Events in 2025
January
Dinner for HMD Speaker
23 members attended the dinner with Toby Simpson who is the Director of the Weiner Holocaust Library based in London. He made a short address and spoke in depth with members and guests who were with us. We had several non-Jewish States Members come as guests of Deputy Inna Gardiner. This is so important for the community to improve it’s standing with non-Jewish leaders of the island.
Toby visited Les Quennevais School for a full day of presentations and spoke to the whole of Year 9 from both JCG and Victoria College. His address to the Ceremony at the Occupation Gallery on the 27th was well attended and also well received.
February
Wizo Charity online Quiz.
The Annual event was based at the Synagogue this year now that we have the wonders of WIFI. We had 20 members and friends attend the event and although the food and wine were delicious, we did very poorly in the competition; it is possible that we do not seem to take the competition very seriously! WIZO however raised plenty of money to support their ongoing work in Israel.
March
Purim Party
A newly formed group called The Jersey Jewish Parents Group hosted an afternoon party for Purim with the support of the Jersey Jewish Ladies Guild and PJ Library. There were fun craft activities and a fancy dress parade with enough prizes for everyone who had attended. Several of the parents had also dressed up and there was a lovely atmosphere in the room. Over 20 young people attended and Martha Bernstein, President of the JJC told the children the story of Purim with plenty of chances to use the groggers and noise makers that the children had all made.
April
Seder at Synagogue
15 of us joined together on the second night and our youngest guest did the Ma Nishtana most beautifully. Thanks must go to the Ladies Guild for pulling out all the stops for this event. Especial thanks to Julian Bernstein – the honorary member of the JJLG for all his catering expertise and advice. We were delighted to be led once again by Jeremy Tarlow and his wife Rebecca who were with us for the whole of Passover and greatly enjoyed the beauty of the island and the tranquillity of the beaches.
May
Jewish Renaissance Dinner
Jewish Renaissance had organised a tour of Guernsey, Alderney and Jersey to look at sights of interest to the history of the Jews of the Channel Islands. Much of what they looked at was historic including visiting the Concentration camps in Alderney. It was therefore a great pleasure to host them with us for a Friday night dinner – led by Yitz Davies – and then to supper. 32 of us joined for the evening and it was wonderful to hear the buzz of conversations around the room. ON Saturday evening Yitz led the group in a beautiful Havdalah Service at their hotel in St. Helier and five members went into town for the service.
Events in 2024
January
Dinner for HMD Speaker
15 members attended the event and Smajo Beso a Bosnian Refugee and founder of Bosnian Genocide Education Trust and trusted supporter of HMDT spoke briefly of his experiences in Bosnia as a child during the Genocide. Smajo spoke at the Jersey Arts Centre, Les Quennevais School and Jersey College for Girls as well as being the Keynote Speaker at the HMD Ceremony for Jersey Heritage on the afternoon of 27th January.
Smajo and his wife Aliija were delighted to be with the congregation as he regularly attends the Newcastle Synagogue for Interfaith Events.
March
Shabbat For Israel AM ISRAEL CHAI
Steven Jaffe travelled to the Island to be with us for the whole of Shabbat on behalf of MDA UK. A dinner was held on Friday night with 19 attendees which included Steven as well as Ron Treby and James Brown who had both been to Israel on a fact-finding tour and travelled the length of the country to see with their own eyes and to bear witness to the atrocities of the 7th October 2023. Steven Jaffe was able to give statistics about the life saving work of MDA in Israel. ON Shabbat morning Daniel Burger flew in for the day to be present with us and give his personal testimony from a tour he had just returned from to visit MDA in Israel. We all found this weekend moving, distressing and upsetting. But we are glad to have had the opportunity to come together and hear the truth about the aftermath of the 7th October. On the Sunday the President took Steven Jaffe to meet with the Christian Friends of MDA at Bethlehem Chapel where they both spoke and thanked out Christian Friends for all their support of us and Israel.
April
Seder at Synagogue
After nearly 10 years we once again held a Communal Seder for 20 members and friends. Jeremy Tarlow was with us to lead the service along with his wife Rebecca.
20 of us joined together on the second night and our youngest guest did the Ma Nishtana most beautifully. Thanks must go to the Ladies Guild for pulling out all the stops for this event. Especial thanks to Julian Bernstein – the honorary member of the JJLG for all his catering expertise and advice.
May
Lord Pickles
For the Liberation Celebrations in Jersey, The Rt Hon Lord Pickles with his wife Irene, chief of staff Sally Sealy and Holocaust academic Professor Gilly Carr all attended Friday night dinner on the 10th of May. Nearly 30 members and friends attended to hear Lord Pickles talk about anti-Semitism, the politics of policing the protests and of course the Pickles Review into the Alderney Slave Camps. We were all uplifted by his support and look forward to the publication of the report very soon.
Rabbi Odze
The Rabbi led services for Friday night and Shabbat. He was very personable. Only 9 members attended the dinner. His daughter, Chana Rivka made quite an impression on us all.
Lag Ba’Omer Barbecue was held with Rabbi Odze cooking!
June
Rabbi Norman Solomon
Although the Rabbi is 90 years young, he led a lovely service on Friday night and Saturday morning. We had a very big Kiddush lunch for the community and had a wonderful time with him and his wife Hilary. They were very interesting and good company.
July
Chief Rabbi and Lady Mirvis
The Chief Rabbi and his wife came on a private visit to Jersey. They did not bring any security with them and walked to the synagogue from the Lavender Farm which they had visited in the early afternoon! We had 23 guests who all had a chance to talk to both Sir Ephraim and Lady Mirvis as they moved around all the tables. A lovely afternoon tea was served with thanks once again to the Jersey Jewish Ladies Guild. The Chief Rabbi spoke about the importance of small communities and also made plenty of jokes about food and linking it to his speech.
Rabbi Coten
For the last Shabbat in July Rabbi Coten came over to take our services. We held a small dinner after Friday night with 12 of us able to talk with the Rabbi and really get a chance to hear his thoughts on small communities and the importance of the work that we are all doing to keep the synagogue going and thriving. He was impressed with our community spirit. At the dinner Rosalind Coten talked about her work with the KLBD and was very interesting and informative.
August
Magen David Adom Charity Tea
The Jersey Jewish Charity Tea event was held at the St. Brelade Bay Hotel and the lead charity of the year is MDA. Chief Executive Daniel Burger came from London with Mike and Lisa Marlow whose son was murdered at the Nova Festival on October 7th 2022. Mike made a moving and powerful address to the 50 attendees at the event. Half the attendees are supporters of Christian Friends of MDA UK and the rest were members of the JJC.
Rabbi Cobi Ebrahimoff
Rabbi Cobi led some very good services for the congregation. He also broadcast live from the Synagogue to the United Synagogues for their Kabbalat Shabbat event before the start of Shabbat. After service on Shabbat we had a lovely meal and welcomed not only the Rabbi and his wife but also family of a member visiting from Australia and a family on holiday in Jersey who were delighted to get a Kosher meal! Proving once again the importance of food in the community!
September
Barry Sklan
Barry and Angela Sklan who have a number of friends on the island were with us on the first Shabbat of September and we hosted a Friday night dinner for them. In exchange Barry led our services for Erev Shabbat and Shabbat morning.
October
7th October Memorial Service
We were pleased to have the Chief Minister of the Island of Jersey along with 5 other states members, Church leaders of all denominations and lay people from across the island came together to remember the events of the 7th October 2023. Over 60 people attended including many non-Jewish islanders who were keen to show their support for us and all Israel. We continue to pray for the release of the hostages. AM ISRAEL CHAI.
