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Welcome to the website of the Newcastle Reform Synagogue (NRS), a community of about 200 adults and children living in the North East and Cumbria
Our rabbi
Our part-time rabbi, Barbara Borts, began work with us in August 2008.
After studying in her native California, Rabbi Borts moved to Europe and
was ordained in 1981 from Leo Baeck College (becoming the joint 3rd woman
rabbi in the UK). She worked as a congregational rabbi at Radlett and
Bushey Reform Synagogue, and then she took a break to run the Homeless
Volunteer Scheme of CSV (Community Service Volunteers.) She founded and
ran the Social Issues Group of the RSGB and was involved in interfaith
and women's dialogue groups. Rabbi Borts then worked as an adult Jewish
studies educator in North America, leading to her M.A. from McGill University
in Culture and Values in Education. Since her return to the UK, she has
worked as a rabbinical consultant and an educator. Rabbi Borts is pursuing
doctoral studies at the University of Durham. She loves music, and is
often to be found walking her dogs.
You can contact Rabbi Borts at therabab@hotmail.com or by telephone on 07889 206327
Services
Erev Shabbat services (Friday night) begin at 18.45 and last about
an hour. On the second Friday of the month, please bring food to share
for a chavurah dinner following the service; on the last Friday of each
month the service is followed by a Friday night catered dinner (must be
pre-booked and paid for).
Shabbat morning services begin at 10.30am and last up to 2 hours.
We also have services for all major and most minor Festivals
[see Calendar page].
We are a member of the Movement for Reform Judaism.
To contact us
Telephone: 0191 284 8621
(24 hr answerphone)
Registered charity No: 246816
Rabbi's website
The rabbi has provided the synagogue with a file on her homeserver,
with various pieces of music for us to use. She will be adding things,
and is also happy to try to accomodate special requests. You can access
the site here
Sign in using EXACTLY the details given below.
Username: therabab
Password: Therabab!
General
Do let the rabbi know of any personal or health issues where her support
would be appreciated (remembering that as a part-time rabbi, she'll prioritise
the most urgent).
Help with financial difficulty
Turn2us helps people to access money available to them - through welfare
benefits, grants and other financial help. You can reach their website
by clicking here.
And what's happening soon?
The July/August Focus is available here,
and the calendar for these months is here.
Very important: there are (rare) occasions when events have to
be cancelled. Please check with other members, if possible. We will
try to keep information updated here, but can't guarantee this at all
times.
9 July, 18.45 Service followed by catered Erev Shabbat dinner
NB Change to schedule Please book. The rabbi is sponsoring the
wine in honour of her father and his partner, who will be visiting.
Our latest bar mitzvah boy will be leading part of the service.
10 July, 10.30 Shabbat service, including bar mitzvah.
30 July, 18.45 Erev shabbat service followed by chavurah meal
7 August, 10.30 Shabbat service including baby blessing
13 August. 18.45 Erev shabbat service followed by chavurah meal
21 August, 09.30 Pirke Avot group
Saturday 4 September, 19.30 Havdalah, learn the yontiff melodies,
followed by selichot
Wednesday 8 September, 19.00 Erev Rosh Hashanah
Thursday 9 September, 10.30 Rosh Hashanah service; 16.00, Tashlikh
Friday 10 September, 10.00 Second day Rosh Hashanah service at
Darlington
Tuesday 14 September, 19.30 The Jewish Book Group will be discussing
"The Gift of Asher Lev" by Chaim Potok
17 September, 19.00 Kol Nidre
18 September, 10.30 Yom Kippur services start; 11.00 Children's
service
Wednesday 22 September, 17.30 Erev Sukkot, sukkot decorating
followed by service and chavurah supper
Thursday 23 September, 10.30 Sukkot
24 September, 18.45 Erev shabbat service followed by catered
shabbat dinner - please book
Wednesday 29 September, 18.30 Erev Simhat Torah followed by kiddush
in honour of the Chatan/Kallah
Thursday 30 September, 10.30 Simhat Torah
General information
There are many ways to study and learn at NRS: the GCSE/Basic Judaism
class on Sundays at 10.30, the Great Issues sessions on Thursday evenings
and the Pirkei Avot Study Sessions before one shabbat morning service
each month at 09.30 are just three. If you'd like more information,
contact the rabbi.
The new prayer book, Seder Ha-T'fillot, is available through the synagogue at £19.95 for Members and Friends and £24.95 for non-members.
NRS News - what's been happening?
21 June 2010
We are now signed up as members of 10:10, committed to cutting our carbon
by 10% in 2010. See the website here,
which tells you more.
18 June 2010
The Book Group met on 15 June, and unanimously liked My Name is Asher
Lev, by Chaim Potok, but each person took something quite different
from it. There was a lively discussion about art and religion and all
agreed that the book is a very accessible coming of age novel about
a young man who comes of age as an artist. Highly recommended (so much
so that they are reading the sequel for their next meeting).
On 17 June, Rabbi Sybil Sheridan came to talk about the
Ethiopian Jews and the work she has been doing there. It is an extraordinary,
disputed, history, with considerable need in the community as they deal
with the changing policies of the Ethiopian and Israeli governments,
and the conflicts between their own traditions and those of rabbinic
Judaism. This will be part of our charity appeal this year, so you will
be hearing more about it!
24 May 2010
Here are some edited highlights from the AGM, but you can find the Chair's
address to the AGM and fuller notes from the meeting on
this link.
Our session with Judy Plaut has launched a one year 'engagement'
campaign, with the aim of involving 50% of membership in contributing
their time and effort in some small (or large!) way to NRS. Some, of
course, are already involved, and your new committee is as follows:
Chair - Brenda Dinsdale
Vice Chair - Monica Stern
Treasurer - Gerald Stern
Secretary - Gabrielle Mandell
Building Officer - Colin Scott
Education Officer - Pauline Statt
New Members Secretary - Sylvia Rowlands
Social Committee Chair - Tony Wortman
Welfare Officer - Gay Bernstone
They will be officially installed on Erev Shabbat, 28 May.
23 May 2010
The Erev Shavuot service on 18 May was well attended, with Rabbi Borts
helping to bring alive the spirit of this much overlooked Jewish festival.
Some brave souls stayed on for a tikkun leyl Shavuot in which we reviewed
the Book of Ruth. The pressures of modern life meant that we were unable
to stay all night, but everyone felt that the session was worthwhile
and illuminating.
Shabbat morning service on 22 May, which was held in honour of new members, was well-attended and the guest speaker, Dr Joel Kaminsky, was entertaining and informative. The Guild provided an excellent kiddush!
Sunday 23rd saw the AGM, and a visit from Judy Plaut,
a member of Leeds Sinai congregation and an employee of the Movement,
who shepherded a session on finding new and innovative ways to rejuvenate
the shul, re-energise its active members and, perhaps, even energise
its less active members (one can only hope!).