Southern comfort from spirited congregation

The fighting spirit of South London Synagogue - given a life expectancy of five years at its inception - was celebrated by more than 100 people at its silver jubilee celebrations.

Formed by the amalgamation of the Brixton and Streatham United synagogues, the 180-member congregation provides a daily minyan south of the Thames.

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Glasgow shuls talk merger

The merger between Glasgow's two largest Orthodox congregations - Newton Mearns and Giffnock and Newlands - has moved a step closer after a well-attended meeting of the shuls' members on Sunday.

More than 350 people were at the open meeting at Giffnock shul to discuss the proposed amalgamation.

Newton Mearns chair Brian Fox said Sunday's forum - which followed a meeting at the end of last ye

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Shul joins the Tribe as it picks youth leaders

Prestwich Hebrew Congregation has appointed three youth leaders in the region's first association with Tribe, the youth arm of the United Synagogue.

Aliza Schogger, 18, will lead the eight to 11 year olds, and Shauli Gordon, 21, and Yoni Harris, 22, will lead the Shrubberies' 12-plus age group.

Synagogue president Clive Sayers said the community "is delighted to welcome the Tribe presence to

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Chigwell scores well with Ofsted

Chigwell and Hainault Synagogue's holiday club has received a good report from Ofsted.

An unannounced inspection during the half-term holiday programme found that participants "thoroughly enjoy being in this setting.

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Wolfson head leaving for executive LSJS role

Wolfson Hillel Primary head Jason Marantz is to become chief executive of the London School of Jewish Studies next year, following the promotion of Raphael Zarum to dean.

Canadian-born Mr Marantz, 36, said that "after three-and-a-half extremely rewarding and happy years at Wolfson Hillel, I am very excited about taking on this key position in the Anglo-Jewish community.

"I am looking forward

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Rabbi is off for New Year

The recently married Glasgow Reform Synagogue minister was absent at Rosh Hashanah due to ill health.

Rabbi Nancy Morris, who went on sick leave in early August, married congregant Jim Jarvie in the Newton Mearns-based synagogue at the end of that month.

"We need to get her back in healthy mode as soon as possible and back on the bimah," Mr Jarvie said.

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Building bridges in Brum

Birmingham Jewish community representative Alan Blumenthal was among the mourners at a public memorial ceremony for the three young Muslim men killed during the recent riots.

The Birmingham Jewish Representative Council vice-chair had previously addressed a peace rally in the city at which he was asked by Tariq Jahan - father of Haroon Jahan, one of the hit-and-run victims - to attend last Thur

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Capital gain is Birmingham's ministerial loss

Birmingham Central Synagogue will be without a permanent minister for the High Holy-Days following the departure in August of Rabbi Shlomo Odze.

He is joining South Hampstead Synagogue as associate rabbi after serving the Pershore Road community for six years.

"He will be greatly missed and a very hard act to follow," said Central president Geoffrey Clements.

Rabbi Odze has agreed to help

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Hate attacks on home of rabbi

The Leicester Hebrew Congregation rabbi's house and car have been targeted by antisemitic vandals in three nocturnal attacks over the past three weeks.

Bricks twice shattered windows of Rabbi Shmuli Pink's shul-owned property, half-a-mile from the city centre synagogue. On another occasion, a brick was thrown through his car window.

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Burial row shul tries to go it alone

Frustrated by its long-running dispute over burial fees with Birmingham Hebrew Congregation, the city's Central Synagogue is to undertake a feasibility study into establishing its own cemetery.

The Hebrew Congregation (Singers Hill) administers the Witton and Brandwood End cemeteries and Central leaders have been infuriated by steep rises in burial fees and maintenance charges for its members.

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Scotsman hate case man pleads guilty

A man has pleaded guilty to distributing threatening and insulting antisemitic material through the website of The Scotsman newspaper.

Mohammed Sandia, 45, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, where Sheriff Michael O'Grady called for a community service report before sentencing next month. Mr Sandia was released on bail.

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Widow 'held to ransom' in burial fees row

A 79-year-old widow claims she is not being allowed to erect a headstone for her husband for refusing to pay an additional burial fee which is at the heart of a long-running dispute between Birmingham's two Orthodox synagogues.

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