Letters

COOl COMMuNItIES Thank you for the wonderful article about the vibrant things going on in our grassroots community (WHY COOL COMMUNITIES ARE HOT JR July 2009). I just wanted to clarify a few points about Moishe House London, of which I am a resident.

Whilst you covered David Cygielman for an international view, the article omitted to say that each house is set up by groups of young adults in a particular location who then apply for funding (and MHL only gets about 25% towards our rent).

Moishe House London has a particular story to tell. In less than two years we have created a vibrant, open and exciting community. We have people moving to live near us, telling us they haven’t felt connected to anything Jewish until they found us. Atheist and bal teshuva, left-wing and rightwing Jewish people mix and find common ground, so easing divisions in the community. And we ourselves come from a range of Jewish backgrounds and opinions and so show that it is possible to live together and work together and allow this to be a strength rather than a weakness.

We offer a free space for other Jewish groups to use or collaborate with us, so allowing organisations such as Rene Cassin, JCC and Tzedek, as well as international speakers, to run events with no concern for profit or loss. We have the only Bet Midrash in the UK that features religious leaders of every stream and also encourages peers to facilitate sessions of any kind.

Whilst institutions like Moishe House are part of an international trend, it is their specificity, autonomy and local character that makes them what they are.

RACHEl REID

I was very interested in the feature Why Cool Communities Are Hot by David Russell (JR July 2009). In David’s native Leeds, there exists a group which, like the organisations mentioned in his article, was also founded to “eat and pray and drink and be”.

Leeds Chaverim is a group of Jewish people in their 20s and 30s who are looking to add an extra Jewish dimension to their lives. Having been formed in 2002, given an impetus by Limmud, our mailing list has over 100 people. We are entirely independent and receive no funding from any external organisation. Our aim is to create an open and non-judgmental environment where you can enjoy a range of Jewish experiences, regardless of whether you are Orthodox or not, practising or non-practising. Whether you want to find out more about Judaism or just enjoy celebrating Shabbat with other like-minded people at one of the Friday night meals, Leeds Chaverim is here to serve everyone. As our motto states “Our kitchen door is always open!” We meet once a month on a Friday night, for a Shabbat meal where one person hosts the evening and tells everyone to bring a bottle or some food to share. There is a short discussion based on a Jewish-related theme, prepared by one of our members, but other than that, the aim of the evening is social. If you’re new to Leeds, it’s a great way to meet new people and who knows, people may meet their future husband or wife: indeed several people have!

SIMON PHIllIPS www.leedschaverim.co.uk

HIGH-flYING IN HIGH fINANCE Is i t consistent with Jewish values?

It was interesting to read the debate about the inherent ethics of Jews working in the financial sector (JR July 2009). Personally, I believe that an ethical approach can be taken working in any sphere. It is the way one works rather than the nature of the work that is the determining factor.

Regrettably, Jews and finance have often been associated with poor ethics, a view not countered by Jewish philanthropy channelled exclusively within the Jewish community. It is refreshing therefore to see the growth of Tzedek– Jewish Action for a Just World, a Jewish charity focused outside the community.

Tzedek is based on Jewish values: tzedakah (justice, charity); tikkun olam (healing, repairing the world); b’tzelem elokhim (in the image of God) recognising that all human beings deserve equal respect; shutafut (partnership), recognising the expertise that those in the majority world can share with us; darchei shalom (the ways of peace) fostering pleasant relationships between Jews and non-Jews; kiddush Hashem (sanctification of God’s name) acting in a way that brings credit to God and the Jewish tradition.

Tzedek makes grants to the poorest communities in the world, using enlightened criteria to determine which to fund, notably those which are characterised by self-help and sustainable development.

It also seeks to raise awareness and encourage Jews to recognise, understand and act on their Jewish responsibilities concerning extreme poverty, by working in schools in the Jewish community here in the UK. A recent publication, for example,

some of our contributors

MONICA BOHMDuCHEN, an art historian, is currently curating a retrospective of the work of her mother, photographer Dorothy Bohm, and writing a book on art and the Second World War.

BARRY DAVIS is a writer and lecturer in history and translator and teacher of Yiddish. He has acted in film and theatre in both Yiddish and English.

AGI ERDOS is Deputy Editor of Jewish Renaissance. She also works in an editorial capacity for the littman library and the louis Jacobs foundation.

JuDI HERMAN is a writer and broadcaster, specialising in the arts and religious affairs, mainly for BBC Radio 4 and the World Service. She has also written several stage shows.

MAuREEN KENDlER is Head of Educational Programming at the london School of Jewish Studies. She loves to write and teach about texts.

DAVID RuSSEll is Director of the Rwandan Survivors fund (SuRf) and a trustee of the Congregation of Jacob Synagogue.

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