Kol Nefesh Masorti

A major earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude on the Richter scale struck the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, on Tuesday 12 January. Much of the city has been flattened, leaving this impoverished Caribbean nation appealing for international assistanced.

Go here to donate

The quake's epicentre was only 10 miles (16 km) from Port-au-Prince, and aftershocks as powerful as 5.9 rattled the city throughout the night and into Wednesday. The five-story United Nations building, amongst many others, was brought down by the major earthquake, the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years.

January 2010

Kibbutz hanaton makes the news - and wins the "Where to send the wandering jew" competition.
Article on Hanaton

November 2009
It couldn't happen anywhere except Israel -
a woman arrested at Kotel for wearing a tallit and holding Torah!!
Article from Ynet

Magen Tzedek - healthy kosher eating - but can it only work if it attracts non-Jews? By J J Goldberg
From The Forward

October 2009
On how a Masorti Rabbi in Kiryat Bialik is the unofficial 'Chief Rabbi' - and what does this say about state monopolies on religion!

We have prepared a leaflet about getting married. What options are there for a Jewish marriage - is a Ketubah the only option? What service can you have?

Click on our leaflet for more information

Your wedding should be a unique and special event which reflects your values and aspirations as a couple. Kol Nefesh can offer you something very precious – an opportunity to create your ceremony together with our Rabbi and Chazzan.

We hope that after you have read this leaflet, you will want to discuss getting married at Kol Nefesh. Please contact our synagogue administrator Debbie Diamond and she can put you in contact with our Rabbi, Joel Levy. Rabbi Joel will ask you to attend a series of sessions looking at marriage, both as a couple and individually. This is to help you prepare for your wedding and to make it a unique, Jewish and meaningful experience.

PRAYER FOR HEALING

Each day we pray for the healing of those who hurt in body or soul. The oldest prayer for healing in the Torah is the heart-rending plea of Moses to heal his sister, Miriam.

It is couched in the simplest language: ‘El, na! R’fah na lah!’ – ‘God, please! Heal her, please!’

Chazan Jaclyn Chernett devised a simple melody which we sing on Shabbat during the Torah service. It can be sung on its own or as a canon, the second part superimposed over the first.

Prayer for healing ...

Prayer for healing .with echo..

The Kotel belongs to everyone.

This was one of the banners at the recent demonstration in Jerusalem. 2000 people showed their support for pluralism and religious freedom in Jerusalem on Saturday night, November 28, 2009. The banner says "The wall belongs to everyone" (using the male and female forms of all, Kullam/Kullan)

Having read about Lots wife in Vayera on Shabbat,

Lot’s Wife
By Anna Akhmatova
Translated by Max Hayward and Stanley Kunitz

And the just man trailed God’s shining agent,
over a black mountain, in his giant track,
while a restless voice kept harrying his woman:
“It’s not too late, you can still look back

at the red towers of your native Sodom,
the square where once you sang, the spinning-shed,
at the empty windows set in the tall house
where sons and daughters blessed your marriage-bed.”

A single glance: a sudden dart of pain
stitching her eyes before she made a sound …
Her body flaked into transparent salt,
and her swift legs rooted to the ground.

Who will grieve for this woman? Does she not seem
too insignificant for our concern?
Yet in my heart I never will deny her,
who suffered death because she chose to turn.

Kol Nefesh Masorti is now meeting at The Leonard Sainer Centre, Rectory Lane, Edgware, HA8 7LF.

map of new KNM location

Jewish Chronicle Article

At the new premises in Rectory Lane, we have a bright, warm new centre for our Shabbat and weekend activities. Four cheerful rooms, daylight, disabled access, and still in the centre of Edgware.

We want to make our new home a true community centre for Masorti in Edgware, with activities on Shabbat and sundays.

Click here for a monthly Jewish calender

Go to the Events calender in the right hand panel to see this weeks Shabbat programme at KNM.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Harry Kelly wrote a wonderful Devar Torah which he delivered on his Barmitzvah.

We have provided Harry's Devar Torah here so that you have another opportunity to read it and think about the themes that Harry developed on his sedrah, Lech Lechah