Reflecting on Judaism

This book discusses aspects of the Jewish religion but is unusual in that it is written by a layman.

The writer was born in the East End of London in 1926 into an Orthodox Community and attended a Jewish Day School, Cheder and Yeshiva. From age 16 he was involved in helping organise Jewish Education groups for both youth and adults. He served on the committee of the Federation of Zionist Youth whilst, at the same time, belonging to Torah v’Avodah, the religious youth movement, an unlikely combination in today’s religious climate.

He moved to Ilford, Essex in 1955 and learning that no Zionist youth groups existed in the area immediately formed three; B’nei Akiva, Ha’Noar Ha’Zioni, and F.Z.Y.

He was Chairman of the Ilford District Synagogue Hebrew classes for some ten years, then the largest part-time classes in Europe, serving some 1,000 pupils, and represented the synagogue on the London Board of Jewish Religious Education, a committee of the United Synagogue. He served as vice-chairman of this committee and also as a governor of the J.F.S. Secondary School.

In 1956 he instigated the foundation of the Ilford Jewish Primary School Committee and was appointed the first local chairman of the school when its building was completed.  In 2000 he helped form the very successful Essex branch of the Jewish Historical Society.

Over the past few years he has become increasingly concerned at the polarisation within Judaism and the introduction of laws, customs and concepts, largely unknown to the Anglo Jewry of his youth. This book touches on some of these aspects and whilst reflecting the views of learned, orthodox Jews, they are presented in an original way which sometimes results in the questioning of conventional wisdom.