Jewish Small Communities Network

Ivan Urgant is not just a hansom Jewish boy, he is also presenter of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and one of today’s most popular Russian TV personalities.

Remarkable drawings in a ‘new’ form by the veteran artist Hannah Frank have been discovered just before her centenary exhibition opens on her 100th birthday – 23 August.

Visitors to the ‘Hannah Frank, A Glasgow Artist 100th Birthday Exhibition’ now have a chance to see this significant new discovery of 17 Hannah Frank original works in a medium that we do not normally associate with this artist. Fiona Frank, the artist’s niece and champion, made the find during a last minute rummage in a suitcase held in the loft of the care home where Hannah Frank now lives.

“We’ve discovered many of Hannah’s artworks in this suitcase over the last five years. I’d noticed some pieces of sugar paper there but assumed they were packing materials.  Then something made me take a closer look. To my amazement I found, inside each piece of folded sugar paper, 17 coloured drawings of various figures done in pastel. We think she did them during life classes at the Glasgow School of Art where my Aunt studied for many years.”

Here she used vibrant colour - bright red, an electric blue - and they are less linear and more three dimensional than her  distinctive ‘trademark’ black and white works, yet there is still a haunting melancholy about these figures which is associated with those works.

Artist Ann Marie Foster, who has run Hannah Frank art workshops, said: “What a find! Hannah captures an essence with such economy of line. They are evidence of her drawing skill and technical facility and demonstrate the draftsman/womanship underpinning the black and white line drawings.”

Fiona added: “These drawings are a remarkable, integral part of the history of Hannah Frank’s journey as an artist. We urge people to come along to the exhibition, to celebrate the wonderful art Hannah produced over a 75 year career and to appreciate the vibrancy and vitality in these newly discovered life drawings.”

WOMAN’S HOUR - Tuesday 19th August
An interview with Hannah Frank, previously heard on Radio Scotland, will be featured.
If you’ve missed it try the BBC iPlayer

UPDATE: Sadly we have to report that Hannah Frank passed away peacefully, aged 100, on 18 December 2008. Thanks to the efforts of her niece, Fiona, her work is now widely known and exhibited and has forever left her footprints in the sand.

Having problems getting someone to lead your Shabbat or Yom Tov services?  Tephilharmonic could help.

Arising from discussions at the 1st European Cantors’ Convention organised by the JMI in 2006, a nucleus of practitioners and enthusiasts have set up Tephilharmonic with the aim of preserving and developing traditional synagogue music in UK orthodox communities.

Tephilharmonic hopes to achieve this by:

• Encouraging and enabling synagogue services led by knowledgeable Chazanim who will make traditional Shul music accessible and enjoyable
• Providing support and musical resources for Chazanim and choirs
• Training lay Chazanim in traditional Nusach and encouraging the participation of younger Shul-goers.
• Forming a network of people who are interested in cantorial music (chazanut) and who will actively support it in their communities
• Educating and involving community members to appreciate traditional synagogue music

Tephilharmonic was formed by:

• Cantors Moshe Haschel, Avromi Freilich, and Gedalya Alexander, and
• Jonathan Weissbart and Hirsh Cashdan.

Principal patron of Tephilharmonic is the Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks.

link: http://www.tephilharmonic.org.uk/

The Israeli Ambassador, HE Ron Prosor, came to Southport, on Sunday 13th July, to address the Jewish Small Communities meeting.
click the thumbnails to enlarge

1948
The State of Israel is founded
Israel declares independence as British leave Palestine

1956
The Sinai campaign
Secret ploy to thwart Egyptian blockade backfires

1967
The Six-Day War
Israel’s boundaries dramatically extended after thwarting surprise strike by Arab states

1973
Yom Kippur War (October)
Egypt in surprise attack over Suez on Yom Kippur

1977 - 1979
Egyptian-Israeli peace
Agreement over Sinai signals end to 30 years of war
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, US President Jimmy Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel on March 26, 1979

1982
Lebanon invasion
Israel targets southern Lebanon to stop rockets and incursion

1987
First Intifada
PLO declares holy war on Israel
Thousands of Arabs emerge from the Nusseirat refugee camp during the Palestinian uprising in 1987

1993
Oslo agreement
PLO eyes political benefits of two-state solution
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat sign the 1993 peace agreement with the encouragement of US President Bill Clinton

2000
Second Intifada
PLO fails to grab chance for peace and cynically maneuvers for another political war.
Peace talks fail and trigger fresh bloodshed

2005
Gaza withdrawal
Security wall goes up as Israel pulls out of Gaza

2006
Lebanon war
Ambush and hostage taking of Israeli soldiers sparks new conflict with Hezbollah
Weak Olmert government ultimately has to withdraw troops

2008
Israel now
Continues to be the only Democratic nation in the region, a prosperous technology leader, has perhaps lost some of the idealism of 1948, still on a knife-edge, but with many years yet to become a mature nation state

45 matza balls

This recipe has been handed down from generation to generation in my family. It is Westphalian and Alsatian. If you are afraid of using chicken fat, try half chicken fat and half olive oil.

14 matzos

2 medium white onions, chopped coarsely

3/4 c melted chicken fat and/or goose fat

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tsp salt, you made want to add more

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

7 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork

1/8 cup matza meal

Additional matza meal for rolling

For photos and method see…
link: Baroness Tapuzina

Esther Ofarim sings Veotach in Hamburg 1998
Esther Ofarim has had a long and distinguished solo career after splitting from her husband Abi. She continues to perform primarily in Israel and Germany. In the English speaking countries she seems to have fallen somewhat out of sight. But thanks to Youtube we can enjoy some of her many recorded performances.

link: Esther Ofarim sings Shecharchoret

Taking advantage of the new Thomson Fly flights to Israel?

Well this web site can help you find your way around Tel Aviv

link: Tel Aviv City

I just came across this web site (via Lisa Goldman) and thought I’d share it with you…

Nextbook is a non-profit organization which commissions books on Jewish themes, sponsors public lectures, readings, and performances in cities around the country, and publishes an online magazine. The website, Nextbook.org, contains information on all of these projects and also maintains an annotated list of recommended books.

Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation