Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue

Karen & Mike Tiller celebrate their Pearl Wedding

Karen and Mike first met at Maccabi Association London in Hampstead in 1975. They used to see each other in the canteen. Karen used to be in the table tennis squad and Mike was in the Olympic weightlifting squad. They used to talk a lot but it took Mike a year to pluck up the courage to ask Karen for a date. Luckily for Mike she accepted.

It was after 3 weeks of dating that Karen dropped a bombshell on Mike by saying that she had already booked a holiday with her girlfriends. That was the longest 2 weeks of Mike’s life. When she returned Mike said to Karen I think we should get engaged. It was not too romantic but Karen said yes and about 6 months after their 1st date they became engaged.

During the period of their 18 month engagement they managed to save for a deposit on a house which was purchased in August 1977. Each weekend they would be at the house whilst Mike built fitted wardrobes for their bedroom under the guidance of Mike’s carpenter dad. They eventually made 1 bedroom liveable and the kitchen was fitted out, but the rest of the house was bare floorboards with 3rd hand furniture from various relatives.

On Tuesday April 11 1978 they were married at Alyth Gardens Reform Synagogue in Temple Fortune North London this was followed by a dinner and ball at the Royal Majestic in Willesden Lane.

They honeymooned in Torremolinos Spain for a week Mike recalled that the weather was lovely. The sun was very warm but it was also very windy and after a few days they were both a bit sunburnt. Meanwhile back in their room it was a case of “don’t touch me here, mind my sunburn and don’t touch me there” from both of them. How they got round the sunburn issue we will leave to your imagination.

Mike & Karen have two wonderful children, Gary was born in February 1987 and Jodie in February 1992. Both were Bar/Bat Mitzvah at Sukkat Shalom R.S. Mike & Karen joined the synagogue in March 1987. Mike is now Vice Chair of Council and we hope that he will eventually take the Chair.

The synagogue wishes them all the best for the next 30 years.