PRESIDENT'S REPORT

It is with very much pleasure that I am writing my second report as President of Stenecourt.  We have, Baruch Hashem, to be grateful and give thanks to the dedication and hard work of so many people who ensure that the Shul continues to run smoothly.

Firstly our thanks must go to our inspirational senior minister, Rev Brodie, who continues to lead us with enthusiasm and passion.  Unfortunately, this past year both Rev and Mrs Brodie have suffered from ill-health and we wish them both well so that they may continue to lead us in good health for many years to come.

Rabbi Benjamin Simmonds is enthusiastic about everything he does.  He has been of great help and support to Rev Brodie over the last year.  We had the pleasure last January at having joined the Simmonds family in the celebration of Mordechai’s Bar Mitzvah.  It really was a lovely family occasion for everyone at Stenecourt.

I am most grateful to my Executive colleagues for their advice help and guidance.  Elliot Lister, as Vice President, is stepping down at the forthcoming AGM due to their forthcoming Aliyah.  We as a community will miss Karen Elly and their children.  Whilst we can take nothing but pride in their moving to Israel it is a shame that we will be losing all the Listers from Stenecourt having already said goodbye to Sharon, Dov and their family.  We know how much the community is ingrained in their family and I hope that we will keep in regular contact with them. 

Warren Bomsztyk as our treasurer keeps an eye on our finances and I am most grateful to him.  Barry Steinberg has completed another successful year as warden and we are all thankful to him for his hard work and dedication to his duties. 

During the year Steven Maskill stepped down from the Executive and I am very pleased that Ian Howard has agreed to replace him.  We thank Steven for his hard work whilst on the Executive and wish Ian well.

I am also grateful to Avrom Bishop for always being available to assist.  Once again, he has been instrumental in the preparation of the annual accounts.

Our Minyanim throughout the year continued to be extremely popular and we are grateful to Sydney Leighton, George Henderson, Dayan Berger, Ian Rosenhead, Shimmy Lopian, Stuart Haber, Michel Matlin and Adrian Mann for their help in looking after the various services in our magnificent Beit Hamidrash.

Sydney Leighton, one of our honorary life Vice-Presidents continues to work tirelessly on behalf of the Shul.  Nothing is ever too much trouble for Sydney.  He delights in arranging Kiddushim and ensuring that everyone feels welcome in the Shul. 

Thanks are also due to Sydney’s team of helpers including Sandra Niman, Vivienne Simenoff, Ellianna Gatoff, Ros Livshin, David Marks and everyone else involved in arranging the various Kiddushim which are held throughout the year. 

We are very fortunate to have in our midst people who are able to Daven and Leyen so capably.  Special mention and grateful thanks are due to Avrom Bishop, Rabbi Baddiel, Simon Caplan, Neil Joseph, Ian Oster, Bernard Penn, Elliot Lister, Barry Steinberg, Sam Kahn, Alan Goodman, Alex Dalby, Norman Cohen, Rafi Jager, David Rabinowitz and David Rose for their efforts.

The evening Selichot once again proved to be extremely popular with their excellent attendances.  Our thanks go to Elly Lister for ensuring that these run smoothly.  Alan Freeman once again blew Shofar for us over Rosh Hashannah and we are grateful to him.

We are most fortunate that so many Rabbonim who Daven with us regularly give a D’var Torah on a Friday night or address us over a Shabbat or Yom Tov.  Our thanks go to Rabbi Copeland, Rabbi Gastwirth, Rabbi Peles, Rabbi Dominitz, Dayan Berger, Dayan Steiner, Rabbi Y Y Rubinstein, Rabbi Y Brodie, Rabbi Kerbel, Rabbi Schwalbe, Rabbi Farro and Rabbi Kupetz. We are delighted and honoured that these distinguished Rabbonim choose to Daven and contribute to our community. 

Rabbi Kanterovitz of Yeshurun Shul gives a dynamic Shiur every Tuesday evening and our sincere thanks go to him.  Whilst he has a dedicated group of regulars it is shame that more people do not attend this Shiur.  Rabbi Kenterovitz puts in an enormous amount of effort in preparing these Shiurim and I hope that the attendance in the future will be better.  I also thank Rabbi and Mrs Peles and Rabbi Dominitz for the various Shiurim they give weekly.  Rabbi and Mrs Peles will be leaving Manchester shortly having served four year Shlichut in Manchester.  We wish them Hatzlacha on their return to Israel and we are grateful for their contribution to our community during their time here. 

Once again during the course of the year a number of outstanding and distinguished speakers have addressed us including Rabbi Hanoch Teller, Prof Natan Aviezer, Dayan Ehrentreu, Rabbi Gamzede. We are grateful to them all. 

Last November we held a Melave Malka with Rabbi Teller and entertainment by the fantastic Stenecourt Singers. The evening was well attended and enjoyed by all. I appreciate the efforts of all the organisers in particular Frances and Ian Oster for their hard work.

Our children’s services are a major asset to this community.  We are deeply indebted to those parents who give up their time each week in order to educate and stimulate our children.  Thanks go to Estelle Gillis, Jonathan Richman, Steve Roberts, Michael Seitler, Sandi Mann and Vivi Engel and their team of helpers.  Similarly, the Shul’s Chanukah party included a wonderful show and our thanks go to Sandi Mann and her team for their hard work.

The office at Stenecourt is an extremely busy place with increasing demands being placed upon it.  Both Esther Levene and Sheila Morris work tirelessly in the office and I would like to thank them for all their tireless effort in ensuring that everything runs smoothly. The office also sends out weekly information by e-mail. If you want to receive the e-mail update please let the office have your e-mail address.

The Max and Hanna Rowe Hall continue to be a popular venue for all sorts of events and occasions and the success is due to the dedication of Ivor Collins in sorting out the bookings and Malcolm Stone the cleaning staff in ensuring that the Shul is kept tidy.  As can be seen from the accounts the Hall provides an enormous source of income for the Shul and we appreciate their hard work.

Michael Livshin, who has responsibility for the upkeep of the building, has had a busy year. We undertook a programme of maintenance works to the building during the course of last year. Over the next  year or so we will have to undertake further work to ensure that the heating system in the Shul is fully operational. Thanks go to Michael for all his hard work.

The gardens around the Shul are looked after by Henry Freeman to whom we are grateful.  Henry also organises visitation to members who are unable to attend Shul due to ill-health. If you know of someone who has not been attending Shul due to illness and think that they should be added to the list please pass the message on so that we can ensure that we keep in touch with as many people as possible. If you would also like to help in visiting please let Henry know.

Unfortunately, we have to be very vigilant about our security.  Mark Collins, Ian Howard, Gareth Kreike and Tony Richards co-ordinate our efforts to ensure the safety of all members and we are particularly grateful to them together with all the volunteers both men and women who give their time. I would also like to thank the members of the CST who also have provided security in the Shul at various times.  I am also grateful to Jeremy Michelson who co-ordinates the security for Hall events.

Editorship of the Shul magazine is a huge task. The results of all the hard work can be seen in the fantastic editions of Focus that are produced in such a professional way. Ruth Hart and her helpers deserve our appreciation as well as Stanley Field at Fields Press who ensures everything is done on time.

During the last year our website has been re-vamped. If you don’t log on to stenecourt.com often you should as all the news from Shul and information is available. Our thanks go to Avril Gatoff for the time she spends regularly updating the website.

Our Chattanim for Simchat Torah last year were Rabbi Simmonds and Avrom Bishop both of whom thoroughly deserved the honour. We enjoyed a marvellous Seuda co-ordinated by Ros and Michael Livshin and their helpers.

Once again this year Martin Seitler has looked after our Stenecourt Operation Survivors fund so capably. We are now able to support three families in Israel who have suffered. We are grateful to Martin and the support given by so many to SOS is greatly appreciated. Rabbi Simmonds has spoken movingly of his visit to two of the families on his recent trip to Israel.  If you are in Israel and do want to see the families please contact Martin or Rabbi Simmonds who will be able to assist.

I am also grateful to Howard Gordon for dealing with Burial Board matters on behalf of the Shul. It has been a rather frustrating year regarding our efforts to secure further burial land. In July we contracted to buy land at Agecroft cemetery but unfortunately circumstances arose due to the behaviour of others which put in jeopardy that acquisition. We had to attend a meeting of the Beth Din to try to resolve matters. The conduct of this Shul was stated to be totally without blame and that we had behaved properly throughout. However in order to assist other communities in resolving the problems created we have negotiated terms to move and take space at Rainsough cemetery following the refurbishment works undertaken at that cemetery. This arrangement is yet to be finalised but it is hoped it will be in the very near future.

This year we were deeply saddened by the loss of our former Chazzan Myer Freedman. Although Myer retired from Stenecourt over a decade ago he was still fondly remembered by many of us. The Shabbat before the current Annual Meeting we are holding a Seuda Shlishit with members of his family and I hope that the whole Shabbat where we will be joined by his family will be a memorable occasion.

The next year is likely to prove important to the future of Stenecourt. We are trying to find a design for a mechitza which will improve the poor acoustics in the Shul.  It is hoped that this change will bring benefit so that everyone can feel properly involved in the Davening in Shul.

It only remains for me to thank everyone of you for your support and encouragement and hope that next year will be another year of continuing success for the Shul and peace in our beloved Israel.