Category Archives: News

Weekly bulletin

A huge thank you to John Adelson for his Erev Shabbat service & Kiddush last Friday including his interesting and informative talk on Noah. Congratulations, as well, to Alexandra who lit the candles at our service and attended an Affirmation Service on Saturday morning at her ‘other place’, i.e. Jackson’s Row in Manchester.
This week we have a Shabbat Service & Kiddush led by Jeremy Jacobson. Please join us this Saturday @ 10.30 am. We will again be honouring Alexandra, so come armed with a Mazel tov and a Yasher ko’akh.

Future Services/Events:

There is no service on 30 October but a Shabbat service on 31 October led by Jeremy Jacobson. Shabbat Lech ‘cha 13 Cheshvan

This week we start he story of Abraham and Sarah, our wonderful ancestors who are both archetypal Jews and archetypal human beings. Their story and character are especially ours, but we cannot have them totally to ourselves, for they have lessons for all of humanity. They are, too, very human, individual and alive. Last year we spoke about journeys to and from the beginning. This year, we will look at another aspect of their special and universal relevance.

Erev Shabbat service & Kiddush – 6 November @ 6pm led Liz Berg. Shabbat Va-yeira, 20 Cheshvan

Erev Shabbat service & Kiddush – 13 November @ 6pm led by Sharim Atilano. Shabbat Chayyei Sarah, 27 Cheshvan

Event:

Following the success of ‘Cornish Island Discs’ and ‘Just a Jewish Minute’, we will be holding our next event at the end of November will be ‘Favourite Books’. The details, including date and time, will follow.

Jewish Entertainment for a Sunday Afternoon

In case you’ve been adrift on Sunday afternoons at the end of the month at 5pm, Kehillat Kernow has been offering a series of entertaining events for its members since August. You can participate or not, but do join in for the fun, the kibbitzing and good information which emerges every time members of KK have a get together.  All you have to do is ZOOM IN!

In August we had a jolly good time with Cornish Island Discs where favourite musical pieces from all genres and periods were heard and talked about. The end of October, 25th, a Jewish-Cornish version of the popular television show, Just a Minute, will match wit and humour as we see how long we can keep an extemp topic going.  The end of November will feature Favourite Books that have influenced some of our members. The selections promise to give you new insight into people you think you already know as well as some good reading recommendations. The end of December, A Jewish Journey of Names and Identity will be presented where participants discuss their personal Jewish and secular names and their historical, spiritual and familial significance.

The idea for these KK programmes came up as a result of the annual European Days of Culture and Heritage sponsored by B’nai B’rith UK which is running from September through December this year focussed around the topic, Jewish Journeys.

Come and join us on these Sunday sessions;  if you wish to attend, please contact our Security Officer

New website for Reform Judaism

Today, Reform Judaism launched its synagogue locator website, to connect those seeking a community for the High Holy Days with their local synagogue.

To sign up simply requires entering your postcode and filling out the form.

Here in Cornwall, we will have a full programme of services, combining meaningful prayer and dynamic learning, led by Student Rabbi David-Yehuda Stern. Our programme will bring together the communities of Kehillat Kernow, South Hampshire Reform Jewish Community and the Isle of Wight Jewish Society.

Zoom into a Thriving Kehillat Kenrow

Since the beginning of March, Chairman Jeremy Jacobson has been organising members of Kehillat Kernow to prepare for the long period of self-isolation due to Covid-19, and to make contact, communication and inter-action viable, on-going and meaningful to our Jewish lives.  As a result, our small Jewish Cornish community is alive, well and offering a range of options to ride out the pandemic.

During March, April and now almost through May, Jeremy, with the help of shul members, has not only organised social/cultural events (Quiz afternoon, chat sessions, a KK WhatsApp group, Jewish Britain: Your favourite object in the Jewish Museum), Festival and Commemorative services (Erev Shavuot, Yom HaShoah), but also initiated regular Friday Night/Kiddush services and on-line end- of-the-month Shabbat Services. Meeting the needs of individual community members in self-isolation has also been organised to ensure that more vulnerable members have access to food, medicines and other necessaries to ensure their well-being.

A KK Weekly Bulletin, produced by Jeremy,  is being emailed to every member of the community to inform us of upcoming events, relevant news from Reform Judaism, services on offer, information about mental health, and specific KK Council news.

We may not be able to have person-to-person contact yet, but through Zooming, Internet Information, emails and the telephone, weekly and daily help and access to all of us in the community is available.

Thank you Jeremy and all the specific member of our community who are working so hard to make this happen, exemplifying the best of what it means to be Jewish. We are thriving! 

Cancellation of services and our Communal Seder Night due to the Coronavirus

The Prime Minister addressed the country on 12 March 2020 through a news bulletin outlining the serious situation the country faces with the spread of the Coronavirus. The most important thing we can do to protect each other and reduce the speed with which this illness affects people is to minimise social contact. Coronavirus is now circulating in the general community throughout in the UK and Cornwall. To protect all members we have taken the decision to suspend all Shabbat Services including the one on Saturday, 14 March 2020 until further notice and this year’s communal Seder Night. This is in keeping with advice from Reform Judaism

Coronavirus can be transmitted before people have symptoms and the only action that can be taken in order to slow down the rate of transmission is reducing social mixing.

We are not aware of anyone at this time within Kehillat Kernow who has been diagnosed and very much hope everyone remains healthy.

When the public health situation settles we will be able to resume services.