Reflecting on Judaism

          Although the school was already functioning the official opening took place on Sunday 20th June 1971 in the presence of some 650 people. The guest of honour was Sir Isaac Wolfson, B.A.R.T., F.R.S. The Chief Rabbi, Dr. I. Jakobovits, conducted the service together with Rev. S. Black and Rev. J. Skaletsky. The Beehive Lane Synagogue choir was present under the direction of David Fallman. Mr. Tom Philips, M.B.E., was in the Chair. The Deputy Mayor, Councillor D.A. Stephens, Mr. Tom Iremonger, M.P. and Nat Rubin were also present. There was a short Consecration Service. The school’s Ark was presented in memory of Rebecca and Isaac Barget and rooms were dedicated in memory of Moss Bourne, Sylvia Gelb (nee Sheril), Barnett (Ben) Glass, Ralph Daryl Luder, Miriam Zilesnick and Yetta Miller-Hyman Goldstein. I wonder whether any of these dedications still exist.
          The Managers meeting, held on the 13th July 1971, reflected the end of one era and the beginning of a new one. A letter had been received from Tom Philips tendering his resignation as Chairman of the Managers of the school. He expressed his appreciation to all the Managers and the Committee for their efforts and co-operation during his term as Chairman but felt that it was now time for him to retire. In my capacity as Acting Chairman, I expressed the admiration and appreciation of the Managers and Committee for all the work he had done. He had been connected to the school for some 40 years and it was unanimously agreed that he be appointed Hon. Life Vice-President of the School. A letter of resignation from Mr. S. J. Birns was also received and he, too, was made an Hon. Life Vice-President in appreciation of his efforts on the school’s behalf. A third letter of resignation was received from David Graham, who having severed his connection with the club, felt that the Committee would no longer require his services. At this stage of the meeting I was nominated to become Chairman of the Managers and Committee, a position I was delighted to accept. The Managers and Committee now comprised: -
          Managers:
          Woolf Abrahams, Chairman;    Raymond Rudie, Hon. Corespondent;
          Mo Joseph, Hon. Treasurer;    Ald. Miss Terry J.P., Local Authority;
          Sidney Frosh, London Board;    Harry Goldner.

Committee:

          Evelyn Abrahams;   Rev. S. Black;   Jeremy Goldstein;   Ann Goldstein;   Councillor
          Mrs. Gross;   Sam Stone;   Bob Stuart;   Trevor Waller;   Henry White.

          It was announced that Sam Stone had retired as Chairman of the ‘Friends’ and that Jeremy Goldstein had been elected in his stead. The Committee of the Friends circulated the following letter in their efforts to raise funds.

WHO NEEDS FRIENDS

          “At the inception of the plans for Stepney Jewish Primary School to be re-established in Redbridge, the most pressing problem was finance. The Management of the school approached a number of people who were willing to work to raise the necessary monies. In 1967, these people became known as the ‘Friends of the Ilford Jewish Primary School’, a registered charity under the Chairmanship of Mr. Sam Stone.
          The sums of money required by the Managers seemed colossal, but with much dedication and a great deal of hard work, this committee has endeavoured to give the Managers some £20,000.
          Today, with a deficit of some £20,000, this committee still works, now under the Chairmanship of Mr. Jeremy Goldstein. To meet this debt, the ‘functions’ put on by the Friends has always been a social, as well as a financial success.
          We require the help of every parent of children at the school to clear this deficit which hangs over our school like a big black cloud. Please attend our functions, become a ‘Friend’ by signing a covenant, and we shall be delighted to see anyone at our meetings who is prepared and willing to work.
          As a ‘State-Aided School’, not all the bills involved in the running and fabric of the School are paid for by the State, in fact it is up to the ‘Friends of the Ilford Jewish Primary School’ and the parents to raise the deficit which exists between ‘State-Aided’ and actual running costs, also the deficit which exists between the actual cost of establishing the school and the money already raised.
          Be a friend and help, for the sake of our children and future generations of children who will use our school.”
          By September 1971 it had become patently obvious that the school was not fulfilling its purpose of trying to give a Jewish day school education to all those children whose parents wanted it. Again, with the help and guidance of Nat Rubin of the London Board, Raymond Rudie on behalf of the school submitted a claim to the Authority for their approval to allow us to extend our existing one-form entry school into a two-form entry school. He also applied for the establishment of another one-form entry school in the area. We would in due course, need to support our claim with evidence that there was an ongoing Jewish demand for these extra places.
          Because of the pressure for places in the primary school the need for a Jewish Secondary School became more obvious every day. Following a sympathetic meeting I had with Mr. Garrard of the Greater London Council Mr. Rubin wrote informing him of our plans. He told him that we were looking to establish a regional six-form entry Jewish mixed voluntary aided secondary school to be built in accordance with the requirements of the School Building Regulations. The essence of the proposal is that the site, upon which such a school shall be erected, must be in a position of a nodal point of communication for the whole of that part of Greater London. It would, therefore, be advisable for such a site to be near one of the tube stations with cross bus connections. He asked Mr. Garrard whether he would provide him with details of any sites that may be available for this purpose so that we may be able to give them our consideration. It was to be many years before these plans would come into fruition and then only with the work enthusiastically done by David Lerner.
          It had been the practice of the Local Authorities to pay the fares of all children travelling to schools outside their area. A problem arose regarding those of our children who opted for the J.F.S. In order to economise the Authority decided that they would now pay the whole bus fares but the train fare only if the journey required both bus and train. We successfully appealed this new decision.

Woolf Abrahams.