And so we’ve reached the end of the mammoth season of festivals, our rabbis, wardens and lay readers have put their feet up (temporarily) for a well-earned, if brief, rest. Our festival prayer books are boxed away, and those who built a Sukkah have dismantled it. With Stanmore Hill still under construction, there was no communal Mosaic sukkah this year. Fortunately the Leiblings built one, and many of us took advantage of them doing so to pop round to enjoy their hospitality and shake their lulav. And the zest of the Etrog remains as sharp and distinctive as ever.
And with the turning back of the scrolls to Bereshit, the cycle of the new year continues……
Except that this year is different, very different.
This year will bring a new home for our Community. We are living through a challenging time, not just for the six months since we vacated Bessborough Road, but for the 18 months since Covid impacted upon each and every one of us. And the challenge is not yet over, as we juggle with hybrid services and zoom, and wait impatiently for the builders to hand over the keys to our new home.
Completion is getting closer, and we’re well over half way there. To keep you in the picture, we have an update zoom on Sunday 10th October at 5.30 pm, where you can see and hear in detail how the building is progressing, and learn some of the exciting new features, for example about the aesthetics, and the new IT. You’ll be able to meet our new development Rabbi, Anna Wolfson, and learn how groups such as HaMakom, our religion school, plan to use the new facility.
Please do join us on 10th October, to see YOUR new Synagogue, or indeed your THREE new Synagogues becoming more of a reality.
Until then, Good Shobbos, and stay well,
Harry Grant
