Brighton & Sussex Shabbaton: Optional washing up, compulsory chicken soup!
By Helena Baker, London and South-East J-Soc Officer
Being London J-Soc Officer, a lot of my work happens in London. So, it is rare I get to travel outside of the capital city and even rarer that my job allows me an overnight stay. So I was excited, to say the least, as I hopped on the train last Friday to go to Brighton for their annual south east coast Shabbaton.
Despite having to navigate my way through the (extremely) windy city and getting lost on the way to Hillel (which was embarrassingly, two yards away from my hotel,) I made it in one piece to the Brighton Hillel House.
What struck me about Brighton J-Soc is how friendly and welcoming the committee is, representing Jewish Students from different backgrounds and dominations.
Everyone is made to feel welcome (including myself) at this small yet incredibly active Jewish Society allowing for a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere on Shabbat.
The committee organised everything, providing a delicious, and impressive three course Friday night dinner and an intruiging talk by renowned informal educator Maureen Kendler (herself an ex-student of Sussex University) on Purim.
It was great to see a Society unite over Friday night dinner with optional washing, compulsory chicken soup and cross-communal bensching using our very own UJS and Limmud benschers.
Whilst the walk back to my hotel on Friday night through Brighton was somewhat different to my usual walk in Golders Green, I made it back to my hotel unscathed (and without getting lost) ready for the next day.
Shabbat day found everyone at Chabad, for a lovely lunch followed by games and activities. And, of course, as if we hadn’t eaten all day we then proceeded to have a second meal of Schwarma at Hillel House provided by Chaplaincy.
I had a lovely Shabbat with Brighton and Sussex. I was made to feel welcome, included and struck by the strong links present in the entire JSoc.
In fact, I have already booked my ticket to go pay another visit in two weeks….
Thank you to the @BtonSussexJSoc for incredible Shabbaton with @UJS_UK @ellarachelrose @helena_ujs @JewishChaplain pic.twitter.com/OfML7z4JSV
— Joseph Kaye (@rabbi_joe) March 2, 2015
[polldaddy poll=8720985]
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
