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.

DOZENS ENJOY PILGRIMAGE ROUND CITY VISITING DIFFERENT FAITH COMMUNITIES

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Dozens enjoy pilgrimage round city visiting different faith communities

More than 40 people took part in an annual inter-faith walking pilgrimage in Clarendon Park, Leicester, at the weekend.

The event, which took six hours to complete, visited seven sites where pilgrims were welcomed by a different faith community.

The tour began at noon, at Guru Amar Das Gurdwara, before moving on to the Quaker Meeting House, then St John the Baptist Church, before being hosted by Baha'is in the Octagon Room, attached to St John's.

The walkers then visited the Neve Shalom Progressive Synagogue, The Art of Living Centre, in Toller Road, finishing at the Geeta Bhavan Hindu Temple and Community Centre, in Clarendon Park Road.

At each stage, the group was welcomed with a talk about the community hosting them and the place of worship. They also joined in a short devotional activity.

Barbara Butler of Christians Aware, which organised the event, said: "We spent a little time with Sikhs, Quakers, Anglicans, Baha'is, Jews and Hindus. We're grateful to those who played host to our group."

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 2: HIGHCROSS EXHIBITION

Second day of our week-long exhibition in Highcross to celebrate Inter Faith Week, showcasing the eight communities represented on Leicester Council of Faiths.

The dynamic of the exhibition is beginning to become clear. The new location and layout mean that we're shifting more of free literature than in previous years. While it might seem that, on the other hand, fewer people are stopping to talk this time round, I don't think that's so. In terms of people approaching the stall, the arrangement of the banners is definitely more appealing and effective than before (and we're able to rotate them every so often, to keep it fresh). Putting the free literature on the trestle tables at the sides of the display space allows people to approach and take what they want in relative safety from the volunteers inside the display. You never know how it's going to work out until you see it in action. The dark semi-circle on the floor that marks the outer edge of the display space marks a safe boundary for the public. If you're brave enough to cross that line, then you're fair game!

There's some discussion with members of the public today about the content of the University of Leicester Faiths Trail, the banner and booklet for which are included in our exhibition here. A woman queries (strongly and at length) why the Cathedral was passed over in favour of St Mary de Castro, while a man objects to the omission of Neve Shalom, the Leicester Progressive Synagogue on Avenue Road. The simple answer to the former is that St Mary de Castro is older and has a more interesting history as a building, especially its relation with the Castle (and, after all, the team who compiled the information and created the trail are second year undergraduate students in the University's School of Archaeology and Ancient History). The answer to the latter is that Neve Shalom wouldn't fit into the schedule of a walking tour - although it may well have to in future, given that the Orthdox Synagogue on Highfield Street is up for sale.

I have gentler chats with Marlene from the Salvation Army and David from the local Eckankar group (whom I first met at the launch event for Leicester Speaks last month in Humberstone Gate).

Here are some comments entered in the reflective log by volunteers on the exhibition today:

“I found it particularly difficult to convince the cynics that true interfaith co-operation can be achieved regardless of the political situation. Also a lot of people had issues with the Faith Trail especially the synagogue which is for sale and Orthodox Jewish community in reduction and also the fact that the Mandir has moved. Otherwise a pleasant experience as I enjoy being a social butterfly!” 

“Even though it was early and Monday morning, several people came and took leaflets and brochures; some of them were very keen to get involved and discuss their personal experiences regarding both individual faiths and the wider religious community, Some very useful comments and suggestions were received from the members of the Jewish and Christian communities.” 

“Several people paused and glanced at the display. A couple or three stopped and chatted. There seemed to be a general acceptance of the display.” 

“Many people have passed by. Some have taken an interest. Leaflets have been taken. Wanting to know about neighbour’s religion. Interesting talking amongst ourselves on the subject of spirituality.” 

“I have rather enjoyed talking with the other volunteers. I get a sense of other space within the little enclave that is made from the tables with flyers and the tall boards showing each faith. A smallish sense of discontent from the retail world around us. And that sense disappears as I go and get coffee. I like that just by my presence I help to show others that there are joyful relations between the faiths.” 

“Some very interesting discussions with three separate individuals, related to faith communities generally and in once case personal experience of the journey to having a full time spiritual life. The siting of the display seemed much better this year in terms of the ease it provides for engaging with passers-by – a sense of it being less intrusive and offering a range of different encounters.”

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!