www.reformjudaism.org.uk

The London Jewish Forum and the GLA working with many of London's Jewish cultural providers have come together to launch Open Jewish Culture. Their goal is simple: to help bring as wide an audience as possible to Jewish arts, culture and heritage.

OJC will produce a programme consisting of Jewish cultural events in London that promises to showcase the very best of the capital’s Jewish Culture across arts, culture and heritage. Open Jewish Culture runs from 27th February to 29th March at various venues in London, for more information and the opportunity to enter an event in to the programme please go to the Open Jewish Culture website.

Cultural participants and organisers will be able to upload their cultural events on to the website from 30th December 2009 and will automatically become part of the March programme. Late in January,  the Open Jewish Culture website will launch as a cutting edge culture hub that brings to life all of London's public Jewish cultural happenings, large and small. It will carry listings and commentary, together with increasingly rich multimedia.

Included in the programme will be London’s most important international literary festival, Jewish Book Week as well as the grand opening of the new Jewish Museum and at the same time the OJC’s aim is to help promote individual artists, small producers and synagogue, youth and student cultural programmes. The Jewish Community Centre, the UK Jewish Film Festival and the London Jewish Community Centre are also participating.

Producer of Open Jewish Culture, Jack Gilbert explains: “If you make Jewish Culture happen then we’d like to hear from you. Whether you are an established producer or creating your first piece of work, a single artist or a collective, a community group, a school or a synagogue please get in touch as soon as possible to find out how you can participate and benefit. We are here to help each of you, and to facilitate a network that helps each other.”

Alex Goldberg, Chief Executive of the London Jewish Forum explains “The LJF is delighted to have been commissioned by the Mayor’s office to develop the Open Jewish Culture programme – the first of its kind. I am excited to see the variety and diversity of Jewish Cultural events that we can support and can bring to a wider Jewish community in London and beyond.”

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson explains “I am delighted to give my backing to this brand new festival of Jewish culture. Across all walks of life, Jewish men and women have been key players in...

A free weekly drop-in study session at Leo Baeck College open to anyone who is interested.

The discussions are driven by the interests and questions of the participants often focusing on translating the Hebrew text and analysing its grammar or discussion of topics either in the biblical text or in Rashi or other commentators.

Sessions start with the study of the biblical and medieval texts in Hebrew. This is not a certificated course but designed for those who love learning!

Understanding Israel: a lecture series with Abbie Ben-Ari.

Abbie Ben-Ari, retired senior Israeli diplomat, popular and much sought-after speaker, will be giving a series of lectures at Radlett and Bushey Reform Synagogue, commencing on the 4th November 2009.  For more information about  Abbie Ben-Ari, see the short biography below.

10th March:  Israel’s Capital – Jerusalem, Past, Present and Future
Presenting a history of the city and the wars for Jerusalem (Muslims, Christians etc), this lecture will also cover the role of Jerusalem in the Diaspora, a look at Jerusalem today, its demography, its culture, its politics and the social make-up of its inhabitants.  Abbie Ben-Ari will also look at Jerusalem in the international geo-political scene and consider the question ‘Can Jerusalem be a capital for two states?’

Abbie Ben-Ari was born in South Africa and during his youth was actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement, resulting in two terms of jail.  He emigrated to Israel in 1952 - lived on a kibbutz for eight years and then went to live in a new development town in the Northern Negev where he was a planner for a region involving a new concept of Jewish ethnic immigrant absorption.

Abbie Ben-Ari is a retired senior Israeli diplomat having served at the United Nations, New York and London, and undertook many special missions to developing countries around the world. He has participated in a number of prestigious 'think tanks' at research institutes and Foundations in the USA.

He lives in Radlett and Jerusalem and was actively involved in the cultural life of the city serving as Chairman of the Khan Israel Repertory Theatre and a member of the Board of the Israel Festival for Music and Drama.  He also founded together with Isaac Stern the prestigious Israel Music Centre in Jerusalem.

He now spends a great deal of his time lecturing throughout the UK and in the past throughout the United States.

Radlett and Bushey Reform Synagogue,  118 Watling Street,  Radlett  WD7 7AA.

At West London Synagogue.

Refreshments 7.00pm, screening at 7.45pm

Directed by Erez Tadmor and Guy Nattiv. Winner of the prestigious Jerusalem Film Festival award, Strangers seems at first to be an implausible modern day take on the Romeo and Juliet tale of star-crossed lovers. However, the film soon gathers pace and becomes a deeply touching exploration of the desire of the young generation to reconnect and even reconcile with 'the other'.

Eyal, an Israeli kibbutznik, and Rana, a Palestinian from Ramallah living in Paris, are in Berlin for the World Cup finals. When their identical bags are switched in a busy Berlin subway train, their worlds are changed completely. Complicated by the outbreak of the 2006 Lebanon war, the couple still manage to find love, comfort and possibility. Not to be missed. A donation towards catering costs is welcome.

The writing is on the wall for out-of-date ways of understanding how Jews define themselves and choose to relate to communities. If Finchley Reform Synagogue is going to consider a rebuilding project in the coming few years, then we really need to understand what we are dealing with...

Please join Rabbi Miriam Berger and Cantor Zoe Jacobs for a day of learning and discussion to explore and develop our understanding of the spaces we need to create as a community in order to meet the needs of the Progressive Jewish Communities of the future. Sessions and keynote speeches will be made throughout the day by the following professionals and academics:

• Nick Viner (Chief Executive of JCC London)
• Dr Keith Kahn-Harris (Research Associate at the Goldsmiths College ‘Centre for Urban and Community Research’ and Guardian Online convenor on ‘New Jewish Thought’)
• Dr Andrea Schatz (Centre for Advanced Jewish Studies, Kings College London)
• Abigail Morris (Director of ‘ResponsAbility’ – cross-communal organisation providing a Jewish Ethical response to cutting edge issues of our day)
• Judith Williams (Director of Jeneration and Youth, Movement for Reform Judaism)
• Rabbi Neil Amswych (Principal Rabbi Bournemouth Reform and Environmental Activist)
• David Jacobs (Director of Synagogue Partnership, Movement for Reform Judaism)

Bring your children too...
Our youth worker David Bush will be running a parallel programme for 5-11 year olds, so please do attend and share your thoughts, and maybe your children will have some great ideas to share too?

We welcome anyone from the wider community with an interest and particularly all FRS Members, to help shape how we address the issues raised when preparing our brief for the FRS Rebuilding Project.

Kol Chai Hatch End Jewish Community is delighted to present 'Fiddler On The Roof' on Saturday 13th March and Sunday 14th March 2010 at the James Theatre, Watford Grammar School for Boys.

Performance times:

Saturday 13th March: 7.30 pm
Sunday 14th March: 2.30 pm and 7.00 pm

Tickets available from Milly Lewy on 01923 771856
Email: milly.lewy@ntlworld.com

Adults £12.50;  Concessions £9.00
Prices include ticket and programme

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd on behalf of Music Theatre International of New York.  Produced on the New York stage by Harold Prince.

Original New York production directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.  Based on Shalom Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl.

Book by Joseph Stein.  Music by Jerry Bock.  Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick.

Kol Chai Hatch End Jewish Community is delighted to present 'Fiddler On The Roof' on Saturday 13th March and Sunday 14th March 2010 at the James Theatre, Watford Grammar School for Boys.

Performance times:

Saturday 13th March: 7.30 pm
Sunday 14th March: 2.30 pm and 7.00 pm

Tickets available from Milly Lewy on 01923 771856
Email: milly.lewy@ntlworld.com

Adults £12.50;  Concessions £9.00
Prices include ticket and programme

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd on behalf of Music Theatre International of New York.  Produced on the New York stage by Harold Prince.

Original New York production directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins.  Based on Shalom Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl.

Book by Joseph Stein.  Music by Jerry Bock.  Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick.

The London premiere of Troiseaux: A One Woman Musical Mystery.

March 14th and 15th
£10/£6 concessions (students/equity/unwaged)

West London Synagogue, 34 Upper Berkeley Street
nearest tube Marble Arch

Doors open at 6:30

starts at 7:00

Devised by Maya Levy and Seonaid Goody
Performed by Maya Levy

**A supper of hot pies, soup and bread, wine and hot cider will be served at the interval.**

To reserve tickets call:
02075350290
or email: c.allen@wls.org.uk
* Please try to reserve your tickets so we can get a head count for the supper.