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We will start the discussion about the community here. This was the KNM Purpose Statement that the community developed 10 years ago.

2000 Purpose Statement

Is this still relevant? What would you change? Add? Remove?

You can post comments below,

Go to the blog for the full posting + links
19th January - They call it 'Black Monday' because people sign off sick (nothing like adding to the gloom and doom that our media seem to delight in).

However, two KN members gave live radio broadcasts. Steve Griffiths was on BBC Radio Lincolnshire Breakfast programme and gave a great interview about his life as a fighter pilot, a spy in Germany, his work with the Council of Christians and Jews and his leadership of prayer. He also talked about Jewish history in Lincoln and antisemitism. Well worth a listen. Stephen on The Breakfast show with Rod Whiting (Stephen is on from 02.44:50 to the end)

Harry Kelly will represent the soul of Jewish music at the exciting event on Sunday 2nd November at the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS, WC1H 0XG.

Other contributors to this event will be Chazan Stephen Robins of Woodside Park Synagogue, the youth choir led by Viv Bellos, a mystical Sufi Zekr, Chinese Buddhist chant and dance, Gregorian chant led by Ian Coleman, Diocese of Westminster, and New Alliance Church Gospel group.

The performances will be from 2.00 - 4.30 followed by a panel discussion comprising a member from each faith group (not Harry!) under the chairmanship of Dr Alex Knapp. They will follow challenging questions posed by Rabbi Irwin Kula who we are bringing in from CLAL, New York. He will give the keynote "Leader of Prayer as Meaning Maker" at 7.30.

If you want to come just for the concert it won't cost anything.

One of the most emotional pieces of poetry and its music is the Unetane Tokef ‘suite’ which is between the opening blessings Avot and Gevurot and before the Kedushah of the Musaf Amidah when it is repeated by the Chazan.

Here is my abridgement of these texts.

1: Unetane Tokef Kedushat Hayom – We will tell of the power of today’s holiness because it is awesome and frightening… It is true that only You, God, are the One who judges, proves, knows and witnesses, who writes and seals, counts and calculates. You remember everything that was forgotten. You will open the book and it will read itself. Everyone’s signature is in it.

There is a category of synagogue music known as “Mi-sinai Tunes” - Melodies from Mount Sinai. That’s an extraordinary thought. Can we really trace our liturgical melodies that far back?

The following is the list of the 12 people who are cursed in last week’s parasha - Ki Tavo:

15. Cursed be the man who makes any engraved or molten image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.
16. Cursed be he who dishonours his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
17. Cursed be he who removes his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.
18. Cursed be he who makes the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
19. Cursed be he who perverts the judgment of the stranger, orphan, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.
20. cursed be he who lies with his father’s wife; because he uncovers his father’s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.
21. Cursed be he who lies with any kind of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.

There is nothing as powerful as a beloved melody. Its strain moves the heart and brings us to tears. What is more soulful than the beautiful,haunting Kol Nidré! The ancient, familiar strains seem to herald a shared anticipation of the soul-searching over the day to come. But throughout the ages, the text has been somewhat of a problem. The statement that vows taken from last year to this, or this year to the next (depending on the version) are to be cancelled is something none of us will honestly condone. Over the ages, famous rabbis endeavoured to wipe out this opening statement of the Evening Service for Yom Kippur. But it always found its way back as congregations would not countenance Yom Kippur without it - and the will of the people won out.

The first communal act of the Israelite nation, whilst still in Egypt, is described at the start of Exodus Chapter 12. This is part of Parshat HaChodesh – the Torah reading before Rosh Chodesh Nissan which is designed to get us in the mindset for the upcoming festival:

Exodus Ch. 12
(3) Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying: On the tenth day after this new-moon they are to take themselves, each-man, a lamb according to their father’s house, a lamb per household.