FAITH AWARENESS SUMMER VISITS: NEVE SHALOM LPJC SYNAGOGUE

The Faith Awareness series of summer visits to places of worship and other faith-related sites in Leicester continues this evening at Neve Shalom, the synagogue of Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation. As well being contracted to work 20 hours a week for Leicester Council of Faiths, I now do a day and a half a week with Faith Awareness, the inter-faith programme of Christians Aware.

Neve Shalom means "Oasis of Peace" (Isaiah 32:18). The Synagogue is named after a village near Jerusalem known as Neve Shalom / Wahat al Salam, where Jews, Christians and Muslims live and work together for the common good. The village is an inspiration to Jewish people, in Leicester and farther afield. The distinctive building, designed by celebrated Leicester architect Ernest Gimson, has an interesting history of its own. This is hinted at in an article by Olwen Hughes, published in the Leicester Mercury in January 2013 and reproduced in my blog.

I've made half a dozen visits to the LPJC Synagogue since my first time in July 2011, and have always enjoyed the hospitality of the community there. 

We're keeping up good numbers on these Monday evening visits. We've brought along a dozen people this evening (half of them newbies) and we're matched one-to-one by members of the LPJC.

The original theme for this series of visits was "food and festivals". Our hosts this evening have stuck to that theme. Dov Stekel gives a short talk about the theory of kosher food and its place in the life of the community. That's followed up by a practical demonstration, with a delightful spread of food and drink linked to different occasions in the Jewish calendar.

This is the fifth of six Faith Awareness visits planned for Monday evenings in May and June, the others being

• Jain Centre, Oxford Street (13 May)
• All Saints Church, Kerrysdale Avenue (20 May)
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Gipsy Lane (3 June)
• Islam Information Centre, Highfield Street (10 June)
• Guru Amar Das Gurdwara, Clarendon Park Road (24 June)

I may not be able to attend every visit personally, but I hope to arrange for a blog post on each of them. Watch this space!

BUILDING BY GIMSON IS NOW USED AS SYNAGOGUE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury (but not on its website). It's the regular Sketchbook piece by Olwen Hughes (whose illustration is shown below).

Building by Gimson is now used as synagogue

This eye-catching single-storey building on the southern side of Avenue Road in Clarendon Park, Leicester, is quite important.

It was designed by Ernest Gimson for the Goddard family as a meeting house of some sort in the early 1900s.

The Gimson family was a very important Leicester one, with Ernest's father, Josiah, being the owner of the Vulcan Iron Foundry in northern Highfields.

Ernest became an architect and, among other things, designed the very individual White House, in North Avenue, Clarendon Park.

The Goddards in Leicester were also architects and would have known the Gimsons well, but one of their claims to fame is that they were the inventors of a liquid silver polish still much in use today.

I remember having a pleasant walk around the area about 20 years ago when the building was unoccupied and for sale.

There was a solitary swing in the grounds and I was told it had been used as a private nursery school.

The open land to the rear was a playground.

In 1995, it was bought by Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation for its synagogue and meeting place and it is now called Neve Shalom - oasis of peace.

Inside, as it was to begin with, the walls are all wooden panelled and at the rear is a much more modern window representing the tree of life. This is by the Leicestershire artist Ruth Schewiening.

The Progressive Jewish Congregation is of the view that men and women should participate in religious and other activities on an equal footing and holds parts of its religious services in both Hebrew and English.

A range of cultural, educational and social activities is organised at the centre and also operate from it.

HANNUKKAH MARKED BY LIGHTING OF A MENORAH

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Hannukkah marked by lighting of a menorah

Jews celebrated the eighth evening of Hanukkah with the lighting of a giant nine-light menorah.

The ceremony, in Victoria Park, was performed by Lord Mayor of Leicester Councillor Abdul Osman.

Councillor Osman said: "It is very pleasing for me to be invited to join our Jewish family to perform the ceremony for the third time.

"This ceremony at one of the gateways into Leicester shows the diversity of the city."

Leon Charikar, chairman of Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation, who led a brief service of hymns and prayers, said: "I would like to welcome the Lord Mayor and thank Leicester City Council for again erecting the menorah in Victoria Park.

"We are a small community of about 300 people. Hanukkah is a festival which celebrates religious freedom and we are pleased to share it with the people of such a diverse city."

The festival celebrates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem following the Jewish defeat of a regime that denied them freedom to worship, and also celebrates the triumph of good over evil.

In the photo above: Leon Charikar, Lord Mayor Abdul Osman and Lady Mayoress Shaina Osman light the Victoria Park menorah

PROTEST AGAINST ISRAELI DANCERS HELD OUTSIDE CURVE LEICESTER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Protest against Israeli dancers held outside Curve Leicester

Five people were moved on by police when 100 protesters demonstrated outside Curve theatre against a dance company's show.

A group called Don't Dance with Israeli Apartheid organised the gathering outside Curve to protest against the one-night appearance by the Batsheva dance company from Israel.

The protestors, many carrying banners and placards, met outside the Rutland Street theatre at 6pm on Friday.

Police used metal barriers to keep the demonstrators away from members of the audience as they arrived for the evening's show.

Officers said no arrests were made, but that five people had been ejected from the protest and asked to leave the area.

Some audience members were visibly shaken at the sight and sound of the noisy protest outside the theatre.

Veena Shaunak, 40, of Great Glen, said: "I did not expect this sort of thing.

"I have to say I find it quite intimidating. I have come here tonight with my young daughter to enjoy a dance show."

Judith Weston, from Knighton, said she was appalled by the protest.She said: "Art should be allowed to transcend politics."

Lucinda Woodward, who has friends in Leicester, had travelled down from York to see the show.

The 20-year-old said: "People do have the freedom of speech but this is too much. They are intimidating people. We have the freedom to watch a dance show if we want to."

Protestors defended their right to demonstrate against the show.Ismail Patel, of the Friends of Al-Asqa – a Palestine solidarity group, said: "We are here to make our voice heard."

Mr Patel, of Oadby, said: "Our concern with Batsheva is not the nationality of the performers – it is the fact they receive Israeli government funding and are seen as cultural ambassadors for the state of Israel."

Curve chief executive Fiona Allan said: "Batsheva are a world-renowned company and we jumped at the chance to get them to appear in Leicester.

"We knew the protest was coming and did all we could to warn our audience in advance. Many of them said we were right to let the show go on."

Jeffrey Kaufman, former president of the Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation and an Oadby and Wigston councillor, said he was disappointed to hear of the protest.

He said: "I don't know if Batsheva are funded by the Israeli government but it would be no different to the British government funding some arts group and them appearing abroad."

A police spokesman said: "The protest was very vocal but peaceful. Five people were ejected from the protest."

It was the latest in a series of protests against Batsheva, with demonstrations against performances in Brighton, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

LEARNING ABOUT BENE ISRAEL

This evening I attend an informal talk by Leon Charikar, President of the Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation, on the Jewish communities of Mumbai: the Bene Israel.

According to folklore there has been a Jewish Community in the rural Mararashtra for over 2000 years.

• Where did they come from?
• By what means did they arrive in the west of India?
• How did they survive and maintain their identity?
• Did they keep kosher, did they observe the festivals?
• How did they dress and what work did they do?
• How did they live and work alongside other religions and cultures around them?
• What is their relationship to other Jews who came to other parts of India at different times?
• What part did they play in the history and development of India?
• How has their community fared in the modern world?

Leon's presentation considers these questions, sifts legend and myth from history and fact, and describes his own family connections to the Bene Israel. Before this evening, I knew little more than that this community existed; I learned a little bit when researching my presentation, "How Diverse is Leicester?" for An Indian Summer at Phoenix Square in June last year (see my blog entry for that occasion). I find the whole thing fascinating. The photo above is of the interior of a synagogue in Mumbai.

CELEBRATING HANUKKAH WITH LEICESTER PROGRESSIVE JEWISH CONGREGATION

Official lighting (at 1700) of the public Menorah for Hanukkah in Victoria Park (opposite Mayfield Roundabout). This is hosted by the Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation, with special guest, Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Abdul Osman (on the platform on the left of the photo above). The programme states that Sir Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, would be attending, but due to extenuating circumstances, who is unable to do so.

Despite having received an invitation to this open air event each year since I took up my post with Leicester Council of Faiths, this is the first time I've actually been able to attend. Cold or flu or bad weather (or a combination of both) have prevented me from coming along to this before. It's been bucketting down most of the day, but thankfully it stops half an hour or so before the ceremony begins.

This is the last of three community celebrations of Hanukkah to which I've been invited this week. I was correct in thinking that I'd be the only person in Leicester to attend all three of them (having been to the communal indoor lighting in the Town Hall with the Leicester Hebrew Congregation on Tuesday, then the celebration at Teshuvah Messianic Synagogue last night). I wasn't going to let a bit of rain or a few sniffles keep me from setting that personal record. After all, I can't assume I'd be able to do this next year.

There are speeches and songs of course, although they're kept to a minimum, since we're out in the cold and the dark (and at rush hour, the Friday before Christmas in one of the busiest parts of the city for traffic). Then we go back to Neve Shalom on Avenue Road, for a brief Shabbat evening service and refreshments, continuing the celebration of Hanukkah. 

I enjoy the hospitality, informality and spontaneity at Neve Shalom, emphasised this evening in several ways. The seats are arranged in a circle, there's a variety of Menorah on a central table (some homemade, one where the candlesticks take the form of stereotypical Jewish community characters) which the children light. When the table is cleared away after the service, the children play with their dreidels, winning chocolate coins.

The plaque attached to the public Menorah (photo above) contains the following words:

The lights on the Menorah commemorate the miracle of Chanukah. They celebrate religious freedom and the ever growing victory of light over darkness

Below this text, the plaque bears the seal of Leicester City Council. I wonder how many other cities in the UK have a public Menorah - if any. A quick google search proves inconclusive (it's hard to find the right search terms that will yield the answers I'm looking for). This Menorah is a very distinctive feature, especially as it's not in the grounds of one of the city's synagogues, but in such a prominent public place. Arguably, more people will have seen the public Menorah than will know actually what it is, due its busy location and the fact that it isn’t a permanent, fixed feature and is taken down as soon as Hanukah is over. I'd be interested in finding out if there's anything similar to this in other parts of the country.

Just as there are variations in the way that Hanukkah is celebrated, so there are various ways of spelling the name of this special occasion in the Jewish community calendar. In each of these three blog entries, I've spelled it as it appears on the invitation from the respective host community.

INTER FAITH WEEK 2011, DAY 1: TOGETHER EVENT AT BEAUCHAMP COLLEGE

As I was unable to attend the Together event at Beauchamp College this afternoon for more than a quarter of an hour, I'm glad that Michelle Benn (of Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation) has permitted me to include this short piece which she wrote for the congregation's newsletter.

Faiths Together 

On November 20th, whilst others were engaged with Mitzvah Day, I took along a collection of Judaica and Jewish books and spent a most unexpected afternoon at Beauchamp College's "faiths together" event. Sandwiched between a Sikh stall portraying the lives of the Gurus and a Hindu stall displaying stunningly beautiful saris and with a good view of the Muslim stall opposite, with posters of Jerusalem, I took time to reflect on how much I love being part of multi-faith Leicester and how easy and good it felt to celebrate that which unites us, instead of engaging in that which divides us. Also were local Oadby churches and Leicester Council of Faiths. 

It's funny how standing behind a stall displaying religious artifacts encourages people to talk. I had the most interesting, inspiring and deeply moving encounters with people of deep faith and none: a woman with Jewish roots in search of her ancestry; an atheist man grappling with issues of spirituality; a woman coming to terms with her loss of faith when her minister was unable to support her grieving and a woman vicar discussing gender-biased translations of the Bible. 

I had gone with the expectation of talking about Judaism and returned full of wonder having listened to people's life stories; people eager to share their thought and feelings about God, religion and the human heart. Having the time and a space devoted to faith allowed all sorts of people to stop and reflect on the meaning of life ... and enjoy a samosa.

NEVE SHALOM: OASIS OF PEACE

Despite having been in post for more than four years, I'd not yet visited Neve Shalom - the synagogue of Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation. I was speaking with my friend Leon Charikar (Chair of LPJC and Programme Manager for NHS Pacesetters in the East Midlands) earlier this week and mentioned this omission - yet again. All the more shameful on my part, as I live only ten minutes walk from Neve Shalom and pass it on a fairly regular basis. Not for the first time, Leon extended an invitation to visit the synagogue. He mentioned that today would be a good occasion on which to do so, as they'd be celebrating a Bat Mitzvah, with  Baroness Rabbi Julia Neuberger, a public figure I've long admired (even if she doesn't share my enthusiasm for Glasgow novelist James Kelman) coming up from London to conduct the service.

I've visited the Orthodox Synagogue in Highfields Street three or four times now, so this seems like a good day on which to start redressing the balance.

Neve Shalom means "Oasis of Peace" (Isaiah 32:18). It is named as a tribute to the village near Jerusalem known as Neve Shalom / Wahat al Salam, where Jews, Christians and Muslims live together, creating a living example of harmony in diversity, showing that these three great faiths can live and work together for the greater good. The life of that village is a constant source of inspiration and a beacon of hope for peace for Jews, not just in Leicester but all over the world.

I'd picked up some of the story of the origin of Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation when I was part of the team working on the Jewish Voices oral history project, covering the life of Jews in the city in the 1940s and 50s. Most of the information given below has been taken from literature that I picked up in the Synagogue today. I prefer to have people and groups featured in this blog speak for themselves, in their own words as much as possible.

In the late 1940s a small group of Jews in Leicester were seeking an alternative to Orthodox Judaism. In 1950 they formed the Liberal Jewish Group, affiliated to the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues, later renamed Liberal Judaism. They held services in members' homes and hired halls  for festival services and religion school.

By the 1960s the name was changed to the Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation. they held biweekly services at the Friends Meeting House until the present building was bought in January 1995 and refurbished to become a synagogue. the building itself had previously been used as a nursery school and was designed by Leicester-born Ernest Gimson, described by one authority as,  "the greatest of the English architect-designers".^[

Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation is an affiliate of Liberal Judaism. They cherish and honour Jewish heritage, but interpret Jewish tradition in the light of modernity, while preserving all that is good in those traditions. They promote pluralism and engage in dialogue with other streams of Judaism, other religions, cultures and philosophies. it practises full gender equality in all aspects of congregational life. Services are conducted by visiting rabbis from the Liberal and Reform movements, as well as by their own members. The prayer books they use, published by liberal Judaism contain gender-inclusive language, in both Hebrew and English.

LPJC is represented on Leicester Council of Faiths and is active in the field of inter faith understanding. They support and work for Tikun Olam (Repairing the World) in its widest sense. They support and help Asylum Seekers and a number of other good causes, Jewish and non-Jewish. Neve Shalom is registered as a Fairtrade Synagogue.

Eleven o'clock is the starting time for the service; Leon has advised me to get there a quarter of an hour before that. When I arrive, the first person I meet whom I know is Denise Bergman. I've worked alongside Denise a few times at events in Leicester College (where she teaches), at SACRE and on our first exhibition at Highcross during National Inter Faith Week 2009. She finds a spare kippah for me to wear and we go to the back of the gathering, where I sit with her and her husband Andrew.

Today's Order of Service contains a page about Bar/Bat Mitzvah by D. Mottram-Epson, entitled, "Just in case you aren't sure what it is all about":

A Bar/Bat Mitzvah is a male or female aged thirteen or over who gains adult responsibilities within their synagogue and Jewish community. A Bat Mitzvah means daughter of the commandments, and refers to a Jewish girl who has reached the age of thirteen. Strictly speaking you become Bar or Bat Mitzvah, rather than have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The rite of passage ceremony will vary according to the branch of Judaism and the customs of the synagogue. But in all cases the ceremony marks the Jewish child going from childhood to adulthood.

In a Liberal synagogue the ceremony is the same for both genders. It has evolved so that the Bat/Bar Mitzvah can demonstrate that they are able to fulfil the necessary requirements of a Jewish adult in the service. For a Liberal or Reform Jew the person should be familiar with Jewish history, Jewish practices and festivals and have a decent standard of reading Hebrew. This ceremony is Incorporated into the Shabbat Morning service on or after the child turns thirteen. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah leads certain prayers. Then they have an aliyah (call up), where the rabbi calls them up to the bimah using their Hebrew name, to read from the Torah scroll. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah says the blessing before and after reading from the scroll, and will generally read between 10-25 verses of the week's portion. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah may also choose readings and/or poems from Jewish literature to personalise the service. It is a Jewish parent's religious obligation to teach his or her child or children about Judaism including helping them to prepare for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah though importantly it should not signal the end of their religious education.

Family is a very important part of Judaism and, like other religions, they gather for important festivals and events and this occasion provides a perfect opportunity to get family together. In addition, some family members are often asked to participate in the service. For example, opening the doors of the Ark, undressing the Torah scroll or holding the Torah. This is considered an honour. After the service the Bar/Bat Mitzvah holds a party and celebrates.

I must say, I am very impressed with the young girl who takes centre stage as Bat Mitzvah today. As part of the service she reads an exegetical essay on the story of Balaam and his talking donkey from the Torah. It's a remarkable thing to listen to, researched, written and read by someone who has just turned thirteen. Rabbi Julia Neuberger (who is officiating today largely because she is a long-term friend of the family) takes this text as the basis of her short sermon later on, in which she extols the virtues of being able to change one's mind.

While I would confess to being lost in the many passages of Hebrew singing, I don't need to know the language in order to clap along.

Over a hundred people attend the service today, not all of them from the Leicester congregation. This (apparently) is evident in the variation in tunes and rhythm followed in the singing; not that I'd have noticed, but the rabbi does, remarking on it with good humour more than once). A great many of those present are children and young people. Live music at the beginning and end of the service is provided by the Bat Mitzvah herself (doubling up on trumpet and clarinet) and her family. The gathering ends with the serving of what has become the Jewish signature dish on such occasions: bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon and dill pickle.

I am really taken (moved, even) with my first visit to Neve Shalom - Leicester's own Oasis of Peace. I'll certainly ensure that it isn't my last!

RABBI'S HOME IN LEICESTER ATTACKED BY RACIST THUGS

Here's the front page story from today's Leicester Mercury - a report of something distinctly unpleasant and unwelcome. This isn't the kind of story we want to hear (or tell) about Leicester, but here it is. I heard about these incidents yesterday, when I attended the MBCoL book launch (which was hailed by all as a triumph in terms of demonstrating how well the diverse communities of Leicester and Leicestershire can get along). From what I heard at that event, I understand that there was some discussion amongst the Jewish communities here about whether it would be better for the story not to be made public - that it might do more harm than good to the cause of peaceful coexistence locally, that it could embolden those of intolerant views. Whatever the virtues of either side of that argument, it's all over the front page of the Mercury today.

Rabbi's home in Leicester attacked by racist thugs

by Dan Martin

A rabbi's home has been targeted in a series of suspected anti-Semitic attacks.

Rocks have been thrown through the windows of Rabbi Shmuli Pink's house in Leicester, where he lives with his wife Rivkie and their seven children.

A brick was also thrown through the window of his car, parked outside his home near the Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Highfield Street, Highfields.

Rabbi Pink, who leads the city's 400-strong Orthodox Jewish community, said: "It has been an unpleasant experience but we have got the support of other faith groups and we are working very closely with the police.

"We are remaining strong."

Police are investigating the attacks which happened on May 7, May 20 and May 21, all late at night or in the early hours.

They say they are treating the incidents as religiously motivated because of Rabbi Pink's "position in the community".

Councillor Manjula Sood, chairman of the Leicester Council of Faiths, said she was extremely disturbed by the attacks.

She said: "This is completely unacceptable. It should not happen anywhere and especially not in our city, where we pride ourselves on the good relations that exist between faiths.

"Attacks on one religion are attacks on all religions and I hope the police are able to catch the people responsible. I have met the family and they are good people who do not deserve what has happened."

On two occasions the family was at home when the vandals struck.

Lawrence Jacobs, the synagogue's security officer, said: "When you have three attacks in as many weeks there is a reason for that and it looks like they were religiously motivated.

"We have no idea at all who has done it. These attacks were frightening for the children in the house at the time.

"We are very happy with the police response and we hope those responsible will be caught. The police are treating it with a lot of gravity."

Councillor Jeffery Kaufman, president of the Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation, said: "I deplore any kind of attack on someone that happens because of their religion.

"I am proud of this city and its tolerance, so incidents like these are all the more upsetting. It is true that there has been a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in recent years, however."

He said the Community Support Trust, which campaigns against anti-Semitism and offers security advice to Jewish communities, had been informed.

Inspector Shane O'Neill, commander of Spinney Hill Park police station said: "We are treating these incidents as religiously motivated due to the victim's position in the community and believe that the incidents are isolated.

"We are working closely with the family, the community and other agencies to resolve this to everyone's satisfaction. If there is anyone who has any information regarding these crimes, we would urge them to contact police immediately."

Contact the police on 0116 222 2222 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

In the article reproduced above, Councillor Kaufman is quoted as referring to the "Community Support Trust". I couldn't find a relevant organisation of that name online, but did find the Community Security Trust (CST). I assume that's the one he is referring to (though correct me if I'm wrong, faithful reader). On their website, CST states that it is, "proud of Britain's diverse and vibrant Jewish community, and seeks to protect its many achievements from the external threats of bigotry, antisemitism and terrorism."

PHILOSOPHY PANEL AT ST PAUL'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL

To St Paul's Catholic School, Spencefield Lane, Evington, this morning, where the Council of Faiths has been asked to facilitate a "Philosophy Panel" for Year 9 pupils. I took a call a fortnight or so ago from Seamus O'Looskan, who is Chaplain there. He asked us initially to provide two people who could represent Islam and Hinduism respectively on a panel to be quizzed by pupils from this year group on some of the big questions of life. A few days later, he sent me another message asking if we could provide a few more participants to help make a balance between people who would speak from a faith background and others who would not. I failed to get a Muslim speaker to come along; nor was I able to obtain the services of a Buddhist (well, I did make the approaches at rather short notice). In the event, an interesting and varied line up of speakers attend:

• Leon Charikar (Chair of Neve Shalom, Leicester’s Progressive Jewish Congregation)
• Ramesh Majithia (Hindu community)
• Kishor Gohel (who took over from Ramesh as the Hindu representative for the second session)
• Fr Peter Hunter O.P. (Holy Cross Priory)
• Harry Perry ( Leicester Secular Society)
• Clare Carr (Global Education LeicesterShire, also a member of the Secular Society)
• Jan MacDonald (Secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Leicester and member of Leicester Council of Faiths)

I should say that the school invited Peter and Harry on their own; the others I drummed up. We're taken into a fairly large hall just after 0900. The pupils are spaced around the hall in six groups, about a dozen of them per group. There's a seat for each of the representatives, facing the group. Each speaker spends ten minutes or so answering the group's questions, then a bell is rung and they move on to the next group. This whole process is done twice, with the first session ending about 1000, then restarting with a new hall full of pupils a few minutes later. This means that all the pupils get to spend more time listening to each speaker than if we were to follow the conventional "Question Time" format of running a panel. Better for the pupils, but more tiring for the speakers, who are "on" virtually all the time, rather than taking it in turns to contribute, then sit back and listen to their colleagues. This activity is being offered to the pupils as something additional to the curriculum, which gives them greater freedom to ask what they want, rather than just stick to topics on which they'll be examined.

I'm in attendance just in case any of the speakers want to bow out at any time, so I can step in and take their place, but that doesn't happen. I take the opportunity then to speak to several teachers, raising the possibility of other opportunities when they could join in appropriate activities arranged by the Council of Faiths - such as during the "Leicester Speaks" week-long event later this month or during National Inter Faith Week next month. Both sessions with the panel conclude with the recitiation of the school prayer, is taken from Micah, 6:

This is what the Lord asks of you: to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God.

Those of us who stay on for tea and a chat are taken on a tour of the school by Seamus and Krysia Foster. We're introduced to some of the staff and pupils as we go round. It's all very impressive and we're made to feel very welcome. Props to Mr Gillespie, Head of Design, for having the cover artwork for Weasels Ripped My Flesh by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention on his classroom wall. "Rzzzzz!"

Here's what Clare had to say about her involvement:

I  have to admit that I was surprised, as a person with no religious belief, to have the opportunity to enter into a genuine dialogue with the young people at St Paul's School.  Their questions were well prepared and they showed great respect for a person with a different viewpoint by listening carefully and building on my responses with new and relevant questions.  The morning provided a fantastic learning opportunity for all the people involved and it was heartening to see everyone make the most of that opportunity.  I shall look forward to meeting with the RE staff to evaluate this new philosophy module, drawing on my experience as a Philosophy for Children/Communities (P4C) practitioner.

The morning finished with a tour of St Paul's School.  The building is in need of refurbishment and updating and, thankfully, the planned remodelling under the Building Schools for the Future initiative will be going ahead next summer.  Walking around the school, it was clear that this is a very happy School Community where young people make the most of the very good education on offer.  Personally I do not support the idea of faith schools, but I recognise a good school when I see one.  I don't believe that St Paul's is a good school because it is a faith school.  It is simply a good school, and I wish more schools around the country were as good.

Harry offered the following comments about the experience:

My impressions of the event at St Paul’s were also positive. The Year 9 pupils (13 year-olds) were much better behaved than the 16 year-olds that, thirty years ago, made me realise that teaching wasn’t my vocation! Having said that I also have to say that the presence of crucifixes everywhere did unsettle me a bit!

I was surprised at the make-up of the school, having expected to find a largely white populace of Irish and Polish descent, but in fact finding in addition to these around 40% (roughly speaking) of non-white origin from the Far East, Asia, Middle East and Africa. In a quick briefing beforehand Seamus reported a relatively large number of kids of Filipino extraction.

I was unaware that Clare was going to be there but I had been told there’d be a "Humanist" so I concentrated on the basic atheist position and the pupils’ questions also focused on this area, eg: existence of gods, origin of the Universe and Earth, evolution by natural selection, what happens after death and why I don’t believe in miracles, visions, prayers, etc. Although advised to prepare beforehand for questions on "moral’" issues I wasn’t faced with any and if invited to a similar event in future I think I’ll have to try to bring in the implications of non-belief on those fronts. The sessions were fast-paced and there was no time for detailed argument but that was an inevitable consequence of the format. Perhaps in future the school might consider an alternative format where individual speakers have more time to explain their views in more detail and respond to questions with more depth.

But full marks for the RE staff at St Paul’s – they had no obligation to put on this session and they made it clear their objective was to encourage independent thought, not simply engage in indoctrination.

Here's Jan's reflection on having taken part in the panel:

It was an enjoyable morning meeting with the teachers and students. I think that it was beneficial for us who were there to answer questions because it gave us the opportunity of coming in contact with the students and understanding the kind of information that they want to know. It certainly showed the changes that are taking place and that we are moving into a tolerant society where there are people who are ready to listen to other people’s views. I was very impressed with the school.

Peter's thoughts about the Philosophy Panel were as follows:

I very much enjoyed the morning at St Paul's. Obviously, we couldn't talk at any great length with any one group, but the format had the great advantage of meaning that the students heard from a wide range of voices in a manageable time-frame. The questions were well-prepared and intelligent, and some were very testing! The students were polite, friendly and really engaged, which made the whole experience very much worthwhile. Well done to St Paul's for organising this, and hopefully other schools will follow suit.

Leon offered the following:

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the young people at St Paul’s School to discuss issues of faith and religion. They asked some probing and intelligent questions on issues such as personal experience of God, life after death and why God would allow suffering. I was impressed with the care they had put into their questions and their willingness to listen and engage in dialogue with people from a variety of faith perspectives. I’d welcome the opportunity to contribute to similar discussions with young people and congratulate the school on this initiative.