The past few weeks have proved to be quite trying with regard to maintenance and repairs, and this week has been no exception. Our petrol lawn-mower and electric edge-trimmer both decided to “hand in their notice” to us. Even Mandla, who is something of a handyman, has admitted defeat and consigned the two appliances to the scrap-heap.

If anyone in the community has a lawn-mower and/or weed-eater they no longer require and would be prepared to donate to the Shul, please contact Sandy at the Shul Office on 011 646 6170 or office@beitemanuel.co.za.

Our grateful thanks to the rabbi, management, congregants and staff of Temple Sinai of Bergen County in Tenafly, NJ in the US, for generously donating fifty copies of our current High Holy Day prayer book (Machzor), Gates of Repentance to Beit Emanuel. They also absorbed the cost of the shipping, about $400 (+/- R6,000 in our money!). Thanks in particular to their Executive Director, Joseph Slade for his role in the donation.

A reminder that, in order to ensure the safety of our members, their guests and the congregation’s property, we are in the process of introducing a Guest List system for our services and other events. In order to avoid any embarrassment, delays, or even denial of access, please ensure that you notify Sandy of your guests’ details beforehand (011 646 6170 or office@beitemanuel.co.za). These details will then be included on the Guest List provided to the Security Team members on duty for that service/event.

Also a reminder to members to collect a discreet BE parking sticker from the Shul Office, to be displayed on the windscreen of your vehicle/s (passenger side). This will help to eliminate delays at the gate before services/events.

Lastly, please wind down the driver’s side window of your vehicle when approaching the gate, particularly if your vehicle’s windows are tinted. Once again, this simple step will help to cut down delays at the gate, by allowing our security volunteers to easily identify or engage with you.

Shabbat Noach

4-5 NOVEMBER 2016 – 4 Cheshvan 5777

TORAH: Genesis 6:9—11:32

HAFTARAH: Isaiah 54:1—55:5

FRIDAY 4 NOVEMBER

Kabalat Shabbat Service: 06.00 p.m. –Synagogue followed by a Kiddush in the Janks Hall.

SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER

Shabbat Morning Service – 09h30 in the Shul (Reuben Fleisch’s Bar Mitzvah), followed by a Kiddush provided by the Fleisch family.

 JTALK – +/- 11h45 – This week, Wayne Sussman talks about “America Votes – The 2016 Elections”

TALMUD STUDY – +/-13h00 – Tractate Berachot, using the new Koren Hebrew/English edition of the Talmud. Venue: Gillis Boardroom.

We are just a few days away from the American elections. On Tuesday 8 December, Americans will go to the polls and choose whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will replace Barack Obama as President of the most powerful nation on earth. Join election fanatic Wayne Sussman to hear what makes American elections so exciting and why a small state like New Hampshire matters much more than New York.

Kids/Youth programmes

JKids: This Friday we will be doing an activity on Noah and his Ark.

Youth Zone: Always available as a place to hang out on Friday evening.

JKids Jnr: There will be JKids Jnr this Saturday morning, from 09.00 to 09.45. See you there!

On Thursday last week a small group met to share ideas about a proposed Community and Cultural Hub at Beit Emanuel and to consider what the initial focus may be.

The idea is to use the classrooms and other spaces in the Stalson Building to provide a hub for community activities, in partnership with outside organisations, and to create at Beit Emanuel a centre of secular learning, debate, social relationships, skills development and creativity. This centre will provide an oasis amid the hustle and bustle of big city living for all those who can access the precinct.

We explored some of the other programmes available in the area. We recognised that

the Rabbi Cyril Harris Community Centre at Great Park Synagogue and other centres successfully offer talks, movies and once off events. The major gap seems to be adult education courses and interactive programmes along the lines of Limmud. Also missing are meaningful dialogues between communities of different faiths to build understanding and connection.

The meeting agreed that we will begin our programmes in March/April 2017 by focusing on the interfaith elements of our centre. We will run programmes on peace-making, ethical values arising from diverse religions and cultures, collaboration between communities and understanding different faiths and approaches to spirituality.

The intention is to encompass spirituality and values broadly and not limit ourselves to the monotheistic traditions. We will offer yoga, tai chi, and other forms of mind-body activities. We wish to introduce art classes, choral or individual singing, drama and dance. These may be formal classes or opportunities for interested people to engage in group activities.

We did not discuss funding in much detail though this will need to be explored. For now, we are looking at volunteers to provide programmes and will probably need participants to pay a small fee towards covering costs and to give the facilitators a small honorarium. This is a short-term plan but longer term we will need to explore funding. Marketing will be crucial. Unless we can get public participation in programmes the Hub will not be viable.

My personal hope is to see the introduction of courses in, for example, African literature, art history and similar cultural themes, but perhaps this is the next stage of development.

At present, we propose to call the centre JHub—Cultural Centre for Ethical Learning.

If anyone is interested in getting involved or feels that they can contribute, please speak to Diane Fine (083 450 2089).

Beit Emanuel will do a walk through the suburbs of Yeoville & Observatory on Sunday, 13th November 2016. The neighbourhood was home to many Jewish families in the old days, including some famous Jewish communists and activists in the anti-apartheid struggle.

The walk will be led by the knowledgeable and entertaining Ishvara Dhyan, who has led previous walks through Jewish Doornfontein.

Some of the highlights on the walk include :

• The Hoffmannor – Communist safehouse in the late fifties after the movement had been banned.
• The home of the Slovo family in the Thirties.
• Joe Slovo’s home in the Nineties when he returned to South Africa.
• Rockey Street. The street Ruth First grew up on.
• The House of Dreams – home of Lionel & Hilda Bernstein.
• Observatory Girls Primary School. “The red diaper“ school.
• The Indian War Memorial – magnificent views of the city.

The walk begins at the Hoffmannor at 52 Urania Street in Observatory at 10.00 am on Sunday 13th November.

Cost per person: R100-00 per person attending

Banking details :

Temple Emanuel

FNB Killarney Branch 256 205

A/C no. 5486 0049 352

Please use the Beneficiary Reference “[SURNAME] + YEOVILLE WALK” for all payments. Email admin@beitemanuel.co.za

Please bring along bottled water. Note that there are some inclines on this walk. The tour will take approximately 3 hours. There will be a few stops to rest along the way. Secure parking along Urania Street.

SHABBAT KI TEITZEI 16/17 SEPTEMBER 2016 – 14 ELUL 5776

TORAH: DEUTERONOMY 21:10—25:19 HAFTARAH: ISAIAH 54:1—54:10

FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER

Kabalat Shabbat Service: 06.00 p.m. -Synagogue – followed by a Kiddush in the Main Hall, generously sponsored by anonymous donors. Thank you!

SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER

Shabbat Morning Service – 09h30 in the Shul (Second Bar Mitzvah of Ray Sher) followed by a Kiddush in the Courtyard/Garden.

JTALK – 11h15 – This week artist Susan Woolf, will discuss taxi hand signs. Full details on page 2

TALMUD STUDY – 12h45 – Tractate Berachot, using the new Koren Hebrew/English edition of the Talmud.

Jody Segel, who looks after the younger children on Friday nights and the High Holy days, has asked us to publish the following appeal for help:

“Dear parents – As you know, the High Holy Days are coming up, and I desperately need some volunteers to help me with the children. Activities will be planned and the resources available; I just need extra sets of hands and eyes. If you are willing to volunteer, please message me on 0729361166 and advise the dates and times you’d prefer to help. Secondly, we need a lot of materials for the kids during the High Holy Days. Please could you consider either donating money towards buying stationery, paper, cardboard, books, balls, beads, etc., or alternatively donating any of these items? This would be a big help, both morally and financially. Lastly, please could you save empty toilet rolls and old newspapers to use in my activities? You can bring them on Friday nights or Saturday mornings. I really appreciate all of your help. A programme for the activities will be sent out shortly. Warm regards, Jody”

JKids

Friday, 16th—Movie in the Kids’ Library

Youth Zone

Friday, 16 – Crafts – Making felt magnets

A reminder to please let the Shul Office know if you invite a guest to attend one of our services or other events, and if they are arriving in their own cars. Your guests’ car registration details will be included on a list provided to our Security Team, saving time and preventing inconvenience.

Classes are held from 18h30 to 19h30 every Wednesday evening. The course will consist of 10 lessons of an hour each, and the cost of the course is R1,000, payable in advance. Course notes will be provided. The class level will be determined by how advanced the group is. Café Ivrit is offered to both members and non-members, Jewish and non-Jewish. Contact Carmit Verreyne on 072 146 0359 or carmitver@gmail.com for further details. Bookings should be done through the Shul Office on 011 646 6170 or office@beitemanuel.co.za.

There has been a very positive response to the Beit Emanuel Kehilla’s “Ubuntu Bears” project, and we’ve seen a positive inflow of bears (old, new and handmade; all are welcome) to the Shul Office, as well as donations of wool, knitting needles and crochet hooks. The Kehilla team is now planning for quarterly deliveries to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, rather than a single drop-off. Please contact the Ubuntu Bears “foster parents”, Diane Fine (083 450 2089), Max Green (084 364 3237) or Candice Schneider (073 817 3716) for more details, or speak to Sandy in the Shul Office on 011 646 6170 or office@beitemanuel.co.za.

JTalk is an informal discussion directly after the Saturday Shabbat services, starting at 11.15am in the Board Room in the Slome Annexe and lasting about an hour.

Taxi commuters in Joburg use hand signs to flag down vehicles – a silent, gestural language known only to those who regularly use the taxi system. In 2004, South African artist,

Susan Woolf begun to paint some of the taxi hand signs, not knowing that this subject would become an intrinsic part of her life and work for years to come. Since then she has produced a book on the subject, written a PhD, designed postage stamps and staged multimedia exhibitions at Wits, the Jewish Museum in Cape Town and MOMA in New York. Susan will explain the meaning of the signs and show examples of her work.

Israel’s Supreme Court this week slammed the Netanyahu government for ignoring the agreement to open the Western Wall to women and non-Orthodox Jews, accusing it of “foot-dragging” and pandering to a small minority.

In an unusual motion, the Court granted Orly Erez-Likhovski, Director of the Legal Department of the Reform movement, three weeks to file a petition addressing the government’s failure to implement the plan negotiated in January by several streams of Progressive and Conservative Judaism with the former Cabinet secretary Avichai Mandelblit.

That agreement put into place a plan under which the Israeli government would open an inaccessible section on the southern part of the Western Wall for pluralistic prayer that would not be under the supervision of the Western Wall rabbi.

“Enough is enough,” said Justice Miriam Naor, the Supreme Court president, criticizing the state prosecutor for defending the government’s “foot-dragging on various occasions in the last eight months, since the government approved the plan.”

“Do you expect us to extract the chestnuts from the fire for you?” Naor asked, using a Hebrew term for performing a difficult task.

Justice Elyakim Rubinstein blasted the state for its failure to enact the Mandelblit agreement, saying that the Wall, as it is currently managed, represents not the will of the majority in Israel but a small minority of the population. This failure, he added, was due only to “an article in a Haredi newspaper”.

Anat Hoffman, leader of Woman of the Wall movement, said: “I wore my Women of the Wall tallit to the hearing and had the deep satisfaction of hearing a Supreme Court justice utter the words ‘for God’s sake’ when he demanded that the government implement its own decision to open a pluralistic Western Wall plaza where women, Reform and Conservative Jews can pray as is their custom.”

“We are gratified that the Supreme Court, in its wisdom, has accepted our long-held argument that the Western Wall cannot be held hostage by a minority sect. The state has been put on notice that the court is prepared to intervene if the government refuses to implement its own plan. This will be a sweet New Year.”