Calendar

Tuesday 18 March 2008

AGM minutes feb 2008

Minutes of AGM of Lancaster and Lakes Jewish Community, held Sat 26 Feb 2008 at the home of Marie and Don Padgett

Present Fiona Frank, Gillian and Brian Sawyer, Stanley Henig, Susannah Cogger, Marie and Don Padgett

Susannah read the minutes of the last meeting which were agreed.

Chair's comments, Stanley Henig.

The aim of the group is to be a place where we can know each other and be able to meet as Jews and people with an interest in Judaism and Jewish heritage.
There seems to have been a decline in regular activities since the Feldman's departure, but some particularly successful events such as the Klezmer dance, which attracted large numbers including new people with Jewish heritage.
It's often the way with any organisation, to have its ups and downs. Today we need to decide if we should change our activities and plans.

Financial report, Susannah Cogger.

Membership invitation was sent out last year asking for voluntary donation of £50, £25 or £5 per family. We had around 12 responses to that. We made some money on the Klezmer night (having been afraid we'd make a loss) - and now have a total of £644 in our account. The funds are to put back into the community.
A reminder that last year we had decided to spend money on:
- the development of religious activities
- expenses for people representing us at meetings
- paying speakers' expenses
- simchas
- administrative costs
and sponsorship of specific events.

The report was adopted with acclamation and thanks to Susannah.

Secretary's report: Fiona Frank. (published below in http://lancslakesjc.blogspot.com )

Stanley noted that the content of the proposed talk by the late Josie Dunn's talk, which she was never able to give us, was written up by her and Roger Morgan in 'History Today', Nov 2007 (please contact Fiona Frank for more information).


Ideas for future activities

Trip to Holocaust Memorial Centre in Derbyshire.
it was suggested that the group contact NCBI to propose a joint trip.

What do we think people want from this group?

trips? services? meetings? dance nights? hebrew classes? Jewish cultural activities? Purim party? Just to know that we're there if they need us?

There are Hebrew classes happening monthly in Kendal with two families.

IT was suggested that we might move the Havura meetings to the Chaplaincy centre - better for disabled access than in people's homes.

It was proposed to have a communal seder on the 2nd night, and a Hanukah party.

It was also proposed to invite a rabbi up for some services during the year: Susannah will liaise - possibly 7 June, and Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

FF to set up 3 'havura's for the whole year, with invited speakers; to set up cultural activities in partnership with the Dukes, Ludus, Litfest and another Klezmer night.

We discussed whether we should affiliate with any particular kind of Judaism; we all had different backgrounds and views and were happy to remain unaffiliated.

We wondered about the status of Eric Moonman's small communities event - SH to ask him.

We resolved to send £100 to NCBI in support of their work commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day.

General invitations for people interested in Liverpool Limmud (early June) and the Jewish Genealogy event on 6 April in Manchester (contact .

Robbie to be asked to speak to Lancaster Uni JSoc about a communal seder on the 2nd night.

Officers: Stanley Henig (Chair) Susannah Cogger (Treasurer) and Fiona Frank(Secretary) all happy to continue in their posts and were returned unopposed.

Meeting closed with the usual excellent 'Jacob's Join'.

secretary's report for 2007/8

Lancaster and Lakes Jewish Community
Secretary’s report AGM Feb 2008


Since the last AGM in November 2006 I have sent out monthly email lists to around 40 people each month, and activities have been attended by anything between 8 and 88 souls (the difference between a small Saturday morning service, and our first Klezmer dance held last September).

As well as our own events, our email newsletter has included information about Lancaster Univesity Jewish Society events, and Jewish-related cultural activities in the area, information from Lancaster’s anti-fascist campaign keeping us updated on BNP activity in the region, information about Manchester’s Centre for Jewish Studies activities, Manchester Jewish Museum talks and events, and occasional news from other organisations such as the Jewish Genealogical Soc of GB, Jewish Historical Society of Great Britain, and Manchester Liberal and Progressive community.

Our own events have included:

- Chanukah party
- a Havurah in March at the home of Adrienne Wallman and Simon Gershon, when we discussed our ‘Sparks’ bid (see below)
- A community seder
- A Havurah in May at the home of Gillian and Brian Sawyer, when Stanley Henig talked about the local elections
- A Havurah in June at the home of Marie and Don Padgett, when we heard from John Cowell about the history of the Preston Jewish Community
- A trip to Liverpool in July when we were shown round Princes Road and the new Reform shul in Liverpool and treated to a wonderful home cooked lunch
- an Apple and Honey New Year’s party at the home of Fiona Frank
- an incredibly successful Klezmer Dance in September
- a Havura at the Sultan Gallery in November where we talked about ‘Jewish Culture’
- a Havura at the home of Jackie and David Kinsley in Clapham, on “being the only Jew (s) in the village.

Our Chanukah get together didn’t happen; and some of our Havuras only had 3 households present; but others had 10 or 12 people.


We held family services led by Adam and Melanie Feldman in January, February, March, April, May, June, August, October, and November, a Rosh Hashanah morning service in September and a Kol Nidre service


Several of us went to the national Limmud conferences in 2006 and 2007 and attended various Small Communities events, and we hosted Malcolm Weisman, Minister for Small Communities, on two visits.

We were represented at the Local Strategic Partnership consultations by Adrienne Wallman. We have been invited to attend Lancaster’s Community Leaders’ group and a newly formed North West Regional Jewish Council.
We put together a partnership project with a number of Lancaster cultural organisations to put on linked Jewish activities, and applied, with NCBI, to the Sparks Fund, for funding for this. Despite not being funded this time, all the partner organisations were keen and interested, and we have had support and encouragement from the Board of Deputies’ consultant, Jonny Weinberg, to apply to other organisations for this project to go ahead in the future.

We were very visible at the Holocaust Memorial Day events in Jan 07 and 08 organised by NCBI.


Fiona Frank talked about ‘being Jewish’ in a NCBI ‘Faith Share’; and was on Diversity Radio talking about ‘what Jews do at Christmas’. Gillian Sawyer talked about Judaism in a Religious Studies class at Our Ladies’ School.


. Sadly Josie Dunne passed away during the year: she had prepared a talk that she very much wanted to give us, on ‘Jewish and mischlinger soldiers in Hitler’s army’
We welcomed new arrival Mia, daughter of Anat Caspi and Kim Kaivanto.

Judith Keshet and Adi Kuntsman left us for Liverpool in September; and the Feldman family left us at the end of the year: Cornwall’s gain is our loss.


Fiona Frank Feb 2008.