Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue

In December 2007 I attended a really interesting weekend at the annual ECAPS study weekend. I have to say it was such good fun, both stimulating and interesting.

[See the picture gallery here - ed]

The Friday night Erev Shabbat was special it was led by Student Rabbi Richard Jacobi who also gave us an Oneg on the theme of ‘The lights of Chanukah’ we looked at several readings and broke into small groups while Richard Jacobi circulated playing his guitar we sang many seasonal and Shabbat songs and I went to bed very relaxed and happy.

Sabbath morning service was led by Rabbi David Hulbert and Rabbi Michael Pertz with Rabbi Professor Marc Saperstein (principal of the Leo Baeck college) giving a thought provoking Derasha. Dr Edward Kessler director of the Wolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths in Cambridge asked us ‘were the Maccabees Violent Religious Fanatics’ he discussed the unfortunate tendency of the three Abrahamic faiths towards intolerance and extremism sounds heavy but Dr Kessler is a very good speaker and he interspaced his lecture with hilarious Jewish jokes.

I met my old friend Henry Gee former member of Bet Tikvah who writes for nature magazine and is remembered for his side spitting lecture on the sex life of the dinosaur. Shabbat morning he moderated a debate on ‘Media and Academia’ and enlightened us to the new anger and intolerance towards religion, Israel and the Jews. He dedicated this debate to the memory of Professor Peter Lipton who did so much to reconcile religion with philosophy and science. Peter Lipton recently passed away at far too young and age. Henry also told us that cognitive awareness declines dramatically after the age of 40 what hope for me!!!

After lunch I paid a visit to the town of Bungay and it spent a pleasant time browsing the well stocked second hand book shop and leant how to make a rug in the Needlecraft shop next door, returning just in time for tea and an interesting insight into the life of the people of Israel today by Revital Sholman The current Redbridge Jewish Community Shlicha from Israel.

After Havdalah we gathered for our tradition Music Hall Extravaganza where the more talented performed various pieces. David Hulbert and Joel Ilson delighting us with a violin Duet and Joel later, performing one of his amusing songs on his Bazooki Alex Richendoller also participated and had us all in fits.

And if this was not enough Colin Joseph and Mitzi Kalinsky delivered a short programme of female Jewish comediennes and performers. Sunday after breakfast gave us a choice of David Hulbert on ‘What is Chanukah’ or Tamar de Vries Winter and ‘Hidden Mitzvah’.

We finished the morning with another choice of Larry Becker on Sects in early Judaism which was very interesting and informative or Revital Shloman showing two Israeli films which I am told by Alex Richendoller were quite worth seeing.

Unfortunately I had to make an early start towards home and missed the call my bluff in Yiddish which by all accounts was quite something.

The food was good the accommodation comfortable and the entertainment spectacular well worth the cost. If you missed last years weekend put it in your calendar for this year.