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GROWING UP IN STENECOURT
By Elianna Gatoff and Naomi Rosenhead
Pesach is here! This can only mean one thing…it’s time to write another article for the Chag Mag! But what should we write about? We want it to be really good, especially as this could be our last article before we go off to sem. We’re leaving the Stenecourt family for the first time but we have so many happy memories to take with us. We thought we’d share a few of them with you.
☺ First up along memory lane is the Chanukah show. We have it go from strength to strength. From our early beginnings, practising our songs on the stage in the old building with Estelle, to our memorable first concert in the new hall with a song composed specially for the occasion: "We are proud can't you see we're from the Stenecourt family, davening with the children service every Shabbos we meet. We begin with Ma Tovu, sing songs, play games and daven too, finishing with a Kiddush and a sticky sweet." Nowadays, we take more of a backseat role as two of Sandi's madrichim, and have enjoyed getting to know the next generation of Stenecourt kids.
☺ Next, 'òðéðå òðéðå áéåí ÷øàðå…' Simchas Torah; the best Yom Tov of the year, (until we got too old). We would stand on the bimah, waving flags like crazy and try to kiss every single sefer torah that went past. But the best part was the excitement of finding out which sweets we would be getting in our goodie bag! It was just so much fun!
☺ Whilst we're on the subject of sweets; everyone thinks that kids love Bar Mitzvahs and Auf Rufs because they get to catch and eat all the sweets, but we always seemed to get trampled by the bigger, more forceful boys and got nothing. Then, one day we realised… all you have to do is stand at the front of the ladies gallery and wait for all those sweets that never make it, but hit the glass and bounce back! Girls, take note!
☺ We are proud to say that we are some of the few people who have been to Stenecourt Children services in three different buildings. First of all was the old rickety building, where the stairs creaked and the heating never seemed to work. Then came the porta-cabins whilst the new building was being constructed, which were even colder but at least we didn't have as far to walk. Finally, the purpose built Livshin room, where we could daven and play games in comfort without having to leave the building to get to it. Some things never changed though: Stories of Ktonton, visits by Reverend Brodie and our tune for Adon Olam.
☺ One day it had to happen. We grew out of the children service. After this, the next big event in our Stenecourt lives was our becoming Bat Mitzvah. We both remember sitting in suspense, waiting for Reverend Brodie to give us our own special message, knowing that we were going to have to stand up in front of the whole shul!
☺ In recent years, our Shabbos morning experience has been enhanced by our being trusted to help prepare the kiddushim. We have now learnt many tricks of the trade, such as how to cut Battenberg into triangles of the right thickness so that it doesn’t fall apart, and exactly where to open each type of packaging so that you don't tear through any writing. We really enjoy being involved with kiddushim, even if it does mean we spend the rest of shul with our hands smelling of pickles!
We are going to miss Stenecourt, but we leave with many happy memories that will stay with us forever. Next year, àí éøöä ä×, we will be going to sems in éøåùìéí, one of us in Har Nof and the other in Ramot, so drop in if you're in
