The month of Elul begins on 21 August, which will also see our annual ‘New Year for Animals’ dog walk. This year, with two opportunities to join together for a walk - dogs optional - at 08:00 and 15:00. See below for full details.
The full High Holy Day programme, including details of all of our online services and in-person offerings will be sent to you at the end of August.
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FRIDAY 14 AUGUST
FOR YOUNG FAMILIES Baby Den (10:30-11:00) Chug-a-lug into Shabbat with Rabbi Hannah. Sing your favourite Baby Den songs, dance to a shabbat beat and wave to some familiar faces. For families with Young Children. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 142 813 452, Password: 346202).
IN-PERSON FOR YOUNG FAMILIES Pre-Shabbat Story Time Live (16:30-17:00) Those pre-school in age (and in heart) are invited to join Rabbi Hannah for a pre shabbat story to help bring in shabbat. This week live in the Sukkah. Click here to sign up (1 space available). Please note that this service is subject to the weather. The website will be updated at 15:30. Please check before you travel. There will be limited toilet and changing facilities. We ask that you please do not come if you have been unwell with any of the symptoms of Covid-19. By signing up, you give permission for us to share your name and contact details with the NHS Test and Trace service in case of a positive Covid test by you or another member of the group.
BE WITH US Jewish Mindfulness Meditation (17:15-18:00) Jewish Mindfulness Meditation helps us to open our hearts and find peace through our spiritual heritage, especially in these challenging times. Join for contemplation, breathing, movement and meditation. Suitable for all. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 977 611 369 Password: 035091).
PRAY WITH US Erev Shabbat Service (18:30-19:30) Join Rabbi Hannah and Cantor Tamara as they lead the Erev Shabbat service from the Beit Tefillah. Please remember that this service is online only. We invite you to have Shabbat candles and Kiddush ready in advance of the service so that we can join together in these moments from our homes. Please click here to download the Shabbat Supplement for Friday night and the Community News and Yahrzeit list (these will be available from 17:00 Friday afternoon). Please click here to view the Reform Judaism siddur online.
Click here to join by Zoom (Meeting ID: 823 7951 2212, Passcode: 785089) If you do not wish to use Zoom, then the "Zoom screen" can also be seen via our YouTube channel. This can be accessed by clicking here(www.alyth.org.uk/youtubelive) or going to www.youtube.com/c/AlythRS.
SATURDAY 15 AUGUST
PRAY WITH US IN PERSON This service is full. See below for more details on future services. The website will be updated at 8:00. Please check before you travel.
PRAY WITH US Shabbat Morning Service (10:30) Rabbi Hannah is running the Shabbat morning service from the Beit Tefillah. The service will include the adult Bat Mitzvah of Elinor Furman who will be reading Torah with the community for the first time from her home. Please remember that this service is online only. Please click here to download a copy of the Torah portion, Deuteronomy 12:29-13:12, and Haftarah, and the Community News and Yahrzeit list (these will be available from 17:00 Friday afternoon). Please click here to view the Reform Judaism siddur online.
Click here to join by Zoom (Meeting ID: 848 1657 0400, Passcode: 785089). If you do not wish to use Zoom, then the "Zoom screen" can also be seen via our YouTube channel. This can be accessed by clicking here(www.alyth.org.uk/youtubelive) or going to www.youtube.com/c/AlythRS.
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SUNDAY 16 AUGUST
PRAY WITH US Sunday Shacharit (9:00-10:00) Our lay-led minyan with bagel breakfast (please provide your own bagels…) Led by our lay members from their homes. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 864 4782 5935, Password: 785089).
MONDAY 17 AUGUST BE WITH US Craft, Chat and Cuppa! (15:00-16:00) This ‘club’ is for anyone who would like to try any sort of hand craft. Join Brenda Freedman for anything from everyday sewing, tapestry, quilt making, knitting, and anything else you can think of! Click here to join (Meeting ID: 588 095 846, Password: 468060).
TUESDAY 18 AUGUST
LEARN WITH US Hebrew Reading from Scratch (19:00-20:00) Taught by Alyth member Jan Roseman, who has been one of the UK’s leading Synagogue-based Jewish educators for the last few decades. Take an hour a week in term time to learn to read Hebrew from scratch. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 909 882 685, Password: 686711).
WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST
PRAY WITH US Wednesday Ma’ariv (20:00-20:45) Join us for a mid-week evening service led by Alyth members. Click hereto join (Meeting ID: 566 852 225, Password: 763158).
THURSDAY 20 AUGUST
BE WITH US Mellow Chair Yoga (11:00-12:00) Our special Chair Yoga and Meditation with Maxine is open to all ages wishing to enhance overall mental and physical wellbeing! It includes movement, breathing, stretching, standing, twisting, balancing and more. Great for releasing tensions and increasing, stamina, strength and immunity. Less active participants can do all the movements sitting in a chair. Please click here to sign up and to pay online. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 616 879 143, Password: 797658).
LEARN WITH US Pardes: My favourite... Psalm (13:00-14:00) A new twist on our weekly text-based study session. Over the course of each month, the Alyth clergy will each teach a passage or subject that is especially important or meaningful for them. In August we will be looking at our favourite Psalm. This week with Rabbi Hannah. Click here for the source sheets being used in the session (available from Thursday morning) Click here to join (Meeting ID: 123 761 361, Password: 019498).
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FRIDAY 21 AUGUST
YOUR JOURNEY TO THE HIGH HOLY DAYS - ALYTH IN ELUL IN-PERSON New Year for Animals’ dog walk (8:00 and 15:00) While we won't be physically together for most of the High Holy Days this year, we can still gather together to mark the beginning of Elul as a community. Join Rabbi Hannah, Cantor Tamara, Bailey and Maisie for a dog walk on the Heath Extension to celebrate the month of Elul and the New Year for animals, including a prayer recognising the role of animals in our lives. We will meet at the corner of Wildwood Road and Hampstead Way. No dogs needed. Wet weather plan – bring an umbrella!
IN-PERSON FOR YOUNG FAMILIES Baby Den (10:30-11:00) Chug-a-lug into Shabbat with Rabbi Hannah. Sing your favourite Baby Den songs, dance to a shabbat beat and wave to some familiar faces. For families with Young Children. This week live in the Sukkah. Click here to sign up. Please note that this service is subject to the weather and there will be limited toilet and changing facilities. We ask that you please do not come if you have been unwell with any of the symptoms of Covid-19. By signing up, you give permission for us to share your name and contact details with the NHS Test and Trace service in case of a positive Covid test by you or another member of the group.
FOR YOUNG FAMILIES Pre-Shabbat Story Time Live (17:15-17:45) Those pre-school in age (and in heart) are invited to join Rabbi Hannah for a pre shabbat story to help bring in shabbat. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 423 529 768, Password: 785089).
YOUR JOURNEY TO THE HIGH HOLY DAYS - ALYTH IN ELUL LEARN WITH US Elul Half Hours: To speak about God in a time of pandemic (17:45) Elul Half Hours are short sessions of reflection, study and contemplation before each of Alyth’s Shabbat services during Elul. You are welcome to attend every session, or to simply drop in when you wish, and no pre-booking is necessary. We only ask that when you come, you try to join at the start of the session. Each of this year’s Elul Half Hours will take on one of the profound questions of our time – how can we speak about God in the face of the challenges of the past months? In each session we will explore a different name or concept of God and explore how it might help us to think or speak about God in our time. Today's session: An Introduction to the Names of God and HaMakom. With Cantor Tamara. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 848 3829 8916, Passcode: 227394).
PRAY WITH US Erev Shabbat Service (18:30-19:30) Join Rabbi Hannah and Katie Hainbach as they lead the Erev Shabbat service from the Beit Tefillah. Please remember that this service is online only.
SATURDAY 22 AUGUST
PRAY WITH US IN PERSON See below for more details
BE WITH US Jewish Mindfulness Meditation (9:00-9:40) Jewish Mindfulness Meditation helps us to open our hearts and find peace through our spiritual heritage, especially in these challenging times. Join for contemplation, breathing, movement and meditation. Suitable for all. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 844 520 435, Password: 753749).
YOUR JOURNEY TO THE HIGH HOLY DAYS - ALYTH IN ELUL LEARN WITH US Elul Half Hours: To speak about God in a time of pandemic (17:45) Elul Half Hours are short sessions of reflection, study and contemplation before each of Alyth’s Shabbat services during Elul. You are welcome to attend every session, or to simply drop in when you wish, and no pre-booking is necessary. We only ask that when you come, you try to join at the start of the session. Today's session: El Shaddai. With Rabbi Colin. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 864 6177 8950, Passcode: 138638).
PRAY WITH US Shabbat Morning Service (10:30) Cantor Tamara and Katie Hainbach are running the Shabbat morning service from the Beit Tefillah. The service will include the Bar Mitzvah of Max Koehne who will be reading Torah with the community for the first time from his home. Please remember that this service is online only.
PRAY WITH US Lay Led Shabbat Service (10:30) We can’t all read or sing at the same time on Zoom – but in smaller groups we can take turns. Join Student Rabbi Nicola Feuchtwang for a special service involving multiple voices from the regular praying community at Alyth.
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SUNDAY 23 AUGUST
PRAY WITH US Sunday Shacharit (9:00-10:00) Our lay-led minyan with bagel breakfast (please provide your own bagels…) Led by our lay members from their homes. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 864 4782 5935, Password: 785089).
LEARN WITH US Biblical Hebrew (11:00-12:00) A programme for those with high level hebrew reading ability. Please email Edward Gold at edwardjgold@hotmail.com if you would like to join this class so that you can be sent the link and materials in advance.
BE WITH US Singing for Pleasure (15:00-16:00) Join Viv and sing songs from the shows, Israeli folksongs, songs from the 60s and much, much more. No need to audition, read music or feel intimidated. Please email vivienne.bellos@btinternet.com in advance for the song list and lyrics. Click here to join (Meeting ID: 731 393 138, Password: 197916).
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ALYTH IN-PERSON PRAY WITH US Shabbat mornings 15 and 22 August (09:00-10:00) Though outdoor activities are not without risk, the advice is that they are substantially safer than gathering inside. We will therefore be running a number of small outdoor services in the synagogue sukkah during August, weather permitting. These services will initially take place as an early service on Shabbat mornings, and will then be extended to Mondays and Thursdays in Elul. Places in these services will be very limited and will need to be pre-booked by clicking here.
These services will be subject to physical distancing and protective measures, to protect staff and members. Please note that this service is subject to the weather and there will be limited toilet facilities available. We ask that you do not come if you have been unwell with any of the symptoms of Covid-19. By signing up for these services, you give permission for us to share your name and contact details with the NHS Test and Trace service in case of a positive Covid test by you or another member of the group.
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HIGH HOLY DAYS MACHZORIM
As this year's High Holy Days will be online, there will be two ways to access the Prayer Books. All of the liturgy will be available online, via the Reform Movement website. However, for the quality of the experience, we strongly recommend the use of physical copies and will have these available to borrow from the synagogue.
We will be holding “book collection” sessions when you can also say hello to members of the Alyth team and clergy and take a book to borrow on: Sunday 6 September, 10:00-12:00 Monday 7 September 19:00-21:00
There will also be the opportunity to collect machzorim throughout the day on: 9, 10 & 11 September between 10:00-12:00, 13:00-14:00 and 15:30-17:30.
We have only a very limited stock of the machzorim for Yom Kippur. If you have multiple copies in your home, and are happy to loan a copy to another Alyth family, please drop them off when you come to collect. Please make sure you write your name in the book so that we can get it back to you after Yom Kippur.
If you have an Alyth telephone buddy and need us to bring a book to you, please let them know and we will organise delivery, or phone the special careline number.
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World Jewish Relief: Beirut Emergency Appeal
The catastrophic explosion that ripped through the port of Beirut on 04 August has left over 200 dead, 5,000 injured and an estimated 300,000 homeless - with numbers continuing to rise.
World Jewish Relief will be working with a credible, trusted partner who can pass thier exacting standards and scrutiny, operate independently of government and local authorities and ensure that all support it provides gets to those that need it.
Alyth@Home Book Club: "The Elected Member" by Bernice Rubens Monday 7 September, 18:30-19:30 Norman is the clever one of a close-knit Jewish family in the East End of London. Infant prodigy; brilliant barrister; the apple of his parent’s eyes… until at forty-one he becomes a drug addict, confined to his bedroom, at the mercy of his hallucinations and paranoia. For Norman, his committal to a mental hospital represents the ultimate act of betrayal. For Rabbi Zweck, Norman’s father, his son’s deterioration is a bitter reminder of his own guilt and failure. Only Bella, the unmarried sister, still in her childhood white ankle socks, can reach across the abyss of pain to bring father and son the elusive peace which they both so desperately crave. Please email katie@alyth.org.uk to let her know you are reading the book and plan on joining the group.
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Financial Support - How we can help
If you are facing financial challenges at this difficult time, please do not hesitate to contact us. As well as discussing the level of your annual synagogue contribution, we can help you to access a number of Alyth funds that are specifically here to help our members in times of challenge. Please contact Lynette at lynette@alyth.org.uk or Rabbi Josh at josh@alyth.org.uk
If you feel able to support other Alyth members in financial difficulty at this time, please email Rabbi Josh at josh@alyth.org.uk
The Jewish Leadership Council in partnership with Work Avenue has also established a fund to support those across the community whose earnings have been directly affected by COVID-19. This fund was set up to specifically assist those who are ineligible for Government support or who face delays accessing Government funds. Go to www.theworkavenue.org.uk/covid19 for more information.
Some of our partner organisations are also running programmes during this period. Click hereto see additional programming offered by Reform Judaism that you are invited to join.
Please remember that we also have two special numbers in addition to the main synagogue number: New Alyth Careline – 020 8457 8798 This will be answered between 08:00 and 21:00 by a member of the community for anyone who needs someone to speak to. Emergency Careline – 07726 631808 Please use this number if you need urgent pastoral support. The hard reality of this pandemic is that we as a community will support an increased proportion of our members and families through hospitalization and bereavement. This number is there for these cases and will be answered by a member of the Alyth professional team.
