The Manchester Lodge has lost its oldest member, the much-loved Salman Stemmer who passed away only five days before his 94th birthday and four months before what would have been the 70th anniversary of his long and happy marriage to Ruchama.

Elkan Levy’s Tour of Willesden cemetery, Sunday 12th September
Now scheduled for 2.30pm
(not 10.45am as advertised)

Meet Elkan Levy in the Prayer Hall beforehand

B'nai B'rith Europe in association with the Augustin Keller lodge are pleased to invite 25-35 year-olds to the 4th Young Jewish Adult Forum.

Click here to download the PDF

You can also go onto Youtube the view the video

Mayer Hersh, a member of the Manchester Lodge, has received the Anne Frank Lifetime Achievement Award for is work in Holocaust education, talking to schoolchildren about his experiences in World War ll

He lived with his parents, three younger sisters and his brother in Sieradz, a town near Lodz in Poland. 

Says Mayer: 'We were a family of nine, my parents,five brothers and one sister. The first person to be taken away was my elder brother, Jacob. I was in nine slave labour and extermination camps including Auschwitz.  Most people were murdered on arrival at Auschwitz but by a miracle I surivived for eighteen months on one bowl of watery soup and a small piece of bread each night.' 

While away those winter blues at the First Lodge's Quiz Supper. Click here to download the PDF 

New West End Synagogue are staging the launch of The Generations Cookery Book on 5th September (7.00 for 7.30pm). The event will include a Cookery Demonstration by renowned guest cook, Silvia Nacamulli, followed by tastings!

Entrance to event:  £15 including a copy of the book.  Further copies bought on night and pre-publication orders £10, thereafter £12.50.     Herbert Samuel Hall, St. Petersburgh Place, Bayswater, London, W2 4JT.

Two special guided tours of Wolverhampton's disused Jewish Cemetery  will take place on Sunday 5th September, for The European Days of Jewish Culture & Heritage at 11am and 3pm. There is no charge.

After life-long service to the Jewish and wider community, the Chief Rabbi paid a fulsome tribute to Fred Worms at a reception hosted by Fred and Della Worms at the new Hillel House, a project with which Fred has been identified ever since its inception.

Family, friends and communal leaders had gathered together to bid ‘Farewell’ to Fred and Della who have now made permanent aliyah in Israel

John Rylands Library

He says: 'Our visit to John Rylands was a huge success. There were enough of us to be split into two groups, so while one half was given a conducted tour of the beautiful building, the other half were being treated to a breathtaking display of rare books, specially brought up from the archives for us.

At our annual summer social function,  we were once again, entertained by Eric van Emden who came up from London bringing with him his recordings. This time, his topic was Music of the Big Bands. We had a wonderful selection of music from Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, lyrics from Cole Porter and many others. Another delightful afternoon of pure nostalgia! We are always happy to see him and grateful that he continues to support us.

Our next meeting will be in September and of course, we will attending the Heritage Day Open Day at the Manchester Jewish Museum. There is a wonderful exhibition currently running until the end of September on the Red Bank district in Manchester, where many Jewish people settled (temporarily) when arriving in Manchester

‘While some of our other supporters, have had to reduce the level of their contribution in the last couple of years, Bnai Brith, has continued its support undiminished.  We are enormously grateful to Bnai Brith, who are one of our long standing supporters,’ said Stuart Taylor, Vice Chairman of the Jewish Committee for HM Forces 

Stuart was speaking at the BBUK AGM: 'The Jewish population of the United Kingdom has a proud history of service in the armed forces, and it was estimated that some 60,000 Jews served in the armed forces during the Second World War, including a number of senior officers.  Large numbers of Jews continued to serve in the forces until the end of national service in 1960.  Today there are approximately 200 Jews in the armed forces of the UK, and together with their families they form what is now referred to as the Armed Forces Jewish Community.

UK’s new National President Jean Etherton will focus on Youth and Unity during her term of office. Speaking at the AGM after being formally installed she told the audience her first mission will be to reinforce the characteristics, which distinguish B’nai B’rith from other organisations.

 ‘Let me remind you what those are,’ she said.  ‘Firstly our global presence and influence We are active in 59 countries and have political status – NGO at the UN, represented at the European Parliament in Brussels and Geneva. Then our all embracing ethos where we include all Jews, regardless of religious affiliation, and of course our traditional fraternal spirit of benevolence, brotherly and sisterly love and harmony. Unity requires us to consider ourselves part of an international BB and part of a
European BB as well as part of a National BB.

From L to R: Martin Kudlick, Pamela Gold, Stewart Cohen (Installing Officer) Jean Etherton and Tony Etherton

Outgoing National President Martin Kudlick becomes Mentor to the new honorary officers. Wally Sacks of Yad B'Yad Lodge has been appointed an honorary officer

From L to R: Alan Cohen, Valerie Bello, Stewart Cohen

'I’ve had the privilege of serving with both of them – with Alan when he was President of District 15 (before the merger with District 19) and with Stewart, on the Executive of BBE, and I can personally vouch for their dedication, their vision, their drive in getting things done and, last but by no means least, their generosity.  At times, their views might have seemed controversial but, my goodness, were they often not proved right?

Around 30 years ago, the late Walter Bentley then chairman of the Israel Committee, decided to adopt Qiryat Gat as a collective BBUK Israel project. The scheme started by helping to supply musical instruments for talented youngsters in the town. Later, the focus was changed, to help needy pupils with a scholarship fund, by Richard Crown, chairman of the Israel Committee together with his wife Ada who was BBUK National President at the time.

The focus was continued by Norman King, then Chair of the Israel Committee, who continued to persuade the lodges to contribute to this BB project, the aim being to raise £7000 per year. I took over the project  some 15 years ago and continued with this aim,.

L to R: BBUK National Secretary Pamela Gold with outgoing BBUK National President Martin Kudlick

He said: ‘As you know BB has been in existence since 1843, a total of 167 years.  It is still the largest Jewish service organisation with representation in 59 countries worldwide and although it is very much smaller than in its heyday we continue to practise and try to preserve its ethos.

It was with very great sadness that Jean and I, and members of First Lodge received the news of the passing of dear “Lady J” who had been a member of our Lodge for many years. 

 Only a few months ago she had honoured us with her presence at the B’nai B’rith First Lodge of England Centenary Dinner.

I had personally known her and her husband, the late Chief Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits, for over 40 years, mainly through charitable work in the mental health field, in which among so many other areas of her communal work she gave unstintingly of her time and concern. She was an absolute human dynamo with inexhaustible energy, and rarely missed calling members of the community in need of comfort or support.