Diamonds are Wimbledon Synagogue’s best friend!
By Mel Angel
The Wimbledon Synagogue was full to the rafters with snazzily clad members and honoured guests to celebrate another great milestone… its 75th anniversary.
From the headline of this piece, you may think I’m 15 years late writing about the synagogue’s 60th celebrations – but 75 years is also a diamond event (more on that later).
Our sanctuary and community space looked perfect for an evening of celebration.
In the Corinne Burton Hall, guests were greeted with a Prosecco or a non-alcoholic alternative, along with many hugs, kisses, and exclamations of “wow, you scrub up well”. Only the prospect of food could disperse the crowd to their allocated tables, aptly named after traditional Jewish fare – gefilte fish, cholent, chopped liver, and so on.
Julian Samuels was MC for the night and kept proceedings on schedule with his usual aplomb, first introducing our Chair, Ruth Bragman, who welcomed the guests. Rabbi Adrian Schell presided over Havdalah, and we were all able to enjoy a sniff of the rosemary sprigs beautifully tied to the table napkins after the besamim blessing.
Hamotzi was delivered by Progressive Judaism Co-Lead Rabbi Josh Levy, signalling the moment we had all been waiting for… food!
Of course, that wasn’t really all we were waiting for. In between courses – of mediterranean mezze, baked sea bass and a lovely trio of desserts – we heard from our honoured guests, beginning with Julian interviewing journalist, historian, broadcaster and child of our community Mark Urban.
A frank, open and honest conversation covered Mark’s time with the BBC and questions on the current situation in Israel. It was a privilege to benefit from Mark’s deep knowledge and insight, and, personally, I appreciated that amidst the celebratory party atmosphere, we did not shy away from the matter so close to all our hearts.
Between the main course and desserts, iconic actress, columnist, and comedienne Dame Maureen Lipman superbly entertained us. Aside from making us laugh, Dame Maureen, unflinching in her love for her Jewish heritage, also acknowledged the increasingly worrying situation in Israel and encouraged us all to Show Up, Stand Up, and Speak Up – a simple mantra that says it all.
Progressive Judaism’s other Co-Lead, Rabbi Charley Baginsky, and our Emeritus Rabbi Tony Hammond, made the toasts to His Majesty the King, the President, and the State of Israel. Rabbi Adrian concluded the meal with Grace after meals before we moved on to the live Auction, skilfully handled by Julian Hunt as the auctioneer.
The evening wasn’t just about having fun – it was also a significant fund-raising event, with the beneficiaries being our Synagogue and a local charity, The Grace Dear Trust. Graham Dear, Grace’s father, spoke from the heart about the work of the charity and the hidden depths of mental ill health, which eventually led to Grace taking her own life at the age of 27. You can visit the website www.thegracedeartrust.co.uk to learn more about the charity’s work.
So why are there two diamond anniversaries at 60 and 75 years? Well, we can thank Queen Victoria for this. A diamond anniversary was traditionally held at 75 years. The diamond for the 60th was introduced in 1897 when Queen Victoria celebrated her diamond jubilee, marking 60 years as monarch. Yes, I don’t get it either – perhaps she didn’t want to wait another 15 years for a new tiara.
And finally, a huge thank you to the generous donors of the auction items, but even more so to the Synagogue Events Group (SEG). You did it again. I know how hard you all worked to pull this wonderful event together. I hope you all feel rightfully proud of what you achieved.
I’m looking forward to the 80th celebration, which apparently is Oak. Yes, really—slightly disappointing after diamonds, but I’m sure the celebrations will be marvellous.
The packed synagogue hall for the special 75th anniversary event
