Approaching
Pesach I’m captivated by the many versions of the Haggadah that I use for
commentaries, teaching and learning.
Among my
favourites recently published is the 2 volume My People’s Haggadah
which is like sitting at a Seder with some of the world’s greatest
scholars and sharing the round table discussion between them – only there’s
enough there for decades of Sedarim! Also the new Haggadah produced
by the novelist and film-maker Jonathan Safran Foer which combines learning
with fun. And I could go on and on…..
But you
know which is the best Haggadah of all ? The one you and I are producing with
our friends and family.
Yet to be put into writing – still at the
discussion round the table stage – usually over the meal. I know one
family who actually did write their family story down as a companion to the
Haggadah and circulated it among themselves.
This
leads me to a plug for our new Book Club idea. Interest has been expressed
amongst us to share our Jewish reading together. My interest is Jewish
History and I recently introduced from the pulpit the late Sir Martin Gilbert’s
book In Ishmael’s House - a History of Jews in Muslim
Lands(2010) which I highly recommend. But you may prefer to share your
reading of a novel or a travel book, or humour, or something
spiritual.
Let’s
hear from you if you would like to join this new venture.
...
Rabbi was also one of the many signatories of the following letter that was published on the Guardian website, following the budget. The letter was sent by the UK Progressive rabbinate.
We view
with great concern the fact that for the third year running the issue of child
poverty has been absent from the proposals contained in the budget, and a
misleading claim made that the rates of child poverty have gone down. We feel
that it is absolutely essential that any discussion of Britain’s economic
wellbeing also considers the 4 million children – equivalent to nine in every
classroom of 30 children – who are growing up in hardship. This should shame us
all.
Soon Jewish people throughout the world will be
celebrating the festival of Passover. We will eat “the bread of poverty” and
consider how to transform it into the “bread of freedom”. Freedom from poverty
is a basic freedom – one that should be part of the birthright of every child in
Britain......
And a pre-Pesach date for your diaries. If you've ever thought about coming to a Shir Chadash service on a Friday night (see previous blog entry for more information), come THIS Friday. We are raising funds for Hat-tastic - supporting Brain Tumour research - as well as celebrating our congregant Darren Walshaw's 50th birthday. As many of you know, Darren has been diagnosed with an advanced brain tumour, and has his own blog, Heaven Can Wait - http://heavencanwaitblog.com/
Read it, donate, come to Shir Chadash this Friday, and wear a silly hat - it is Hat-tastic, after all!
