Happy New Year

By Glen Berd1 Comment
Dear friends Chag Sameach and a Shona Tova from St Anne's Synagogue.  This year our hearts are heavy with anxiety for Jews everywhere but especially for our friends and family in Israel and we hope for a better future soon. Am Yisrael Chai Glen and Spencer Berd Website Administrator...
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A Concert for Israel

By Glen Berd2 Comments
Sunday 22nd September and our Ladies Circle Fundraiser production of A Concert for Israel with dinner took place. As a fundraiser for Magen David Adom, the event was full to capacity with 90 people, there were locals and many visitors from out of town - travelling from Manchester, Southport, Leeds and Leicester. Everyone was plied with Champers and Orange juice as they arrived, although we discovered it wasn't necessary to get everyone in the mood, as without exception everyone's good spirits upon entry was already evident. In true Blackpool spirit, Dave Windle (Master Organist of the famous Blackpool Tower organ) played us in, with tunes reminiscent of Reginald Dixon and the North Pier ! Hannah Goldstone of Manchester Magen David Adom was introduced by our new president Ian Glass (or Supreme Leader as he self nominates, and referred to by no one :-)), who gave an inspiring and informative talk on the work of MDA and how important the funds we collect are to...
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A Story of the power of faith to transform lives

By Glen Berd3 Comments
Manchester Piccadilly to Euston train via Austria, Budapest and Williamsburg! - A Story of the power of faith to transform lives On a recent train journey to London for the Chief Rabbi’s annual conference, I met an amazing woman from the Satmar community who inspired me with her story of faith and hope in the face of adversity . This is the story … I was supposed to take the 10:15am train to Euston but ended up arriving early at Piccadilly and so took the earlier train at 9:35am. I found myself a seat by a table in the nearest coach that had ‘available seating’ and as soon as I had settled down I noticed a book of Psalms on the seat to my left over the aisle in front of a Jewish lady. It looked quite old and unusual and so I asked the lady who owned It about its origin. The lady (Mrs Weisz) introduced herself as originally from Williamsburg, New York from the Satmar community now living in Manchester. With...
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Rebbetzen Anna Meets and Greets the Ladies

By Glen BerdNo Comments
One a sunny (yes, for a change) afternoon in September, Rebbetzen Anna gathered the Ladies of St.Annes together for a social Meet and Greet with a spiritually uplifting talk. This was very kindly hosted at the home of Sharon Wertheim - herself a new immigrant to our lovely community, and we ended a very pleasant afternoon with Sharon's wonderful home baking ! Thanks to Anna and Sharon.    ...
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Ida and Louise Cook

By Glen Berd1 Comment
Ida and Louise Cook were unmarried sisters in their mid thirties who lived with their parents. One wrote romance novels for Mills and Boon (England’s Harlequin equivalent) and the other commuted from their sleepy London suburb to work as a secretary for the civil service. They wore home made clothes and shared a love of opera. They loved opera so much, they would go to Germany for the weekend just to see the opera there. The Cook sisters were born in the early 1900s, and - in common with a lot of their generation in the wake of the deaths of so many young men during World War One - never married, living quietly at home with their parents in south London.. Their passion in life was opera, and they became ardent fans - in the words of their nephew John Cook, "opera groupies" - attending performances and waiting at stage doors in the hope of getting autographs. They also wrote...
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