ABOUT US

We are friendly Reform community based in Wanstead London E11 1UL.   Our synagogue is housed in a beautifully restored Grade II* listed building that was once part of the old Wanstead Hospital complex and prior to that the Merchant Seaman’s Orphan's Asylum.   We are a growing community of over 475 Full Members and Associate Members plus around 90 children, Sukkat Shalom usually offers its members  a choice of services and activities as listed at the bottom of this page.
Go to the Rabbi section of this website to read about our new Rabbi.     Rabbi Dr Tali Artman-Partock

Shabbat Services

We are now back in the synagogue for Shabbat services
10.00am on Saturdays


As there is nobody at the shul to answer the phone you can leave a message on 020 8530 3345.  
For any enquiries please contact Frank Godson the Administrator on admin@sukkatshalom.me.uk  or by phone on 07545 349999

       FOR ALL NEW ONLINE ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES
including Lehrhaus Classes  go to Education then Adult Education. (Above)

1st Bar Mitzvah in the synagogue after the "Lockdowns"

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Harlan Shepherd was Barmitzvah on Saturday 9th October 2021.

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He was supported by friends and family.

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Very Well Done Harlan.

As we read the story of the binding of Issac every year we often think about Abraham, God and even Issac, but not so much about the other characters involved in the story - from Sarah to the Ram. We are often so caught up in the divine drama that we forget that the human one, the family one, does not end when the angle miraculously appears. Two Israeli poets made the point much better than I did and called us to think about the scars the akeda left on Abraham, Issac, Sarah, God, the Ram and even us.

Shabbat shalom,

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 Rabbi Tali

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Poetry of the Akedah

(Translations by Ilana Kurshan)

The True Hero of the Akedah by Yehuda Amichai

The true hero of the Akedah was the ram
Who did not know about the pact among the others.
It was as if he volunteered to die in place of Isaac.
I want to sing, for him, a memorial song,
About the curly wool and the mortal eyes
About the horns that stood silent on its living head.
After the slaughter, they were made into shofars
To sound the blast of their wars
And to sound the blast of their base celebrations.

I want to remember that final image –
Like a pretty photograph in a fancy fashion magazine:
The tanned, pampered youth in his finest of frocks
And by his side, the angel, dressed in a long silk gown
As if for a festive reception.
And the two of them, with desolate eyes,
Looking out to two distant desolate places.

And behind them, as a colorful background, the ram
Entangled in the thicket before slaughter–
The thicket, his final friend.

The angel departed homewards
Issac departed homewards
And Abraham and God had parted ways a while back.

But the true hero of the Akedah
Was the ram.

* * *

The Actions of the Fathers by T.Carmi

And after the Akedah?
Then the most difficult test began.

Abraham took his son to the camel races
Hiked with him from the Euphrates to the Nile,
Swam by his side, watching him like a hawk
In the waters of Eilat. And when they returned home,
He slaughtered flocks and herds aplenty,
All tender and good,
Sweet scent of songs and of muscle and meat
And guests in good graces come in from afar.
Isaac ate and ate, ate –
And was silent.

Abraham bought his wife a fur coat
And golden jewelry
He installed emergency lighting in their tent
He brought her boots in style from a shop on the Nile
Hashish from Tarshish,
Cinnamon from Lebanon.
Sarah, who grew old overnight,
Never took off her mourning clothes.

Abraham prayed to his God morning and evening,
He hung tzedakah boxes on all the tamarisk trees,
Studied his Torah night and day,
Fasted,
And gave room and board to angels for almost no fee.
The voice from on high disappeared.

And the voice within him
(The only one left)
Said: Yes, you went
From your land, from your homeland, the land of your father,
And now, in the end, from yourself.

* * *

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The synagogue is Twinned with Congregation Sukkat Shalom in Juneau Alaska PO Box 22071

Over 70 people attended the Synagogue Tea held on Sunday 22nd August.  There was lots of chat, nice food and an opportunity to meet our new Rabbi Tali

For those viewing this page and who wish to join

the community I have listed below all of out usual activities

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Weekly Shabbat Morning  services now back in the synagogue.      

One Friday night service a month which is followed by a Chavurah meal.  Now back in the synagogue. This generates lots of interesting conversation and people bring great food.  Lunch & Learn sessions at least once a month after a Shabbat service.  We celebrate all of the festivals and hold a Communal Seder every year.    Cheder (Religion School) classes for our children on a Sunday morning for about 30 weeks in the year.   Adult Education (Please go to the Education page for details of classes on line)

Lehrhaus classes in conjunction with the Leo Baeck College.  Many sessions now via Zoom.   Some sessions are held in conjunction with our neighbouring synagogues.   A Text Study class.  Hebrew classes, Conversion classes. Bar/Bat Mitzvah tuition.   

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Tikkun Olam Group, Social events. i.e Quizes, Cabaret Nights, Musical Concerts.   Joint services with other local Progressive synagogues.   Bridge play is currently suspended due to Covid-19    Book Club meetings on a regular basis.  Now meeting on Zoom.

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We are a friendly family orientated  synagogue  with full inclusion

for women in all services and management of the synagogue.

We carry out wedding ceremonies both in the synagogue and at

outside venues.

We offer burial rights to all Full Members and those Associate

Members who join for burial

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Finally as our Hebrew name translated says, we are a "Shelter of Peace".   You can read more about the history of the community

on this website and there are a number of videos to watch as well.    If you are interested in joining the synagogue please contact Frank Godson on

07545349999 or  admin@sukkatshalom.me.uk

Reflection on the the past year 2020 and the early part of 2021

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As of January 2021 the synagogue will be 40 years old.  we were unable to celebrate this event near to the actual anniversary date however we will defer any celebration until later in 2021 once the synagogue is open again and most of us have been vaccinated.

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Its been a tough year for the synagogue with our doors closed and all services and other activities including education and  committee meetings held on Zoom.  This has created hours of work for our Senior Warden and Chair of Adult Education.  

Just because the synagogue has been closed it does not mean that the Board of Trustees, the Rabbi & the Administrator have been idol, far from it.

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The usual life and work of the synagogue goes on.  Members leave and new members join, all weddings have been organised and un-organised finally to be deferred to 2022.  We  did manage to have one Barmitzvah during 2020 and none so fare in 2021.  Our tenant the JJBS have moved out of the building and the League of Jewish Women have moved in.

The synagogue became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and the committee involved in this work spent a lot of time on the project.  The building still needs to be maintained and our Chair of House has spent many hours organising the work and seeing to the buildings maintenance.  The car accident which destroyed the front wall of the synagogue meant that many hours were spent dealing with contractors, clearing up the mess and involvement with the insurance brokers.  Lots of work for our Treasurer and others.  The wall and railings have now been repaired.  We have instigated a new weekly Newsletter with a new editor in Oren Rosenmann and many hours were spent discussing content etc.  Please send any news to oren@sukkatshalom.me.uk.

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Also many thanks to those members who have been involved in telephoning the elderly members during the year.  If you would like to help make some calls please contact Frank Godson.

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The Book club has carried on meeting throughout the year, many thanks to the organisers for this.    Covid reports and risk assessments  have had to be written and rewritten.  The Shema was compiled and circulated.  Many thanks to all of the contributors and Clive Bayard for producing it.    All Yoga & Pilates classes have been suspended during the Pandemic.

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Sadly the synagogue has not been totally isolated from the effects of Covid -19 and some of our members who passed away in 2020/21 had suffered symptoms prior to their deaths.  We ask you all to take care. take the jabs and keep isolated until the worst effects of the Pandemic are over.   

We remember at this time the following members who passed away during the Pandemic in 2020 and 2021:-

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Lee Rosen,   Francis Schwartz,   Sylvia Lermer,  Mark Gelb,   Dorothy Jacobs,   Gary Lee,   Hazel Shinebroom, Sidney Lee, Barbara Reed, Nicholas Crego, Edna Kodish, Sidney Kirsh, Lesley Morpurgo, Willy Kodish, David Beecher, Loretta Herman, Morris Abrahams,  Jacob (Jack) Cohen, Gordon Drake, Simon Gillary, Beryl Lee & Craig Warren.   We wish all of their families a long life.

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Finally I hope that we will see better times in the coming months and remind you to please let the Administrator know of any news and he will see that it is passed on (admin@sukkatshalom.me.uk)

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Frank Godson   -   Honorary Life President

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Clore Tikva Primary School

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Clore Tikva is a two form entry Jewish Voluntary Aided primary school and nursery for children aged three to eleven. Open since 1999 ,they are conveniently located close to the center of Barkingside, in the London Borough of Redbridge. Housed in a well designed modern building, the children enjoy stimulating surroundings and facilities that support their learning.

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Contact
Telephone: 020 8551 1097  |  

E-mail: admin@cloretikva.redbridge.sch.uk

Website: https://www.cloretikva.redbridge.sch.uk/

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