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Brighton & Hove Hebrew Congregation
 | Part of the Lower Promenade, Brighton
BHHC OnLine, the official website of
Brighton & Hove Hebrew Congregation
Shalom and thank you for taking the time to visit our website and for your interest in the Brighton & Hove Hebrew Congregation, an orthodox shul situated in the centre of Hove.
A warm welcome awaits you at our daily services and on Shabbat and all festivals.
Take your time looking through our various pages and we look forward to your company at our services.
Brighton & Hove Hebrew Congregation
A place where every Jew can feel at home
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Back on Friday 25th July.
Popped out for a few Macabbi and falafels!
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BHHC OnLine
 | Service Times till Friday 25th July
Wednesday 16 July 2008 / 13 Tammuz 5768
Shacharit:7:30am
Sunset: 9:07pm
Mincha/Maariv: 7.30pm
Thursday 17 July 2008 / 14 Tammuz 5768
Shacharit:7:30am
Sunset: 9:06pm
Mincha/Maariv: 7.30pm
Friday 18 July 2008 / 15 Tammuz 5768
Shacharit:7:30am
Sunset: 9:05pm
Light Shabbat Candles by: 8.47pm
Mincha: 7.30pm
Shabbat 19 July 2008 / 16 Tammuz 5768
Shacharit 9:15am
Torah Reading: Pinchas
Sunset: 9:04pm
Pirkei Avot Shiur: 8.15pm
Mincha: 8:45pm
Maariv & Shabbat ends 10.09pm
Sunday 20 July 2008 / 17 Tammuz 5768
Tzom Tammuz
Fast starts 2.36am - ends 9.44pm
Shacharit:8:30am
Sunset: 9:03pm
Mincha/Maariv: 7.30pm
Monday 21 July 2008 / 18 Tammuz 5768
Shacharit:7:30am
Sunset: 9:02pm
Mincha/Maariv: 7.30pm
Tuesday 22 July 2008 / 19 Tammuz 5768
Shacharit:7:30am
Sunset: 9:00pm
Mincha/Maariv: 7.30pm
Wednesday 23 July 2008 / 20 Tammuz 5768
Shacharit:7:30am
Sunset: 8:59pm
Mincha/Maariv: 7.30pm
Thursday 24 July 2008 / 21 Tammuz 5768
Shacharit:7:30am
Sunset: 8:58pm
Mincha/Maariv: 7.30pm
Friday 25 July 2008 / 22 Tammuz 5768
Shacharit:7:30am
Sunset: 8:56pm
Light Shabbat Candles by: 8.38pm
Mincha: 7.30pm
Service times, candle lighting, festivals etc for the next 14 years at the top-left of this page - handy for working out bar mitzvah parshas (takes a while to open as there's so much info there)
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Yarzheits
13 Tammuz - Wednesday 16 July
Miss R Block - Mother
14 Tammuz - Thursday 17 July
Miss E Sitsamer - Mother
Mrs. V Wallan - Mother
17 Tammuz - Sunday 20 July
Mrs. Rose Simons - Husband
Mrs. J Tracy - Father
Mrs. I Erdman - Husband
18 Tammuz - Monday 21 July
Mrs. H Saunders - Husband
19 Tammuz - Tuesday 22 July
Mrs. J Markham - Father
20 Tammuz - Wednesday 23 July
Mrs. A Huberman - Father
Mr. H Englander - Father
21 Tammuz - Thursday 24 July
Mrs. M Benson - Mother
Dr. L Phillips - Father
22 Tammuz - Friday 25 July
Mrs. V Wallan - Husband
Mr. B Wallan - Father
Mrs. P Appleby - Mother
Mrs. E Park - Sister
Mrs. H Saunders - Mother
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BHHC News
 | This week's kiddush (19th)
is sponsored by Ivor & Jacqui Richards.
Would you like to sponsor a kiddush?
Contact the office (go to "contact us" top-left of this page)
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Message to all members of BHHC
Meeting with the Members – Chairman’s Clinics
On Wednesday 30th July and Wednesday 6th August I am proposing to hold my first 2 clinics or surgeries, hopefully, with at least one other Director at the Shul office and would welcome Members of the Congregation to come in and speak to us about their concerns and ideas. I really want to make the BHHC as user friendly to our Members as possible.
Russell Gross - Chairman
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A Statement from the new chairman, Russell Gross, to the Board of Directors at the start of the first recent meeting
1. Our job as Directors of BHHC is to run the organization for the benefit of our Members. This has become blurred in recent times and I want to make it clear that this is our first principle. After that we look to bolster orthodoxy in Brighton & Hove and after that Jewry in general.
2. The way I would like this charity to run is to have the committees that we select meet fairly regularly. These meetings can be at the convenience of the committees’ members. A draft report can then be sent to the executive. As soon as this has been confirmed it can be emailed to the other Directors. I would then expect any queries by Directors to be sent or clarified with the respective Chairperson of the sub-committee. In this way hopefully we will be able to keep Board meetings down to a respectable time length.
We also have to be as open and honest with the Membership without obviously disclosing information of a sensitive or confidential nature. With this in mind I would like to offer regular surgeries or clinics at the shul at least once a month for members to be able to communicate with us. I suggest a Sunday morning once a month but if the office is not staffed due to holidays then we should make sure members are well informed in advance we’ll be there.
If in doubt refer matters to me or the Committee Chairperson and/ or the Director of Communications. I would like Martin Boyask to be appointed Director of Communications as he has the time and abilities ideal for this role.
3. My next and personally most important demand. Lavoyas, stone settings and shivas: Directorial representation at each. We must show respect if we expect to receive any. For those of you that have not been to the burial grounds often I wish to stress that this important aspect of communal life has not been a prioritized by Directors in recent times. Also I want to introduce a system where all Directors receive the maximum notice so that they can attend these occasions. We should also follow up with the bereaved families to see how they are coping. This has to begin immediately.
4. The Kiddushim here have been and are not ideal and need immediate improvement. Some of us are considering a whisky rota to try to improve basic kiddushim.
If someone new joins the community/ Congregation we need a mechanism for introducing ourselves and involving them.
We have to create more of a friendly family atmosphere.
5. Services. Martyn Cooperman has suggested we start Shabbat services at 9.30am so more people are present nearer the start: an excellent idea. Mike Flashman has suggested we try a tea/ coffee and cake evening before mincha during the week. Jack Simons has suggested that maybe we should try a daily morning service at 10.0am as so many members of ours and Hove Hebrew Congregation are retired and it may have appeal.
We have to take these and any other ideas on board to increase interest in our community. Please feel free to let Martin Boyask know of your suggestions initially by email.
(go to contacts top-left of this page)
6. I would finally like to make it clear that unless there is a dire emergency I don’t expect any phone calls before 9.0am or after 9.0pm.
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Special Shabbat 26 July
We are holding a Young Peoples Shabbat for the 26 July. Rabbi Rader will conduct a question and answer session with teenagers. The questions can be put at the time or sent in to arrive in good time before Shabbat. And of course there will be a Kiddush.
If you would like to send in a question rather than ask it live, phone or email it to the shul office (go to "contact us" top-left of this page) and not to this website.
Note: Although this is called "A Young People's Shabbat" obviously all ages are welcome.
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Gentlemen - You don't have to be frum to go to shul
Not every man lays tefillin on a weekday morning service. No one is going to tell you off. They do what they want - you do what you want.
You have a tefillin but forgotten how to use it? Somebody at the service will be happy to show you.
You don't have a tefillin but would like to try? They will have a spare one you can borrow.
Don't fancy putting the alarm on? No problem - we also have a daily mincha & maariv which at the moment are held at 7.30pm
Do yourself a favour - come to shul
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Sussex Jewish Community Care
What is Sussex Jewish Community Care?
Go to "Links" top left of this page.
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Next Broadcasts of Shalom on Reverb Radio
Wednesday 16th: 11am-11.48am
Sunday 27th: 9.00am - 9.48am
(both repeats from 2nd July)
Online at www.radioreverb.com or on your radio 97.2fm
Get a free dedication or publicise your function for only £5
by contacting the presenter Cecily Woolf studio@radioreverb.com
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Kosher Nosh
The next delivery in our area is on Monday 11th August (they deliver to your door)
Order goods by going to this website www.just kosher.co.uk
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Message
This is a message for Jewish students or Jewish people of that age i.e. late teens to early 20s. Please click on the following link |
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 | Reader's Thoughts
By Michael Flashman: Saturday 12th of July
The Drocha this Shubbut ( My wife prefers Shabbos) was again delivered by Rabbi Rader and he built his delivery well. We learned from this week's Parshah that towards the close of the Israelites great forty year journey, a remaining Evil Axis of enemies, namely a Gentile Prophet, Balaam and his patron Balak, were encountered. Because of these people’s fear they attempted to conjure up various methods of inflicting some kind of defeat on the approaching Israelites.
This Axis had a concoction of weaponry, disinformation and trickery and also included the proposed ability to hurl great curses at the Israelites which by divine intervention are turned into a variety of blessings.
Balaam who is clearly aware of all the tactics at his disposal, normally sort an appropriate time to coincide with a major or minor catastrophe and used this to kick off with his ritualistic act of applying a dreaded curse to a group or an individual. On this occasion this particular weapon had a malfunction. In British Forces parlance "it was U.S." (meaning unserviceable)
Following more infill information on the Balak Balaam story we hear about Speaking Donkeys and various additional attempts to apply curses but again all to be foiled by additional Divine Intervention. Rabbi Rader finally approached the most interesting piece of the Drocha where Balak now unleashes his secret weapon.
Heard it before somewhere?
But this secret weapon did not thrust itself into the evening sky emitting fire from its rear. This secret weapon was sweet smelling, clothed and adorned in the most finest and titillating apparel and speaking of things every man wanted to hear with a promise of sheer delight. This secret weapon comprised the Moabite and Midianite women renowned for their tantalizing beauty.
For the first time in a long history of listening to all kinds of Drochas, Rabbi Rader had indeed finally succeeded in capturing my full attention!
Balak had realized that although the Israelitish male now lived by a code of morality and decency it was only forty years earlier they had trawled the bottom end of a code of life. This was when they had weakened and fallen for the likes of worshiping the Golden Calf with its associated dance of debauchery.
Yet again, we hear how the temptation was too much and how the manhood of Israel succumbed to these newly introduced pleasures of the flesh.
You’ll probably notice by now I have not said a bad word against them, I have refrained from any form of judgment, I merely pass on that which was delivered by Rabbi Rader.
Finally we were told, in the next Drocha Rabbi Rader will deliver, Pinchus saves the Israelites when he announces that all this naughtiness has to stop, and Israel became a blessed nation once again.
What a good idea to enjoy the delights of the flesh and then be forgiven to return to the normal life we lead. Again, you’ll notice I have not mentioned words such as boring or dull.
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Reader's Letters
From Michael Shaw (until recently chairman of the shul board) Friday 11 July 2008
I have just been handed a letter which the new Board recently sent to the Torah Nursery. In this letter, dated 3rd July 2008, the nursery has been told to vacate the building by the second week of August at the latest and that they should remove all their "rubbish and clutter from our properties."
Alternative premises have been offered on the first floor of 31 New Church Road and the Mark Luck Hall for the younger children but "after a brief period of adjustment, we would have to continue on a more formal basis including the payment of a negotiated rent."
This document was sent to the Torah Nursery last week from the Board of the BHHC - yet why was it not on official headed notepaper? In addition, the overall tone of the letter is disgraceful seeing that the Torah school (one way or another) has been on the New Church Road site for many years and both the Rabbi and Mrs Efune are well known to all concerned.
The first school on the NCR site was in fact the Yavnah Nursery which was started by Merna Carlebach over 30 years ago and since then it has continued in it’s various forms to be now the only surviving source of providing daily orthodox Jewish education in Brighton & Hove. I know that times and circumstances change but to send this type of letter without any proper discussion is not the way any credible Board goes about working with an organisation that has a long standing occupancy.
Whenever a move is imposed on any organisation it normally takes many months of planning and organisation to put it unto effect. Also with the involvement of young children additional facilities (like toilets etc.) need to be provided and this cannot happen overnight. Over the last few years I know that the Torah has spent many thousands of pounds making various adjustments to the building to meet the Ofsted guidelines. In order for this to be replicated in 31 NCR it would take money and effort, neither of which can be catered for at such short notice.
Also, the way the letter reads is very misleading. It is true that the school and the nursery (inc. Yavnah) have been allowed to occupy the building without charge but ALL the utility bills and improvements (including additional toilets and a new central heating system) have been paid for in full by the Torah management. With this in mind it is also common knowledge that the income from the school is limited and often needs to be subsidised.
Finally it is clear from the inference contained in the above letter that the Board would prefer for the nursery not to be at the NCR site (as mentioned to me by a current Board member on many occasions). Therefore little in the way of planning or resources has been offered to ensure that Yiddishkite through our children’s education is given the priority it deserves.
Michael Shaw
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From J Beasley: Monday 14th July 2008
As a parent of a child at the Torah nursery I would like to know if the Board will be responding on the website to the comment left by the previous Chair? I am awaiting to hear their justifications with interest and in the meantime will be cancelling my husband's direct debit as I will not support such a Board. Whoever sanctioned such a letter must be both ignorant and extremely petty, perhaps it could be passed on that my daughter really enjoys her time at the Torah, must be all that 'rubbish and clutter'.....
J Beasley
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From Steven Samuels: Tuesday 15th July 2008
Re letter from J.Beasley - she is unaware that there is a reply to Michael Shaw’s letter from Martin Boyask issued last Sunday which I understand “ the Chairman has not authorised you to put on the web”. Russell wants openness so if that is the case then surely that response – presumably from the Board – should be published with immediate effect. That Mrs Beasley is awaiting a response to Michael’s letter is wrong. It has been replied to and that response MUST be published.
As Webmaster I know that you are possibly in an untenable position about this matter but I feel that if your hands are tied about what you can and cannot publish then there is only one way that you can go – your loss as webmaster would be really a great loss to the BHHC!
Steven Samuels
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From Sarah Wilks: Tuesday 15th July 2008
I could write this letter wearing many communal hats, but have chosen to write it wearing a very old one, that of a previous head of Yavneh Nursery, 29 New Church Road, Hove, where I worked from 1981-1993 first as a teacher and then head.
The nursery was and is the core of our community. Without it we lose the foundation of our community and the ability to attract new young families to the town.
It is hard enough to convince some parents to send their children to a Jewish nursery with all the competition from other schools and nurseries that exists in the town.
The attraction of its own building and facilities are part of the package. It is only after new parents come through the door and see the nursery and feel the "Ruach" that they realise what the nursery can offer their children, and then they will make a commitment.
With this in mind I cannot understand any shul board agreeing to allow the nursery to move to 31 whilst a non Jewish nursery occupies the whole of 29 and will of course, ultimately attract some Jewish children.
Why is the board content for our children to have to "make do"?
I do however realise that finance is the issue, but surely the shul board could either settle for a lesser rent from St Christopher’s at 31 rather than 29 or, do all they can to attract new members, thereby increasing income from membership fees.
The current proposal will, in my view, only serve to alienate members who should vote with their feet and walk away from a Jewish institution that has such little regard for the education of its young.
Yours
Sarah Wilks
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From Denise Aben: Tuesday 15th July 2008
Dear Board of Management
I am writing to say how disappointed I am to hear that you are intending to put the final nail in the coffin of offering any Jewish education to the young children of Brighton and Hove. I am astonished that in preference you choose to rent to a wealthy Church of England school.
The Jewish Nursery is the first place where so many people who have no interest in Judaism send their children because it is a nice little nursery school. These parents go on to make lifelong friendships and as a result get drawn back into the community. In a town which is hemorrhaging young families how bad can that be?
I am aware that our Jewish nursery has been offered to transfer to 31 New Church Road. Whether or not this is viable I do not know however as a parent of ex-pupils I do know that what is proposed is unquestionably inferior.
How sad it is for Rabbi and Mrs Efune whose hard work over 20 years has been dismissed in such a way. For those of you on the board who have a history in Brighton will know that never has there been a Rabbi or Rebbetzin who has worked so tirelessly hard for this community.
I have been born and bred in Brighton and I am proud to say that two of my children have had a full career at the Torah Academy nursery and school. Apart from giving them an excellent education it has ignited their neshama so that if they were to return to Brighton then they would be able to participate, be involved and be useful members of the congregation.
WITHOUT JEWISH EDUCATION THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN.
Yours Sincerely
Denise Aben (Levien)
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From Jessica Rosenthal: Tuesday 15th July 2008
I'd like to add my full support to the letter written to you by Sarah Wilks
Surely the future of the community rests to a considerable extent on our being able to attract young couples to settle in/remain in Brighton and Hove
I know from my own family how important it is for them to have a Jewish school that their children can attend.
We have already, so unfortunately, lost Torah Academy. We must absolutely not risk losing the nursery as well.
Moving the Jewish nursery to no 31 and leasing no 29 to a non Jewish nursery very obviously increases that risk.
Best wishes
Jessica (Rosenthal)
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From Sharon Rose: Tuesday 15th July
Dear Sir,
I understand that the new BHHC Board of Management has taken a unilateral decision to evict the nursery from its current premises and, by so doing, may force the only Jewish nursery in the area to close.
I should be grateful for an explanation of:
A: The Board’s rationale for doing so and B: Why the Board failed to undertake any form of prior consultation with those stakeholders who would be affected by the closure of the Nursery.
I must state that I am very upset and disappointed by the Boards decision. Whilst I understand that income to BHHC has to be maximised, I believe that there are wider considerations that must take into account. There has been a Jewish Nursery at 29 New Church Road since the 1970s. In fact, I believe that I was one of the first children to benefit from the Jewish Nursery and, more recently, have been happy to have my son attend the Torah Academy Nursery.
The closing of such an institution impacts not just on the members of BHHC but on the wider Jewish Community and I believe that the new Board underestimates the strength of feeling regarding this issue among the wider community.
Further, I find it difficult to believe that it is acceptable for any charity to suddenly, after 30 years, to change the terms of the financial agreement with the Nursery, particularly without any prior notification or discussion. Is this in line with the Charity Commission’s guidance for best practice for charitable trustees?
In addition, I assume the Board is familiar with the Code of Governance for the Voluntary and Community Sector published by the National Governance Hub (a partnership of organisations working to improve governance of charities and other voluntary and community organisations). The Code outlines a number of steps for charities to achieve good governance and develop good practice.
The Code states: "To govern effectively, boards need to communicate well with stakeholders. By communicating with stakeholders, the board lets them know what it is doing for the organisation and why. This sounds simple, but it calls for a well planned board communication strategy. A good strategy provides guidelines for communication, keeping it safe, targeted and appropriate". Could you please provide me with a copy of the Board’s communications strategy and explain how the Board has adhered to this failing to undertake effective stakeholder consultation?
The Board appears not to have followed due process in attempting to legally end the Nursery’s tenancy at 29 New Church Road. I also understand that the Board have offered to move the Nursery to 31 New Church Road. This appears to be regardless of the fact that currently that building is unlikely to meet the access and educational regulations of an Ofsted Inspection.
Do Members of BHHC really want to see the only Jewish education in the area disbanded in return for renting the property to a Christian school (St Christopher’s School)? Please can you explain how such a decision furthers the interests of the wider Jewish community in Brighton and Hove?
Yours sincerely
Sharon Rose
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From Jeremy Chehovah Beasley: Wednesday 16th July
Dear All,
Having received and read the newsletter from the Board of Directors this morning and read the comment left by Michael Shaw, I am utterly perplexed as to what is really going here. I have also as a parent read the original letter sent to Mrs Efune and the newsletter is less than honest about its contents. In fact I find it amazing that the Board did not use the Newsletter to apologise for the tone of the letter sent. The newsletter implies that Rabbi Efune is to blame for the lack of discussion but as the Chairman has not even bothered to visit the nursery and see it in action, I feel that it is he that is refusing to see the bigger picture.
THE TORAH NURSERY IS NOT A PLAYGROUP, and the vast difference between the two is clearly not understood by the Board.This situation comes across as one of a personal nature and this is utterly wrong. If members of the Board have issues with Rabbi Efune then as adults they must seek to address them but to involve innocent JEWISH children in their friction is just not acceptable.
It is more than obvious that St Christopher's would prefer No 29 as the Torah have MADE it into an ideal building for children. The newsletter states,
"We had, by the way, already ascertained that, with normal safety procedures in use, the Authorities (Ofsted etc.) had no objection to nurseries being situated on the first floor"
This ridiculously ambivalent statement is true, Ofsted do indeed allow nurseries to be housed above ground level but the FACT is that No 31 would not pass an inspection for a myriad of reasons. The building does not have the toilet facilities required or the heating, the intercoms, the equipment etc etc the list could go on and anyone entering the building would need to have a Criminal Records Check making it a nonsense.
My wife is a Registered Childminder and I can assure you that Ofsted have very strict guidelines which No 31 would take some time and a lot of renovation to meet. If forced to move the nursery would not be open in September as inspection procedures are far from immediate regardless of the lack of finance to renovate the building.
Why had the Board 'already ascertained' anything in any case? Why had they not included the Torah from the start? How on earth can 4 weeks notice be justified? It appears that the Board wanted to present the Torah with a done deal that they were forced to accept. As No 31 is not suitable, I would question whether the real motive behind this is either to remove the nursery altogether or force the Efune's to go elsewhere.
Rabbi Efune has requested that we all show goodwill and does not want any animosity, he has not commented publicly and in private has not once said anything detrimental about people he considers friends. In contrast, the Board seem to desire animosity and have basically implied in the Newsletter that Rabbi Efune is being awkward at best, is this what we expect from adult men? I feel that one of the Board's most pressing matters to attend to would be to evaluate the communication skills of their 'Director of Communications...'. They say 'Power Corrupts' and I question if this is the case here. This is a community first and a business second, that must be remembered. Do we favour the intake of St Christopher's over our own children?!
This is a community matter and should be addressed as such, if St Christopher's are the best tenant then they must be offered, on the Shul's terms, No 31. I would question why the Board aren't using their combined skills to seek other more suitable tenants, i.e solicitors, accountants, language schools etc. Could No 31 be advertised and options reviewed at a later date? No-one is arguing that extra finance is desirable but there is no need to be greedy, there has to be a suitable solution for all concerned. We all need one another and this current situation implies that our community is split and therefore not as strong as it once was.
Let us not get bogged down in the rights and wrongs of this situation, let us work together to find a solution that ensures the strength of community is soldified at ground level in the nuturing of our next generation.
Jeremy Chehovah Beasley
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Additional note from Michael Shaw: Wednesday 16 July
I have been looking at the website today and was pleased that there are many others who also have strong feelings in this matter.
To reply to Mrs J Beasley and Steven Samuels - I do have a reply from Martin Boyask and I would be delighted to see it on the web site.
Without taking things out of context he makes the following comment:
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With the dire state of BHHC finances at present, the large rent that seems to be forthcoming from a tenant at 29 should take precedence to the relatively minor inconvenience of moving the kids, and their bits and pieces, about 50 yards from 29 to 31.
To do otherwise would be to be thoroughly neglectful of our duties, and that the nursery should raise such objections in view of the overall situation, would rather appear to rank as selfishness.
So it would seem that the real problem is not the availability of space but the need, or at least the desire, to create friction.
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With this statement ringing in my ears may I wish the new Director of Communications well in his new position.
Michael Shaw
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Do you have something to say?
Go to "Contact us" top-left of this page for details.
Please note: Any letters received after 10.00am Wednesday 16th July will not be published until Friday 25th July.
We apologise for any inconvenience.
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Social Scene
You can find all the Sussex Community Events at the top-left of this page (scroll up)
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Events out of Sussex
For more details on the following go to "Jewish Events out of Sussex" top-left of this page
Wed. 13 August: London: Klezmer Klimax! Big names in the klezmer world
Monday 27 October: London: Bridge Extravaganza in top hotel for 300 players. Book early
For details on the above go to "Jewish Events out of Sussex" top-left of this page
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Click on the following link for something rather special |
Mish Mosh
 | As a Matter of Fact
Words from the Torah are inscribed on the Liberty Bell.
Inscribed on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are the words "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." These words are taken from Vayikra 25:10, as translated by the King James Bible. This pasuk refers to the freedom granted to all servants and debtors on the 50th year
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Talmud quote of the day
Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, 'Grow, grow.'
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Jewish Quote of the Day
The longest road in the world is the one that leads to the pocket.
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Don't Let It Die
See if you can drop today's Yiddish word into a conversation!
Chaloshes
pronounced khol-LAW-shess to rhyme with "A Cautious"
A revolting, disgusting thing. It could be the food, or a film or maybe someone’s voice.
"I went to that big hotel on the seafront last night for dinner. The food was terrible, a chaloshes – and such small portions!"
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The Daily Trivia
One year two students at the Pasadena Playhouse acting school were jointly voted "least likely to succeed" by their peers. The students? Future Oscar-winners Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman.
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is a BAFTA, two-time Academy Award, and five-time Golden Globe-winning American method actor.
Hoffman was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Lillian (née Gold), a jazz pianist, and Harry Hoffman, who worked as a prop supervisor/set decorator at Columbia Pictures before becoming a furniture salesman. His brother, Ronald, is a lawyer and economist. Hoffman's family was Jewish, although he did not have a religious upbringing.
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Keep it in the Family
Never have children, only grandchildren.
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 | The Mark Luck Hall
Did you know you can hire the Mark Luck Hall for your function? It can seat up to 70 people and we have separate meat & milk kitchens. Of course all catering must be strictly kosher.
Phone the shul office 01273 888855 for details, rates, caterers etc.
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Sponsor a Kiddish
You too can sponsor a kiddush after a Shabbat service, and it won't cost you an arm or a leg!
It could be for a birthday, an engagement or some other simcha - or because you like sponsoring kiddushim!
Go to Kiddush Details top-left of this page.
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Keep Kosher
The 2008 Kashrut Guides are available in the Shul Office
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Feeling a bit nebechy?
If you know of a member of our shul in hospital or at home feeling a bit under the weather let us know and we'll arrange for some one to visit.
You'll find the telephone number and email address on the left in Contact Us.
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Five Things You May Not Know About . . . . .
The Fast of Tammuz
Sunday 20th July
1: The Seventeenth of Tammuz is the second of the four fasts commemorating the destruction of the Temple and the Jewish exile. It is preceded seven months by the fast of the Tenth of Tevet and arrives three weeks prior to the full-day fast of the Ninth of Av. The last of the four fasts is the Fast of Gedaliah, which is observed on the third or fourth day of Tishri.
2: The Fast commemorates nine calamities that befell the Jewish people on this date:
A: Moses descended Mount Sinai on this day and, upon seeing the Jews worshipping the Golden Calf, he proceeded to break the first set of Tablets carrying the Ten Commandments. Moses proceeded to destroy the Golden Calf and ascended back up Mount Sinai for the second time, where he spent another 40 days.
B. The First Temple: The priests in the First Temple stopped offering the daily sacrifice on this day (Taanit 28b).
C. The walls of Jerusalem were breached in the year 3184 (586 BCE) after many months of siege by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian forces.
D. In the time of the Roman persecution, Apostomos, leader of the enemy forces, publicly burned the Torah.
E. Titus, King of Rome, breached the walls of Jerusalem in 3760 (70 CE).
F. Pope Gregory IX ordered the confiscation of all manuscripts of the Talmud in 4999 (1239).
G. In 1391, more than 4,000 Jews were killed in Spain.
H. In 4319, the Jewish Quarter of Prague was burned and looted.
I. The Kovno ghetto was liquidated on this day in 5704 (1944).
3: The three weeks beginning with the Seventeenth of Tammuz and ending with the Ninth of Av are known as Bein haMetzarim ("between the straits," i.e. between the days of distress) or as simply the Three Weeks. Some customs of mourning, which commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem, are observed from the start of the Three Weeks.
4: Unlike the two fast days of Yom Kippur and Tishah B'Av, washing and wearing leather are permitted on this day.
Special prayers, Vayechal and Anenu, are added to the morning and afternoon services. Ashkenazi Jews add the latter only in minchah.
5: The Mishna in Ta'anit 4:8 associates the 17th of Tammuz as the "Fast of the Fourth Month" mentioned by the prophet Zechariah. According to this Mishna, the 17th of Tammuz will be transformed in the messianic era in a day that"shall be joy to the House of Judah" full of "gladness and cheerful feasts."
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Shuls of the World No.180
 | We highlight a different shul every day
The Jews of Tunisia
Jews in Tunisia have always tread a precarious path between social acceptance and downright oppression. From their first documented appearance in 2nd century Carthage to their current status as a tolerated minority, Tunisian Jews have been subject to shifts in regional and international politics that have dictated the relative security of their community.
Click on the following link for more on this synagogue |
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and finally . .
Every day we publish a different photograph taken in our beautiful mother synagogue in Middle Street, Brighton.
More can be found along with the history of the building by going to "Middle Street Synagogue" at the top-left of this page.
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