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From The Chairman JAN. 2024
We are still active as a Community, with our Minyan still reliable, & we are still arranging Events, like our recent Lecture by James Marlow on the situation in Gaza. We have a regular Kiddush after our Shabas Morning Service, & enjoy the socialising that offers. We regard ourselves as an extended Family, concerned for the Care & Happiness of each other. We look forward to many future years for our Family.
Our History is below, but it is our Future that we look to maintain.
During 2014, our Community passed through a Year of Local Challenge. We rose to it, found new strength and continued to provide for its needs. The AGM, of 18 May 2015 elected, myself as Chair, Jeffrey Sloneem FR, & David Solomons & Arthur Baker Wardens, & a Board of 5 men & 4 Ladies. Laurie Cowan & Michael Hylton joined the Board soon after. We have continued to provide the needs for our active Community, successfully, since then.
”Normality” in our Services & Social Events continued through the Yomim Naroim, Succos, & Chanuka of 2019, & the 1st 2 Lectures of our Winter 2019 LECTURE Series, with MICHAEL KUSHNER speaking 22 Jan 2020, on ”Spies, Lies, Double Agents, & the real James Bond” & PHILIP HYMAN illustrating ”Yehudi Menuhin & his music” on 25 Feb 2020,
both with Nosh & a Raffle.
On 16 March 2020, I held a regular Board Meeting. NEXT morning we had to CLOSE the Shool. LOCKDOWN & SOCIAL DISTANCING began. Our World CHANGED with the start of the Covid Pandemic.
8 April 2020 was 1st PESACH Seder night, & we all worked hard to provide help to Members who became ISOLATED, offering CONTACT, Food Parcels, & help towards Pesach PROVISIONS.
WORK, to keep in touch with all Members, & discover any need we could HELP with, has CONTINUED to this very day.
With Lockdown, the US cancelled the AGM of 5 MAY 2020 & our HO’s, including myself Chair, & Jeffrey Sloneem FR, & Board were permitted to continue for a further Year.
DAVID Solomons withdrew as Warden for ill health.
Sadly, early 2020 our Warden, LAURIE COWAN had become ill, deteriorated rapidly & was Nifta 13.Feb 2020, We still feel HIS LOSS, but MELVYN Platt stepped into his place, & after AGM 2020, was co-pted as OFFICIAL Warden.
Our Board was Stephen Melzack, Michael Hylton, Paul Migdal, Lee Anderson, Sandra Bromberg, Elaine Fox, Maureen Melzack, & Gloria Migdal. Anthony SHAP also joined
Early JULY 2020, LOCKDOWN eased. WE preparad for COVID SAFETY, & HELD our 1st SHOOL Service 29 July, on the Eve of Tish B’Av.
We delayed our next Service,to 8 August, to be sure all WAS WELL, & we have had regular Services, with a MINYAN,since, except for Lockdown late 2020.
BH, we have been FREE of problems associated with ATTENDANCE.
We made successful plans for the YOMIM NAROIM of 2020, with Chazan DOV Speier & Max WITRIOL dovening for us.
Our SUCCOS Services went well, with a small SUKA on a ”one in, one out, basis. LULAVIM SETS were available. COVID SAFE CIRCUITS were arranged for the LULAVIM in Succos, & for Sefer TORAHS on Simchas Torah.
Michael FOX,was Chatan TORAH: Leslie LEWIS Chatan BERESHIS, & Woman of MERIT: Rebetzin Myriam LEVY, On SIMCHAS Torah, Instead of the banned HALL Simcha we gave the 3 their Presentations in Shool, & a Seuda Package, to enjoy at home..
. CHANUKA, AFTERNOON, 13 Dec, we held a Communal LIGHTING of the 4th Candle, with Mincha & Maariv in Shool, & gave each of the MANY men, women & some children present, a SEUDA Pack to take home. We did eat ”together!
Reaching 2021, .. On 25 Feb,after the FAST of Esther, we had a PURIM Service, EVENING & next MORNING. R.Levy read the Megilla. Instead of Hall Evening & MorningBreakfast, we gave a Purim SEUDA bag to everyone that came. We had ” TOGETHERNESS ” even if in our own Homes!
EREV Pesach THIS YEAR,,was on SHABAS, 27 March, & the Clocks changed after 1st Seder, Pesach was a challenge. Every effort was made to help members with Food & guidance. There was more help in our Pesach ”Pages” Newsletter . Our Services, &, all home needs, went well.
This year’s AGM was on ZOOM on 27 April, though we tried to get the US to approve it, Socially spaced, in our Hall. I missed the connection & feedback of a live audience, but we tried to show that we were still active, & trying hard to look after each Member in every way possible. At the Elections, your 3 HO’s continued, & the Board added Joshua Monro, to give it’s maximum of 6 men, with all the 5 Ladies continuing.
We are now PLANNING for our continuing FUTURE. including the Yomim NAROIM, again for Dov SPEIER as Principal Chazan, and Max WITRIOL to blow Shofer for us,& help with the dovening on Rosh Hashana, & Yom Kippur. .
The Care & well-being of our PG Family is always our central concern. We ask you all to let us know of anything we can help with.
With ALL OUR EFFORTS to help, & PROVIDE the WANTS of our Members, I can NOT emphasis enough, how MUCH we also DEPEND on YOUR FEEDBACK of IDEAS & INFORMATION to US.
My thanks to Rabbi Levy, the Rock of our Community, especially for his work outside his Official ”duties”.
My thanks to my HO’s, Board, Ladies Guild, & Welfare Committee, for all they do.
My thanks to ALL of YOU, who WORK to SUPPORT US!!
We look to our long continuing, successful FUTURE
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