I would in a usual year use this opportunity to tell you about our recent successes but that isn’t appropriate in the circumstances we find ourselves but I want to tell you how we are working for you at this time of unprecedented crisis as I realise our work isn’t always visible.
We are hosting nightly meetings for all our organisations, including lay and professional leaders, to share ideas, solve issues and ensure a cohesive response for us all. Out of these meetings came Jewish Leeds online (a collaboration between the Zone, LJHA and Brodetsky) providing us a way to socially connect whilst physically distancing. Made possible not just through the tireless work of some of our professional leaders but also utilising some of the National Lottery money we secured for our community.
We have brought forward the launch of the new Leeds Jewish ‘community website (www.leedsjewishcommunity.com). It is still being worked on and in time will provide us all with access to all our affiliate organisations through one website, access to their events and provide essential information to visitors and new arrivals to our community. For now it has a Notice Board page bringing together links to all useful information including external advice and guidance for use during this crisis.
We’re supporting our welfare organisations who are at the front line of caring for the elderly and vulnerable and hosting regular CEO meetings providing a forum for sharing good practice, advice and problem solving. The LJWB have set up an important listen line for anyone who needs support.
Added to this is our necessary kosher provision from Simon Williams and Marshall Frieze for delivering once again our much needed Pesach pop up shop and to the entire team at Gourmet.
For two years we’ve been working on cross communal crisis planning and that work has ensured that our communal organisations were already linked together ensuring a swift response.
We’re liaising with external organisations whether it’s the JLC, BOD, West Yorkshire Police, CST, NHS England and Leeds ‘city Council to ensure we have the most up to date information for you all and can be part of local and national responses; together with the JDC, ECJC, EFI among others to learn from international communities how they are responding.
We supporting those people and organisations at the front line of meeting the needs of the community whether it’s our clergy across the spectrum of observance or the Chevra Kadisha.
What we do at the LJRC is made possible by our staff Susie Gordon and Eva Peros, our link to the JLC 1Mikki ‘Vyse and my fellow directors who I want to thank for their support and hard work.
We know that this time is especially hard for those that have lost loved ones whether it be due to Coronavirus or other causes. Our hearts go out to the mourners many of whom are dealing with grief whilst alone. Our community has already lost too many. Dayan Refson and John ‘Collins, one of my predecessors here at LJRC come to mind as particular losses to our community but I don’t diminish the loss of everyone at this time and we are clear when we can come together we will hold a memorial event to honour the memory of those lost. May their dear souls rest in peace.
We are also clear we will hold a very different community event when we can to celebrate the heroes in our community who have gone above and beyond at this time. What I am sure of is that we are all heroes, whether shopping for elderly or vulnerable, whether working to ensure we all have kosher provisions at Pesach, whether a key worker or care worker or just hosting an event on zoom. By working together we can and will get through this pandemic.
So to conclude, when we are normally joining with our family and friends to enjoy Seder nights and the long bank holiday weekend I urge you all to hold fast, stay within your households, be safe, be well, stay indoors, protect yourselves and protect the NHS. May be next year we all be in Jerusalem and if not, here in Leeds, or other parts of West Yorkshire, where we may all be together...
Chag Sameach.
Lisa Baker, your LJRC President