Author: Glen Berd

It was a cold dark night - but inside the Rabbi and Rebbetzens house the atmosphere was delightfully warm and cheeery ! The Rabbi and Rebbetzen's regular monthly soiree's kicked off after the busy month of YomTovim with a decided treat. Yair and Tolva Maron regaled us with the incredible and hugely entertaining story of their journey from Evangelical Pastors to becoming Jewish. But not before Rebbetzen Anna had served a delicious hot soup and various tasty finger foods. Altogether such an interesting evening and we were very grateful to Vair and Tolva for making the journey from Manchester to share our evening.                 Yair and Toivah Maron shared their fascinating journey to Judaism. They were both Christians that trained to become Pastors. Eventually they joined the Evangelical Church (a more ecstatic version of worship connecting to God's presence), but their thirst for truth and  and an authentic relationship with God left them deeply dissatisfied as they found theological issues that could not...

The History of Hanukkah How the festival of lights became a holiday, and how it has evolved in modern times. Hanukkah is one of the few Jewish holidays not mentioned in the Bible. The story of how Hanukkah came to be is contained in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, which are not part of the Jewish canon of the Hebrew Bible.These books tell the story of the Maccabees, a small band of Jewish fighters who liberated the Land of Israel from the Syrian Greeks who occupied it. Under the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Syrian Greeks sought to impose their Hellenistic culture, which many Jews found attractive. By 167 B.C.E, Antiochus intensified his campaign by defiling the Temple in Jerusalem and banning Jewish practice. The Maccabees — led by the five sons of the priest Mattathias, especially Judah — waged a three-year campaign that culminated in the cleaning and rededication of the Temple. Since they were unable to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot at its proper...

https://youtu.be/ZUHP6ot-JPg...

Last night's Movie Night at the Shul showed 'The Impossible Spy' - based on the true story of Eli Cohen who spied for Israel in Syria and who was instrumental in the subsequent success of Israel in the 1967 Six Day War. After the show, there were refreshments and lively discussions about the film ! As a follow up - it may be of interest to take a look at the following articles : https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/widow-of-israeli-spy-eli-cohen-when-he-was-caught-something-died-within-me/      This is an interview with Nadia Cohen, the wife of the late Eli Cohen a few years ago after Netflix released a TV Mini Series in 2019 about her late husband, starring Sasha Baron Cohen.   Another interesting article is here : https://blog.nli.org.il/en/eli-cohen/ How Eli Cohen, Israel’s Man in Damascus, Was Captured - Noam Nachman-Tepper seeks to dispute the accepted narrative surrounding the capture of Eli Cohen....

This is absolutely incredible and very moving! For decades, this man Andy, who is 78 years old, did not know that he was Jewish and in fact is the son of a Holocaust survivor who hid his identity. This month, he finished his volunteering in the IDF and fulfilled his dream of learning Torah. Just before he returned to Canada, he celebrated his Bar Mitzvah which he never had! Jacqui : Wow! I volunteered with Andy at least three times and he never mentioned this story! Unless I forgot which is entirely possible! Mazeltov Andy! Mark : I believe my Esther met Andy in 2017 on a flight from Toronto. A very kind gentleman. Mazel Tov!!! ...

From the Depths works to help both Righteous Among the Nations and Holocaust survivors, providing care packages, financial aid and services to them. 90-year-old who saved Jew in Holocaust found living in poverty in Belarus Lyubov Volchek was recognized as a "Righteous Among the Nations' for sheltering an 11-year-old Jewish girl during the Holocaust. Righteous Among the Nations, Lyubov Volchek, in Belarus (photo credit: WWW.FROMTHEDEPTHS.ORG) A 90-year-old woman who risked her life to save a Jewish girl during the Holocaust was found living in poverty in the town of Hlusk in Belarus, the From the Depths organization announced on Wednesday.   In 1998, Yad Vashem honored Lyubov Volchek as a Righteous Among the Nations, an honour given to those who provided aid to Jews during the Holocaust.       Lyubov Volchek in her home (Credit: www.FromTheDepths.org) Volchek was found living in a crumbling house in Hlusk, a small town in central Belarus. In June 1941, Nazi troops gathered the 2,000 Jews living in the town in the main square,...