Next year Belsize Square Synagogue will celebrate our 80^th Anniversary. We are already planning several communal events to mark this special milestone and we do hope that you will be able to join us at as many of these celebrations as you can. Some of the dates so far include:

• Communal Friday Night Shabbat UK Dinner on 1st March
• Civic Service on Sunday 24th March
• Communal BBQ in June/July
• Community Fun Run on 23rd June
• Auction of Promises on 7th September

To complement our commemorations, we will be publishing a colour brochure that will contain interesting written and pictorial content on the past, present and future of our remarkable community. The Brochure will be sent to all our members and will also be available on our website and at all events associated with our 80^th Anniversary.

As part of our continuing fundraising program we are also seeking sponsorship for the Brochure. There are a number of different ways for you to help, whether simply expressing good wishes from family or friends, acknowledging children or grandchildren, through to full page and business advertising.

Click here to download a menu of different sponsorship opportunities and we would be extremely grateful if you could take a few moments to have a look at it, hopefully choose an option and return the form.

Please let us have your advert/greeting no later than 16^th December.

We would also be grateful to any members who have business or other contacts whom we might be able to approach to advertise in the brochure, please do let us know through the office.

Thanking you in advance for your support and if you would like any further information regarding the Brochure please don’t hesitate to contact Michael and  Kitty Brod, or of course our CEO Lee Taylor in the synagogue office .

Mitzvah Day this year was a huge success as we entertained the elderly of our community, visited a local care home to meet the residents and helped clean Keats Community Library. We also collected food for the Camden Food Bank, clothes for the Separated Child Foundation and toiletries for the homeless.

On the 14th October, our synagogue held a concert featuring four cantors and the Belsize Square Professional Choir led by Benjamin Wolf. Bringing the finest cantorial compositions, cantors Paul Heller, Gedalya Alexander, Robert Brody and Yohel Heller took us through a journey from eastern to western European tradition.

We heard a wide range of tonalities, each cantor having a particular timbre. The concert displayed the broad spectrum of emotions contained in cantorial music, from sadness to joy, and even comedy! Through a mix of solos and duets, the participants shared with us their passion, authenticity and tremendous generosity in their singing.

Our musical committee would like to thank the cantors, Musical Director and musicians for this wonderful event.

Pictures courtesy of Paul Rowland.

YOUTH LEADER

A wonderful opportunity for an enthusiastic and dedicated individual to help create a fun and welcoming environment for the youth (aged 7 -18) of Belsize Square Synagogue (BSS); a unique, fascinating and inspiring independent synagogue, which is neither Orthodox nor Reform and is located within this lively and bustling area of North-West London.

Job Summary:

To lead, inspire and to connect the youth with one another.  To do so by being responsible for the development and provision of social activities for the Synagogue’s children and young people. To work at all times within the Jewish ethos of BSS so as to build a sense of community within the youth of BSS to help provide an opportunity for both spiritual and social development. The Youth Leader is an integral part of BSS, to facilitate social and personal development and to build the confidence of young people and to help young people expand their religious experience. It is essential that the youth leader is highly visible within the community.

Principle Responsibilities:

• Develop and run activities
• Work closely and look to develop our post bar and bat mitzvah teens outside of the current educational structure
• To develop and lead contact programmes for BSS youth involved in further education
• Organise and develop external trips including the annual weekend away residential camp
• To be involved in sports activities of the Synagogue
• To attend religious services, particularly on festivals where young people are involved
• Attend synagogue when there are high numbers of youth in attendance
• Attend Sunday morning Cheder (Sunday school) sessions on a regular basis to assist the Headteacher in the capacity of youth development.
• To work with external bodies as requested
• To take responsibility for marketing and market research
• To act as a pastoral professional to young people

Administrative responsibilities:

• Develop a yearly plan with social-oriented events
• To be involved in both long- and short-term budget-setting
• To attend Youth Committee meetings and other Committees as requested
• Keep up to date and abreast of legal requirements relevant to youth

Person Specifications:

Qualifications

Certificate or Diploma in Full time Youth Work or equivalent

Experience

The candidate should have spent at least one year working within youth work, either professionally or as a volunteer, either pre or post qualification.

Skills

The following should be demonstrated:

• Group work ability with young people aged between 7 and 18
• Excellent communication skills
• An ability to listen and motivate
• Ability to plan and execute events
• Knowledge of the aims and values of BSS and Judaism in general
• Organisational and administrative ability
• Ability to work out of hours
• Full driving licence.
• Enhanced DBS checked

37.5 hours per week, including most weekends, some evenings and Jewish holidays.

For further information/application pack contact Lee Taylor on 020 7794 3949 or lee@synagogue.org.uk

Salary: £23,000-25,000 per annum

Closing date 8^th July 2018