Manchester stalwart Olsberg dies

Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks has led the numerous tributes to long-serving Manchester minister Rev Leslie Olsberg, who died on Sunday, aged 86.

Mr Olsberg was minister of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation for 36 years and was chaplain to a range of organisations. His MBE in 2007 recognised 60 years' service to the Manchester community.

He was admitted to North Manchester General Hospital, where he died, after breaking his hip last week. Nurses attempted to contact the Jewish chaplain only to discover that Mr Olsberg still held that role.

More..

JLGB welcomes Sderot group to camp getaway

Sderot teenagers are guests at the Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade's national summer camp.

They joined other Israelis and visitors from France and Canada to swell the turnout to over 300 at the 10-day event in Colchester. Participants enjoyed activities ranging from archery to an Apprentice-style challenge.

Brigade chief executive Neil Martin said the Sderot group had "blended in well and made lots of friends. They are not used to such freedom."

More..

Swim girl Dani Jacobson making a TV splash

Twelve-year-old charity swimmer Dani Jacobson is a finalist in Channel Five's "Britain's Kindest Kids" competition.

As the JC reported in June, North London Collegiate pupil Dani and her sister Talya, who has learning difficulties, swam 22 miles to raise over £23,000, the bulk of it for Norwood.

More..

Britain hosts Windows Israel-Palestine summer camp

A summer camp bringing Israeli and Palestinian teenagers together has been held in Britain for the first time.

Edinburgh's Merchiston Castle School was the venue for the two-week camp for Tel Aviv-based cohesion project Windows for Peace - Channels for Communication.

Fifteen 13-16-year-olds took part - six Jews and nine Palestinians, among them Christians and Muslims.

More..

Sarah Brown meets JLGB

Thirty members of the Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade's Israel tour spent an afternoon with Gordon Brown's wife Sarah in Jerusalem last week.

Mrs Brown, who accompanied the Prime Minister on his Israel trip, met the JLGB group on the steps of the King David Hotel. She shared her impressions of Israel and heard about the brigade party's tour experiences during a question-and-answer interchange.

More..

Silverman is high on the Radlett Rayder

A former Immanuel College head girl is the new head of Radlett Synagogue's 175-pupil cheder, Rayder.

Leah Silverman, 25, replaces Suzy Jaeger, who will be taking up a post with the nursery at Edgware Jewish Primary School. Mrs Jaeger has been with Rayder for seven of its nine years, serving as head for the last three.

She was presented with a silver seder plate at a ceremony on the last day of term attended by pupils and community leaders including Rabbi Ariel Abel.

More..

All-day opening plan for Edgware nursery

The private Gan Kinneret nursery based at Edgware Synagogue is extending its opening hours and taking in babies as young as 12 months to meet the needs of the growing band of local mums in full-time employment.

Until now, the nursery has been open on weekday mornings, taking in 40 children between the ages of two and five, half of whom stay on for lunch and an extra hour of play. But from September, it will open from 8am until 5pm and accept children from the age of one.

More..

Liverpool schools scheme backed

A £26 million scheme to rehouse the Liverpool King David schools has been accepted by the city’s planning committee after councillors visited the site.

The “super school” will be built on King David’s playing fields. A kindergarten and the Harold House Jewish community centre will also move into the Childwall Road premises. Up to 25 homes will be erected on the site of the current school buildings.

King David High governors’ chair Max Steinberg welcomed the outline planning approval.

More..

Chief’s projects head is to lead volunteers

Leonie Lewis, the Chief Rabbi's projects director, is leaving his office after a year-and-a-half to become the first chief executive of the Jewish Volunteering Network (JVN).

The former head of the United Synagogue's Community Development Group - who was number 69 in this year's JC Power 100 - will also be undertaking consultancy work for the US and the London School of Jewish Studies.

More..

Friends offer a share dividend to Radlett youth

Radlett Synagogue's first full-time youth director's post will be a job-share between long-time friends who will combine the appointment with their university studies.

Twenty-year-olds Ronen Gordon and Daniel Finn have both just completed gap years studying at yeshivah in Israel. Before that, they were leading lights in Bnei Akiva. Ronen will be taking medical studies at Barts, Daniel will study international politics at City University.

They start the Radlett post in September and will live in the shul-owned house next to the synagogue.

More..