Ealing United Synagogue hosted an all-encompassing Civic Reception on 5 July. It’s not the first time they have had such an event, but on this occasion their new council decided that this year they would ‘do it differently’ and the feedback to date has already been extremely positive.
Not only did they invite, through Ealing council, many councillors and local politicians including Mayor, councillor Anthony Kelly, Deputy Lieutenant of Ealing, Richard Kornicki CBE (the representative of the King in the borough), local MP Rupa Huq, but also all the local religious leaders representing the Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu faiths. In total they were delighted to welcome almost 100 people to Ealing’s small but beautiful shul. The guests were greeted by Ealing Synagogue chair, Gary Barak, and welcomed with coffee and biscuits in the shul hall, whilst the shabbat service continued in the main shul.
The guests joined the Jewish community in the service via a processional walk into the synagogue, orchestrated by the council, led by the Mayor and his staff bearer, prior to the ark being opened, and everyone stayed to the end of musaph.
On every seat the synagogue provided a description of the service, and an excellent ongoing commentary of the service was administered by vice chair and warden Jonathan Glass, who explained the sedrah, aliyah by aliyah, as well as clarifying far more about the structure of the service and other practices. This went down incredibly well, and it gave most of the guests and congregation a clearer understanding of what they were watching and listening to.
The prayer for the State of Israel was read out by one of Ealing Synagogue’s members in English and in explaining
the sedrah, there were opportunities to point out the 3,500 year-long association between the land of Israel and the Jewish people.
At the end of the service all the guests joined the members for kiddush, with speeches given by Gary Barak, the Mayor and the Deputy Lieutenant. Gary highlighted the constant need for vigilance fighting antisemitism and all speakers emphasising the necessity for community cohesion.
Many of the guests had been to previous civic services. However, they remarked that this was the first time a regular commentary had been given during the service and what a difference this meant to their experience of the event. Rabbi Vogel felt this was the most impressive civic service he had officiated in 25 years serving the Ealing Jewish community and a great deal of this was down to the incredible support, not only orchestrated on the day, but in preparation, by Ealing Synagogue’s vice chair Jonathan Glass.
This service was perfect opportunity for local elected members, religious leaders and other dignitaries to know about the existence and practises of Ealing’s small but vibrant Jewish community, and it provided an occasion to educate and inform everyone in attendance. Indeed, in only a few days after the Civic Service, Gary has already been invited to attend several other religious and council events as a special guest, and this is definitely something Ealing Synagogue will take up as it strives to make sure the local Jewish community and the Jewish religion generally is viewed more sympathetically when decisions and actions are planned in the future.