One Direction to funding

Harold Dagul’s grandchildren can meet One Direction. Amy Carbonne will be a behind the scenes VIP at Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday and another VIP experience awaits Elaine Hakim at a Manchester United home game.

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Full time marks start of Chingford's future

Less than a year after being under threat of closure, Highams Park and Chingford Synagogue has upgraded to full member status of the United Synagogue.

The move was a “no brainer”, said Steven Strum, chair of a new and energetic board of management. Despite the reservations of some of the old guard, “once we looked into the matter, it was an obvious decision for our board.

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Bath cemetery gets second stage of repairs

Stage two of a £50,000 renovation of the 200-year-old Jewish burial ground in Bath has been completed thanks to donors including LibDem Councillor Cherry Beath.

The Grade II-listed early 19th century prayer house served the small Bath community in 1812 but was abandoned as members moved to Bristol in the early 1900s. It was in danger of collapse before the repairs.

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Kingston honours four community champions

Long-time members of the two Kingston synagogues have been honoured as community champions by the local mayor in an annual award scheme.

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Welfare pioneer is mourned

Tributes have been paid to Sheila Saunders — “a gem of the Leeds community” — who died last week aged 67.
Ms Saunders was a long-serving chief executive of Leeds Jewish Welfare Board and Leeds Jewish Housing Association.

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Another rabbi to go at Elstree

Having experienced difficulty finding a permanent minister, Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue is to lose its associate rabbi.

The shul says Rabbi Boruch Boudilovsky — who came to Borehamwood from his native Israel nearly three years ago —will be returning home “to further his career and follow opportunities there”. He will remain with the congregation until after Yom Kippur.

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Bug hits Mathilda Marks Kennedy School

Mathilda Marks Kennedy School in Mill Hill closed last Friday (March 15) due to an outbreak of norovirus. Head teacher Jillian Dunstan said: “We were advised by the Health Inspection Agency to close the school to prevent further spread of the virus.” The school, which has 220 pupils from nursery to year six, was reopened on Monday.

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