Burglar who struck on Shabbat gets six years

A burglar who stole precious Judaica from Jewish homes on Shabbat when he knew the owners could not use the phone to alert the police, has been jailed for six years.

James Williams, 53, committed five burglaries in Hackney, east London over two Shabbats in October last year, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

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Rules for the Shabbat Olympics

Today, in case you hadn't heard, the London Olympic Games will commence.

To celebrate, and in recognition of the proximity of some of our shuls to some of the events, wouldn't it be fitting if we were to hold an "Olympic Shabbat" this weekend?

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Chattering classes

By all accounts, the congregation at Western Marble Arch on Shabbat for a 250th anniversary service for the Western Synagogue proved to be a noisy bunch. It took a quiet reminder from Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks in the pulpit before the errant tongues finally came to rest.

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Chief praises 'great rav'

Inducting Rabbi Danny Bergson as minister of Pinner Synagogue on Sunday, Lord Sacks said the congregation had got what it deserved - "a great rav".

Rabbi Bergson and his wife Anna would be "great energisers of this community. I wish them and their children many years of happiness here."

The Chief Rabbi also told the 400 guests that he had "known Pinner since 1974.

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Chief praises 'great rav'

Inducting Rabbi Danny Bergson as minister of Pinner Synagogue on Sunday, Lord Sacks said the congregation had got what it deserved - "a great rav".

Rabbi Bergson and his wife Anna would be "great energisers of this community. I wish them and their children many years of happiness here."

The Chief Rabbi also told the 400 guests that he had "known Pinner since 1974.

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Resignations as Guttentag survives

Whitefield Hebrew Congregation's Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag has survived an attempt by the lay leadership to remove him.

Following an outpouring of support from congregants for the long-serving rabbi, the synagogue president and four executive members resigned last Thursday.

Shul management has been assumed on an interim basis by the trustees, who are attempting to restore communal harmony.

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Changes delay eruv

A planning application for a Mill Hill eruv is being resubmitted to Barnet Council in the light of small-scale amendments.

Conditional planning consent for the religious boundary, enabling the observant to push or carry items on Shabbat, was granted in July. But a number of relatively minor alterations to the route required a full re-submission of the proposal.

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