From the Archives

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the MST Museum is open to the public. Usually, visits are pre-arranged, which is a great help with regard to the security of the building. However, on those days we do welcome visitors whose spontaneity has taken them to Kent House rather than Harrods!

This morning the bell rang and two young American women asked to see the scrolls. They were from Los Angeles, but in London as part of a programme run by their universities in the Boston area. As is usual with our guests, I asked what brought them to the MST. “My grandmother’s uncle was Rabbi Reinhart, and my mother said I must visit the scrolls!” was the response.

The young lady had never met the Reinharts, but I had known Mrs Reinhart, and visited her flat many times as a child. Thus, the tour today was slightly different. As we walked through the museum that once was the home of Harold and Flora Reinhart, I was able to add some details of how the rooms had looked previously, and memories of those days.

As our visitors prepared to depart, they seemed quite moved, and noted that they’d learned more than they had expected. It is always an honour that people who’ve travelled so far to visit the great city of London will take time out of their itinerary for the MST museum, and I thanked our guests for stopping by.

It so happens that yesterday in the archives I came across a photograph of Rabbi Reinhart with the scrolls that I’d not seen before …

AEJM Curators visit the MST

The Memorial Scrolls Trust was privileged to be part of the London 2015 itinerary for the Association of European Jewish Museum's Advanced Curatorial Programme. At the invitation of Joanne Rosenthal from the Jewish Museum of London, 24 people from 14* countries learned about the work of the MST from Evelyn Friedlander and Rabbi Ariel J Friedlander. They were then able to examine a selection of binders from the MST collection. Earlier in the day they had looked at some torah wimpels in the Victoria & Albert Museum, and were able to compare and contrast the two collections. The visit concluded with a trip upstairs to see the wall of torahs and the museum whence the binders had come.

(* the 14 countries were Austria, Crimea, England, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Switzerland and Turkey)

 

Evelyn Friedlander addresses the visitors. 

Photo: Ariel J Friedlander

 

Presenting to the group. 

Photo: Ariel J Friedlander

A Visit from the Brands

This morning the MST had the great pleasure of meeting 2 of the grand-daughters of Sofer Brand. They are in town for a family wedding and their mother told them that they must check out the museum! In a mixture of English, Yiddish & Ivrit we shared the story of the scrolls and the part that their zaide played in preserving and restoring these last witnesses to Jewish life in Bohemia and Moravia before the Shoah.

Sara & Chaya were excited to hear about the work of their grandfather and to see the rooms in which it took place and the tools that he used. They took many photographs for the folks back home.

I was also able to speak with their mother, Sofer Brand's daughter, since they called her when we were chatting in the MST office. She mentioned that Sofer Brand's health is not too good at the moment. We shall add Eliyahu David ben Feige to our prayers for healing.

HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM THE MST

PLEASE NOTE

The Westminster Synagogue building will be closed until the beginning of January. While we shall have access to MST e-mail, we will not be able to welcome visitors to the museum in person or respond to your voicemail until 2nd January 2015.

Thank you for your interest and best wishes for this holiday season from the Memorial Scrolls Trust.

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!