150th Anniversary service

On Sunday 3rd October 2021, the Bristol Hebrew Congregation hosted a Civic Service to commemorate the 150th anniversary of its recently renovated, Grade II-listed Park Row Synagogue. The service was organised by a Sub-Committee of the Synagogue Council, consisting of Dr David Turns, Mr Gerald Levy and Mr Clive Lawton OBE.

The building – the fourth to have been occupied by the Congregation, but the first (and so far, only) building in Bristol to have been designed and built specifically as a synagogue and never used for any other purpose – was consecrated on Thursday 7th September 1871, at which time it was known as “the New Synagogue, Bristol”. Its construction was supervised by the dean of Victorian synagogue architects, H.H. Collins (assisted by the Bristol City Surveyor, S.C. Fripp), and it is one of the few examples of High Victorian synagogue architecture in England to have survived in essentially identical form to the present day – apart from some bomb damage suffered during the ‘Bristol Blitz’ in World War II, and substantial alterations to the roof and upstairs premises occasioned by the addition of a communal hall and consequent shortening of the ladies’ gallery in the 1970s.

In attendance on this occasion were Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for the City and County of Bristol (Mrs Peaches Golding OBE), the Rt Hon. Lord Mayor of Bristol (Cllr Steve Smith), the High Sheriff of Bristol (Mrs Susan J. Davies BEM) and her consort Cllr Chris Davies, the Honorary Recorder of Bristol (His Honour Judge Peter Blair QC) and his consort, and the Deputy Mayor of Bristol (Cllr Asher Craig), as well as other city dignitaries and community leaders, Honorary Officers and Councillors of the Synagogue, and Members and former Members of the Congregation.

The Address was given by Rabbi Joseph Dweck (Senior Rabbi of the S&P Sephardi Community in the United Kingdom) on the theme of Jewish identity. Two commemorative plaques were unveiled by the Lord Mayor and by Rabbi Mendy Singer of Chabad Bristol.

The service was led by Cantor Roland Brandman, with choral music provided by Mosaic Voices under the direction of Michael Etherton. The liturgical pieces sung at the service would have been familiar to congregants attending the building’s consecration in 1871: many of the melodies used in 2021 were written by such composers as Julius Lazarus Mombach (Choirmaster at the London Great Synagogue, 1841-1880) and his counterparts in Berlin (Louis Lewandowski, Choirmaster at the Neue Synagoge 1866-1894) and Vienna (Salomon Sulzer, Oberkantor at the Wiener Stadttempel 1826-1890).

The recordings below include some individual highlights, as well as a nearly 30-minute long clip of much of the 2nd half of the event, from the Closing of the Ark to the end of the Address (although this one isn’t the best quality since it was also being streamed at the time).

 

 

Original material from the opening in 1871

Purim Carnival

The Purim Carnival
15 March 2-6pm
Clifton College, Bristol

For ages 0-101
Drum & dance
Design Carnival crafts
Perform in an orchestra
Sing in a choir
Love stories
Gobble up bagels & hamantaschen
Be Vegan and Vegetarian
Gabble with friends
Experience The Big Carnival Finale

Only £5 per person
Maximum £20 per family
Free for under 5s

Register between 5-23 February

This will be a popular event so book early!

More information:
Jess Baum jess@studiobaum.com / Milly Clifford emelye.clifford@gmail.com

Holocaust Memorial Day Monday

75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau

Monday 27 January 2020
1:30pm-4:45pm
City Hall, Bristol

Full wheelchair access, Loop and BSL interpreters

Remembering the victims and survivors of Nazi persecution and the Holocaust, and genocide in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. Speakers include Holocaust educator Dame Helen Hyde, Holocaust survivor Annick Lever and Lord Mayor Jos Clark.

For more information on the event please download the leaflet here.

Jewish West pre-Channukah Party

Join Jewish West for our pre-Chanukah party!
Thursday December 19th
The Khan

The Jewish West team are putting on a Chanukah extravaganza at Falafel King’s “The Khan” – featuring a live acoustic set from Seb Hawley with more entertainment TBC.

There’ll be latkes, sufganiyot, dreidels, gelt and games for all ages!

From 7.30pm at Falafel King‘s “The Khan”
6 Cotham Hill
Bristol BS6 6LF

All welcome!

Community Shabbaton: Friday 14 – Saturday 15 February 2020

Date for your Diary  

Friday 14 – Saturday 15 February 2020
Shabbaton
Guest Speaker: Elkan Levy

A Shabbaton weekend will be organised by members of the Pinner United Synagogue.

There will be a Friday night service and meal, and a meal following the Shabbat Morning service. The Pinner Community will provide EVERYTHING that is needed for weekend.

There will be meat, vegetarian and vegan options for all the meals and of course, all of this has been checked with Council and Rabbi Mendy.

The cost to attend will be approximately £15 per meal. This will be confirmed nearer the time.

Pinner already have 40 people interested, so if you are keen to attend either or both events, please contact Eve Gordon on ‭07768 770550‬ as soon as possible as we need to know the numbers who will be attending.

Elkan Levy, a solicitor and lecturer, made Aliyah in 2011. Educated in London, Israel, and New York, he is well known in British Jewry and held a number of communal offices including President of the United Synagogue and Minister for Small Communities. He is fascinated by history, Freemasonry, and railways.

Everyone is welcome!

More details to follow nearer the time.

Cheder in the Woods

CHEDER IN THE WOODS
Sunday, September 15th
Leigh Woods

We are very excited about our forthcoming Cheder in the Woods, happening THIS SUNDAY 15 September.

Please join us in Leigh Woods, from 10.30am, for a delicious, fun-packed, educational, and musical cheder themed around Rosh Hashanah   This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet new families and celebrate the beauty of nature and our growing community.

All details and information can be downloaded here.

For more information, email jess@studiobaum or daren.gordon@sky.com

Lights, Camera, Lokshen! 3-part film night at Park Row Synagogue Part II

NEXT Wednesday June 26 is our second…

Lights, Camera, Lokshen!
3-part film night at Park Row Synagogue

Second in our series is:
The Band’s Visit
Wednesday 26th June
7.00-9.30pm

Our theme for this series of films at Park Row is “Jewish representation in Film”

Our second showing this week will be The Band’s Visit, award winning comedy from Eran Kolirin.

There will be an introduction from Simon Weintroub, Deputy Head of Creative Arts at Wiltshire College.
Wednesday 26th June. Arrive for 7pm to start at 7.30pm

Costs:
£5 per film or £12 for all 3
For members of Park Row Synagogue £4 per film or £10 for all 3.
Tea and Coffee will be served.

You can pay in advance by donating to our Lights Camera Lokshen appeal here.

Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Say Cheese! It’s Shavuot!

How do you celebrate your wedding anniversary?
Jewish tradition believes that we “Say it with Flowers” and Cheese and…

…This Sunday, Jews across the world will celebrate Shavuot, our 3,331st Sinai anniversary by decorating our homes and synagogues with flowers, enjoying dairy foods and hearing the reading of the ten commandments.

Celebrate Shavuot with Chabad Bristol at the Park Row Synagogue.
Sunday, 9 June at 11:15 am.

*Reading of the 10 Commandments
*Dairy Picnic Kiddush complete with cheesecake and icecream!
*Special Children’s service with prizes for all!

*Social learning circle

We look forward to celebrating together with you this Sunday.
With blessings for a happy and meaningful Shavuot,

Rabbi Mendy & Chaya Singer and all of us at Park Row Synagogue.

Shavuot Schedule – Sunday, 9 June @ Park Row Synagogue
*10:00 am – Prayer Services begin
*11:15 am – Reading of the 10 Commandments followed by the Children Service
*12:30 pm – Dairy Picnic Kiddush followed by Social Learning Circle