New Trustees for the MST

Following a General Meeting yesterday, Westminster Synagogue announced that as of 1st January 2015, 4 new Trustees have been appointed to the Memorial Scrolls Trust:  Jeffrey Ohrenstein (Chair), Sarah Derriey, David Goldberg and Shelley Laddie.

The MST Administration would like to record its esteem and gratitude for the many years of dedication and work from the outgoing Trustees (seen above):  Evelyn Friedlander (Chair), Philippa Bernard, Peter Goldsmith and Cynthia Landes.

MST in the Jewish News Again

Here is the mini article in the Community News section of the Jewish News last Friday. Note the photo of the Orthodox Chief Rabbi with the Chief Executive of Liberal Judaism!

Launch of MST Travelling Exhibition and Education Pack

 

MST Chair Evelyn Friedlander with Chief Rabbi Mirvis, Magda Veselska and Ruth-Anne Lenga Photo: Ariel J Friedlander

 

Nearly 100 people joined the Trustees of the Memorial Scrolls Trust at the Jewish Museum in Camden on Sunday for the launch of the new Travelling Exhibition and Education Pack. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis offered some eloquent words of welcome, praising the work of the Trust. Magda Veselska brought greetings from the Jewish Museum in Prague, and Ruth-Anne Lenga introduced the Education Pack that she has produced for the MST. The pack may be downloaded here.

At the end of the day, the Travelling Exhibition was packed up and delivered to its first booking at West London Synagogue. If your community is interested in receiving this free exhibition about the Czech scrolls, please contact the MST for further details.

Many thanks to all those who helped to make this day possible, especially the Jewish Museum in Camden and Ben Rich. A small gallery of photographs from the afternoon may be viewed on the MST website here.

In Conversation: David Bernstein & Lord Triesman with Anthony Clavane

David Bernstein, Rabbi Ariel J Friedlander, Evelyn Friedlander (MST Chair), Lord Triesman

Photo:  Marc Morris Photography

Last Monday, the Memorial Scrolls Trust was delighted to host an evening of conversation as a fund-raiser for our work. David Bernstein and Lord David Triesman were interviewed about the current state of Association Football in England by the writer and sports journalist Anthony Clavane.

Around 70 people were in attendance to hear about the relevance of their Jewish identity to the speakers' lives and work in football, the grass roots work of the Football Association in support of minorities such as non-white coaches & managers, gay footballers and women's football; and the politics of international football governance. 

The Davids were relaxed and in response to questions from Anthony and the audience they spoke passionately about matters close to their hearts. However, since the Chatham House Rule was not in effect, there were certain opinions that they felt it not prudent to share, particularly in response to questions about FIFA.

The MST began the evening with a brief film about its work and an appeal to the audience. After a fine football discussion, it concluded with each guest explaining why he felt the Scrolls were important. 

All of us at the Trust are filled with gratitude for the support we have received from David Bernstein and Lord Triesman. Thank you to Anthony Clavane for moderating the conversation so flawlessly. We would also like to thank Westminster Synagogue, the Jewish News, and an anonymous sponsor for their assistance in the creation of a wonderful evening.

MST in the Jewish News!

The Jewish News, co-sponsors of our evening in conversation with the former football Czars, recently posted this report:

Exhibition marks 50th anniversary of scrolls rescue

October 16, 2014

The Memorial Scrolls Trust is launching its travelling exhibition at Camden’s Jewish Museum on 7 December, writes Joseph Millis. 

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis will be the guest of honour at the launch of the exhibition, which marks the 50th anniversary of the rescue and subsequent restoration and return to use of 1,564 Czech Torah Scrolls.

The scrolls are part of a unique collection brought to Prague from every corner of Czechoslovakia by the Jewish community at the height of the Second World War.

They are now owned and loaned out to synagogues around the world by the Memorial Scrolls Trust, which is housed at the Reform Westminster Synagogue.

Rabbi Mirvis will be the first Chief Rabbi to view the collection since Lord Jakobovits, whose relative Tobias Jacobovits worked at the Prague Museum before he died in the Holocaust in 1944.

Backing the exhibition are two former chairmen of the Football Association, Lord Triesman and David Bernstein. Lord Triesman told Jewish News: “Rabbi Tomas Salamon [Westminster’s Czechoslovakia-born minister] came to see David and asked for help to spread the word.

David asked me and I’m pleased this is working. We must carry these memories across the generations.”

Rabbi Salamon recalled visiting the Czech town of Horažďovice, home to one of the scrolls. “I met the mayor and he told me, unprompted: ‘Our town is poorer for not having Jews. They contributed so much’.”

Trust chairman Evelyn Friedlander said: ”The launch of our educational resource and travelling exhibition means even more people will hopefully be inspired to take action.”

• Tickets for ‘The Other Jewish Religion: the ultimate insiders’ guide to football and the Jews’ on 3 November from bit.ly@SpursAndCity, priced £15 for Jewish News readers.

This event is in aid of the Memorial Scrolls Trust’s 50th anniversary year.

MST in the JC!

On the 7th of October 2014, the Jewish Chronicle published the following article about the upcoming launch event for the MST Travelling Exhibition and Education Pack. By the way, please note that the photograph used by the JC is NOT of our scrolls. We do not know its origin, but shall be writing to the paper to point out this mistake and ask them to change the caption in their archives.

Chief to attend 'scrolls' event

By Sandy Rashty, October 7, 2014

The scrolls before they were brought to Britain

Chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis is to be the guest speaker at the opening of an exhibition about Torah scrolls which survived the Nazis, in a move which marks another departure from his predecessor Lord Sacks.

The display will mark 50 years since 1,564 scrolls were brought from Czechoslovakia to Westminster Synagogue by philanthropist Ralph Yablon.

Rabbi Mirvis said: "The Czech scrolls project is a symbol of the post-Holocaust triumph of Jewish faith."

The scrolls were sent by Jewish communities across Czechoslovakia to be held in safekeeping at the Central Jewish Museum in Prague in 1942. They survived the war and were bought from the Czech Communist government by Mr Yablon, a Westminster congregant, and brought to Britain in 1964.

Past events involving the scrolls were not attended by Lord Sacks, thought to be because Westminster is a non-Orthodox shul.

"We're delighted that Chief Rabbi Mirvis is coming - it's a recognition of our work," said Evelyn Friedlander, chair of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, which is responsible for restoring the scrolls and loaning them to communities.

She added: "The scrolls came from rural communities, which did not survive. That's why they are so important."

More than 200 people are expected to attend the launch at the Jewish Museum on December 7. The exhibition will be taken to schools and synagogues around the country. The scrolls themselves will not be on show as they are too fragile.

Last year, Rabbi Mirvis visited the Limmud educational conference, which Lord Sacks never attended.

Visit from the Jewish Deaf Association

Last week the MST hosted a group of 27 visitors from the Jewish Deaf Association. After a talk by MST Chair Evelyn Friedlander, and the chance to wander around the museum, we all had a lovely lunch together. Thank you to our volunteers:  Sarah Derriey, Cynthia Landes and Colette Price!

Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis to be Guest of Honour at the MST Launch in December

We are delighted to share the following news with you:  Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis will be joining us for the launch of our travelling exhibition at the Jewish Museum in Camden on 7th December.

We have just sent out the following press release:

The Chief Rabbi is to be the Guest of Honour at the launch of a new travelling exhibition and educational resource produced by the Memorial Scrolls Trust to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the rescue and subsequent restoration and return to use of 1,564 Czech Torah Scrolls.

Part of a unique collection brought to Prague from every corner of Czechoslovakia by the Jewish community at the height of the Second World War, the Czech scrolls are now owned and loaned out to synagogues around the world by the Memorial Scrolls Trust – housed at Westminster Synagogue.

Since the scrolls were brought to Britain by philanthropist, Ralph Yablon, on 9th February 1964, they have been distributed to over a thousand Jewish communities worldwide, some of which would otherwise not have been able to afford Torah scrolls to host services, and have been used in around 100,000 Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, in the ultimate defiance of Nazi attempts to wipe out the Jewish people.

200 specially invited guests will join speakers Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Magda Veselska from the Jewish Museum of Prague; and Ruth-Anne Lenga, the Director of the Holocaust Education Development programme at the Jewish Museum on Sunday 7th December.

They will hear from Lenga about the creation of a selection of education materials based around the remarkable story of the scrolls, designed primarily for use by Bar and Bat Mitzvah classes in the synagogues which are now hosts to scrolls.  It is estimated that the scrolls have been used in up to 100,000 b’nei mitzvah since their rescue.  The education packs will also be made available to Jewish and non-Jewish schools, community organisations and museums in the UK and the US.

Guests will also have the opportunity to view the Trust’s new interactive travelling exhibition, which will tell the remarkable story of the scrolls their role, their journey and how they are bringing new Jewish life today.    After the launch, it will go for display to West London Synagogue, before travelling around Britain, with a duplicate version produced for use in the US.

Chair of the Trust, Evelyn Friedlander says:

“These scrolls tell a wonderful story but their interest is not merely historical.  Instead, they are living things, bringing new Jewish life wherever they have gone around the globe.   Where once, following the decimation of Czechoslovakian Jewry, there was nothing, there is now new Jewish life from America to New Zealand, Scotland to Cape Town.  And even back in the Czech Republic itself, many synagogues have been inspired to visit to the communities from which their scrolls came, helping to foster understanding and ensure that the Jews of Eastern Europe are not forgotten.”

“The launch of our educational resource and travelling exhibition will mean that even more people will not simply learn their story, but hopefully will be inspired to take action, whether it is to understand our history, confront prejudice, or lead more Jewish lives in the future.”

Rabbi Mirvis will be the first Chief Rabbi to view the collection since Lord Jakobovits, whose relative Tobias Jacobovits, worked at the Prague Museum before his murder in the Holocaust in 1944.