Below are some of the speakers at the Sunday Morning Adult Discussion Group which is generally followed by the Rabbi's Shiur.
 

Tom Nathan in addition to being our chairman is also the manager of Brent Cross shopping Centre. The prompt notes that were given to help write this overview in no way show the enthusiasm and mirth that punctuated his talk and the creative input and observations of the group around the packed table. Tom gave some astounding statistics concerning the number of visitors and the amount of money they spend, and after 31 years is still the most successful shopping mall. Some people go there almost everyday for social and community reasons. An overview of the ethnic makeup of staff and the efforts and expense of making the centre ecologically friendly was fascinating. And if a member of BSS should go there and bump into Tom, they should not be surprised if they are greeted with a kiss by him.
 

Jews and Slavery
Asher Tropp

 
 

This subject was thoroughly researched and took us backwards and forwards across the Atlantic. The seasonal activity of the sugar crop in particular helped understand the position of the slaves and special attention was paid to how Jewish traders inter-acted with their labourers. Photographs of Synagogues in the Caribbean gave colour to this riveting talk.


Mikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue, Curacao, 1654
 

On the Eve of Yom Kippur, Michael Horowitz gave a talk to the Adult Education Group on the subject of judgement with an emphasis on custody cases.

On 11.6.06 a talk using historical documents was given by Rabbi Dr Michael Shire, Acting Principal of Leo Baeck College.

The Readmission of the Jews to England
Historical documents of the 17^th century depict the mystery of the Readmission of the Jews to England. From the Protestant tolerance of England came the seeds for Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel to approach Oliver Cromwell with the economic and messianic aspirations of Jewish readmission. Meanwhile King Charles II courted the Jews of Amsterdam for restoration of the monarchy. It is not clear whether readmission came about through Manaseh ben Israel’s single handed crusade or through reward to Marrano merchants by Charles II. The key document that would give us the answer has been ripped out of the Book of the Council of State by an unknown 17^th century hand. It may be that both had a hand in a gradual shift in thinking about the Jews that has enabled us to live safely and prosperously for 350 years in these islands.
 

David Margolies, painter, lives in Hampstead with wife and three daughters and is a member of Belsize Square Synagogue.  He was adopted by a couple whose lives were closely connected to the Holocaust.  His father's family all perished and his mother's immediate family survived but with difficulty.  His parents were guarded about speaking of their experience.  His growing up with a sensitive experience of the Holocaust, his own personal experience has influenced his art.  His pictures are connected to the Holocaust, Judaism, Christianity, morality, the past and how it all connects.  He doesn't have answers, only his paintings. 
 

Elizabeth Nisbet for many years managed funds in excess of billions of dollars and with her investigative talents gave some insights into the ethics of investing. Recently the Church of England Synod decided to withdraw its investments in Caterpillar Inc. because the State of Israel was allegedly using the bulldozers to demolish Palestinian homes. One of the first points that was made was that the heavy machines were bought second-hand from the American government and that the building of heavy earth movers was only a fraction of Caterpillar interests. The criteria of different investment groups was looked into and how an investor's principles can influence the market. Ethical investment has been observed in the early 20th century with Methodists and Quakers avoiding alcohol and gambling, in 1945 the Arab blacklist was established and in the 1980 the Anti-apartheid movement blacklisted a British, international bank. Some reasons for ethical investments generated by the public was explained and the legal actions that could be expected. As investments are only made for financial gain, some graphs were used to show that unethical investments could harvest bigger rewards.
In 1993 questions were raised about the legality  of the way the Church handled its investments and new legislation has been introduced to limit backdoor practices.
The final point considered the Jewish Perspective and is it good for the Jews? Maybe you have your own views about that!
 

First Rachel Schultz outlined the basic rules of Kashrut and about the Orthodox Jewish views on the subject. These laws are ‘chukkim’ or statutes and although there is no moral reason to follow these rules, the Orthodox believe that we should because they are written in the Torah . Orthodox Jews must follow the injunctions regardless of whether they make sense although secular Jews make up their own standards. Some keep their kitchens kosher but eat non-kosher in restaurants while others push all rules to one side. So why should we keep Kosher? Five main reasons were discussed of which two were considered compelling. The first was Health in that some people believe that the laws of Kashrut are a primitive form of health guidelines. Although this may have been true in the past when unglazed ceramics and wooden utensils were used in hot climates, today’s food is by and large safe. The second reason is Sensitivity. It is bad enough that we kill animals for food, but to "cook the calf in the mother’s milk" somehow profanes the death of the animal. Mixing milk products with chicken was banned by the Rabbis in the middle ages because the housewife could easily confuse it with veal. Also we are what we eat and so we should be mindful to avoid scavengers like shrimps and shell fish lest we become like them although this argument was considered hollow to some in the discussion group. The third reason was Mystical; that somehow by following these rules, we would be elevated to a higher plane. Since we believe we are a holy people, we should act accordingly and part of this is to eat a Kosher diet. The last two reasons were National Identity and Discipline. The National Identity referred to our ability to remain different and to have something we do every day that reminds us that we are Jewish. Also it is a hospitality issue; if you keep a Kosher home, most observant people will feel relaxed dining in your home and that alone is a compelling reason for some. As to the idea of Discipline, some feel that the act of keeping Kosher is a form of self discipline and keeping milk and meat dishes separate makes for better order in the kitchen. In short it is felt that the table becomes an alter and we remember that we are Jewish.
 

What We Believe:
Mavis Klein

Mavis Klein opened the adult education group with the subject 'What We Believe'. A printed list of ten questions was distributed and soon most of the participants were giving their verbal input with observations that included 'secularism can be a type of religion'. On the subject of science, 'behaviour has changed but belief has not'. Someone observed that 'football is not a matter of life and death'. In some cases it is much more important than that. If footballers can be bought and sold, then nothing is sacred. Someone said that 'Marriages are made in Heaven, miracles are made in Hong Kong'. Another suggested that 'God is like electricity'. You can't see it but when you plug in you get results.

After the break, Rabbi Rodney Mariner talked on the subject of 'The Kosher Pig'. Some years ago a swine was found in Sumatra that had two stomachs although the Rabbis could not pass it as kosher because it still had trotters. He went on to say that there are enough kosher products on the market that imitate treif but even some vegetables can be unkosher. Broccoli is one of them because microscopic insects lodge themselves in the heads and these are forbidden. Kashrut is about health and also keeps people apart, causing a closed society. If anyone has a question about kashrut, he or she can ask the Rabbi. You are what you eat. When the pig is claimed as kosher, that will be a sign that the Messiah is on the way.
 

When in the presence of Claire Walford, visions of the Baal Shem Tov do not spring to mind. Chassidism and the Kabala seem as remote as Madonna. So when Claire was listed to give a talk on the subject, expectations were mixed. On April 10 the adult education group were riveted by the in-depth presentation that made Eastern Europe Judaism come alive.

The Baal Shem Tov
I first became interested in the Baal Shem Tov 8 years ago after watching a performance, ‘The Empty Chair’ by the Besht Tellers lead by Marc Soloway who is now a conservative Rabbi in Bolder Colorado. They acted out the some of the legends of the Besht, the abbreviated name of the Baal Shem Tov.

Click here to read on.
 

April 17 saw an interactive discussion on the subject of 'Anti-Semitism' given by Jeff Graham. After an introductory talk, participants were divided into groups of four and asked to discuss the lists, part of which is reproduced below. It led to some interesting observations.

Anti-Semitism: How do we combat it?

There has been much documented about the increases in hatred, incitement and violence against Jewish communities, places of worship and individuals over the past year, the incidences increasing rapidly.
Synagogues have been burned, Rabbis abused in the streets, cemeteries desecrated, only because the people and institutions were Jewish.
The subject is raised in the media and educational institutions.
The real question is ‘How do we deal with Anti-Semitism?’
Main Instruments of Anti-Semitism
Demonization of Jews
Jews were accused of drinking the blood of children and controlling banks, the government and the media
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Comparing Israelis to Nazis.
Comparing Palestinian refugee camps with Nazi concentration camps
Is this Anti-Semitism?
It is well known that:
Israel is racist, militant, xenophobic, authoritarian and stiff-necked.
Israel is comparable to South Africa.
The Jews have exploited the Holocaust
Israel created the Arab refugee problem.
Israel Started the Six Day War.
If Israel withdraws from all of the territories there would not be a problem.
Palestinian suicide bombers are doing nothing different to what the Israeli army is doing.
 

On May 8 Francesca Simon generated much response on her subject of 'Family Feuds'.

Like it or not, many of us are experts when it comes to family feuds.  The Adult Discussion Group spent a fascinating, emotional, and revealing 2 1/2 hours exploring why families feud.  We discussed how feuds can last for generations, and some of their causes: money, divorce, childhood rivalries, religious differences, and general antipathy.  Several members were movingly honest as they revealed aspects of their own history. 

We also considered the role of the scapegoat, what constitutes "unforgivable" behaviour, and whether we should always strive to resolve feuds in the greater cause of keeping a family together (we're feuding about that now). Our resident psychotherapist-astrologer, Mavis Klein, contributed a number of insights to our wide-ranging discussions. 
Thanks to all for a fascinating, nay, therapeutic morning.