdown when we set up the phone rota and so many of you volunteered. Thank you! Next came the Zoom Board meetings and Zoom Executive meetings and various Zoom Committee meetings and the BelsizeLIVE recorded services and the regular Sunday discussion group and Cheder and Kikar Kids and the work of our Ministers, Caroline Loison, Adam Rynhold, the office, Eve Hersov, Gordon, and, so much more… Gosh, we are good at this! However, I want to single someone out from all of this and publicly pay tribute to and thank Lee Taylor our Chief Executive. Lee is the ultimate Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore all rolled into one person. He is available at all times, supportive of all of us, good-natured even when under pressure with his family responsibilities. I could go on but just want you all to know how hard he works and how much he is appreciated as part of our Synagogue team.

This last week I have spent many hours on Zoom calls discussing how we can safely re-open our Synagogue. Another example of great teamwork! As you know our Planning Committee started work weeks ago but Government guidelines for re-opening places of worship were only published this week. Your safety is the most important thing for us and we are planning in detail for a possible re-opening. The Planning Committee met last week, as did various sub-groups to discuss all the guidelines and our planning recommendations. Lastly the Executive met to review the plans in their entirety. We have agreed that we will have rehearsals of the “new normal services” before we open to you, in order to make sure that those who do attend are safe.  We will also be producing a full risk assessment that will be available before we open and which will cover all the government guidelines.  We want to make this work, so please be understanding that it is taking some time to look at everything thoroughly and we will not open on 4 July (the earliest opening date set by the government).

We know that we can only open with 2m social distancing and we have worked out what this will look like in the Synagogue.  I am attaching two pictures so that you can see what this means for us, the white lines on the floor mark the areas where you can walk and will be a one-way system. 

For now please continue watching our services on BelsizeLIVE. This Friday I am really happy to say that Cantor Heller will be accompanied by Ben Wolf on the organ.

This Shabbat is Josh Gaberman’s Bar Mitzvah. Josh was recorded on the Bimah, as the government guidelines have permitted us to do so. He made this pre-recorded service a family event, with grandparents, uncles and cousins from the USA participating by recording different parts from home. Good friends Valerie and Peter Sussmann read the prayers for the Queen and Israel from their beautiful garden. This is, as I said above, true team work (albeit with social distancing!) I need to thank all our B’nei mitzvah families for being so collaborative with the pre-recordings and understanding of the situation that we are all in. And as with all of our recorded services, thank you to Cantor Heller for putting it all together.

Some of you may not have a Chumash. In Belsize Square Synagogue our main Chumash is Etz Hayim, if you would like to buy a copy of this it needs to be ordered from America, so please email Adam on adam@synagogue.org.uk . However I have been contacted by Jerusalem the Golden in Golders Green as they have a sale of Artscroll books with 25% off all titles until 15 July. If you want to find out about the Artscroll Chumash or other books then please contact them on 020 8455 4960. They can post to you, if you don’t want to go in to the shop. We have a stock of our own Siddur in the office and I will write again soon about how you can purchase them if you want one.

You may be interested to know that this Shabbat is Green Shabbat. The Synagogue has been a member of the ECO Synagogue movement since it started. You will have seen the plaque on our wall marking our progress towards being an environmentally appropriate community. Hopefully we will all be together next year for a ‘Green Kiddush’.

A member of our community has brought to my attention an organisation called The Bridge. A rehab and after-care residence, The Bridge, are offering free on-line counselling for drink, drugs or eating disorders through its website: www.thebridgemarbella.com. Lockdown is a new word and concept for many people and the restrictions have taken a long time to get used to and caused anxiety to many. The Synagogue is not endorsing the services of The Bridge and if you use them it is “at your own risk” but I wanted to bring it to your attention in case it is useful for you.

Another of our members, Beverley Herman, has run a recruitment business for over 20 years. Beverley is offering guidance to anyone searching for a job, including help writing a CV. She can be contacted by email at beverley@cigna-uk.com.

That is all from me for this week. Stay safe and stay well

Jackie

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Gardening Tips

Just to remind you that whilst they are not experts, both Henny and John have agreed to answer any gardening questions that you may have.  Please email questions to Adam Rynhold at adam@synagogue.org.uk and he will pass them on.

From Henny Levin

The weather has turned cooler and we have had some rain, so the garden/allotment is all under control!!! The fruit is ripening, and some are ready for picking.  I hope that if you have taken up the challenge of growing some fruit and vegetables and that you enjoy the fruits of your labours. When picked or dug up they may not look as uniform or as large as those you can buy in the shops but in most cases, they will taste more flavoursome and most importantly YOU grew them. Hopefully, you will be able to carry on through the year and into the future.  The satisfaction will be worth the effort.

As we are all hopefully more aware of our environment, investing in a water butt or bucket to collect rainwater will help the planet and will be especially good for house plants. A bin with lid or compost bin for all your fruit and vegetable peelings will turn into compost for next year.  Two small things that will help to make a difference. 

From John Alexander 

• Even though it’s been raining and is a little cooler, hanging baskets and potted plants outdoors still need watering daily, but not so much that the pots or baskets drip.
• Grass should be left a little longer in hot weather to maintain a greener lawn. However brown grass will recover quickly after rain so no need to water the lawn.
• There are two schools of thought about watering gardens. I’ve always thought one should water in the evening so the sun doesn’t burn the wet leaves and the water has a chance to soak into the ground before the sun rises to dry it out. An alternative view is that one should water in the morning so the water can get to the roots during the heat of the day when the plants need it most. I don’t think there is any hard and fast rule about gardening generally. This is just another example of two gardeners and two views!
• The hot humid nights combined with the luscious new growth of seedlings and bedding plants is a delight to the slugs – continue to put down pellets each week, but sparingly, and keep the pellets off the leaves.