The St. Anne’s Synagogue annual Chanukah Party was well attended and declared well enjoyed by all.
Ladies & gentlemen, we are delighted to see so many people joining us to celebrate Chanukah. This year, it was a sad start to Chanukah with the horrific massacre at Bondi Beach in Australia. But here we are, still strong. Still saying Never again ! On this, the shortest day of the year, things can only get brighter and lighter from now.
Welcome to our visitors from Southport, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester …. as well as our native St Annes residents and surrounding areas – many of whom made Aliyah from Manchester in recent years, including my husband and I. Might I just be permitted to insert a promo at this point aimed at our visitors – to say that immigrating here was the best decision we ever made, and it’s well worth thinking about !
We here at the shul decided to celebrate Chanukah this year with a fun, social gathering as well as, of course, some tasty refreshments. I may speak for myself, but we’re all getting older, and jigging and jiving is no longer within the limits of some of us. The spirit may be willing, but goodness, the flesh is growing considerably weaker. Some of us may hark back to days of old when Chanukah parties at the JLB in Manchester were on offer – long before the flesh got the aforementioned weak. Of course, some of you may still be in said energy zone – I couldn’t’ possibly comment.
So today, somewhat more sedated, we have afternoon tea provided by the fair hands of our Ladies Circle and of course doughnuts imported especially into St Annes from State Fayre. When you’ve eaten, there are games tables, and we’ll open our superb tombola, laden with all the things you never knew you needed till you won them. Some of the donated gifts come from Lytham, so you know they’re posh.
And so on to dusk – we’ll be lighting the 8th candle to mark the last day of Chanukah for another year. I can’t make a joke or witticism here, as the Two Ronnies only did a sketch about 4 candles, leaving today’s 8 candles to their own non-joke zone devices. So, with No. 8 lit and burning merrily on its way, I’m delighted to say we have our fast becoming famous, singing Rabbi, Danny Bergson to entertain and lead us into a lusty singalong, along with Special Guest violinist Elaine Green.
Enjoy your afternoon tea, don’t forget to take your tombola goodies home, and wishing you all a very enjoyable social afternoon with us here in St. Annes Shul, and please come back again. Our next event will be on 25th January with Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies, and after that, 30th January for Holocaust Memorial Day. All are invited and all are welcome.