The United Synagogue

Menucha Ve'Simcha Initiative Raises To Purchase Their Own Sefer Torah

PRESS RELEASE

London,
18th February 2011


MENUCHA VE'SIMCHA INITIATIVE RAISES FUNDS TO PURCHASE THEIR OWN SEFER TORAH

An exciting initiative launched by Menucha Ve'Simcha (MVS), a young professional minyan at Edgware United Synagogue, has raised over £2000 to restore a Sefer Torah from a closed United Synagogue Community for the minyan’s use on Shabbat services.

The process began at Rosh Hashana when MVS, a Tribe endorsed service, decided that they wanted to dedicate their own Sefer Torah. A Just Giving fundraising page was set up by Rabbi Avrohom Zeidman, Assistant Rabbi at Edgware Synagogue and the Rabbi of MVS who encouraged every MVS member to donate £20 towards the restoration.

Rabbi Zeidman, initiator of the Sefer Torah Project said of the community response:

“Rosh Hashana is about looking forward to the next year and saying ‘I want to stand up and be counted’. With the emphatic and speedy response from our entire membership to this Sefer Torah project, I’m delighted that our MVS minyan has chosen to do just that.”

In a remarkably quick turnaround, the target of £2000 had already been raised by Yom Kippur and an appropriate Sefer Torah was sourced by the US community division and is currently being refurbished so it can be brought back into use.

Eli Schlagman, Chairwoman of MVS said;

“With Tribes help, we have now got an Aron Kodesh, a Bimah and Cupboards to make the scout hut look more like a synagogue. It was time for us to create a community project and raise the funds to get a Sefer Torah for use in our service every week.”

David Collins, US Community liaison manager who is responsible for community assets said;

“We are delighted that we were able to bring a Sefer Torah from a shul that closed down many years ago and bring it back to life in a new, vibrant community at MVS.”

-End-

EDITORS’ NOTES: -

MVS was introduced as a new service at Edgware United Synagogue in 2001 by Rabbi Jeremy Bruce in response to demand from post gap year teenagers and young adults who felt they were too old for the youth minyan and wanted a service for people in their own age group. The MVS minyan was provided with a scout hut on the Edgware United Synagogue premises where they are based and offer Friday night and Shabbat morning services on a weekly basis. There is also an active social diary which includes fun activities such as go-karting, quasar and communal Friday Night Dinners with a Carlebach style prayer service which attracts between 60-100 people.

For further information, please contact:

Leonie Furman
The PR Office
Work: 020 7284 6969
Email: us@theproffice.com

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