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Thank you to everyone to came together to share a very special Shavuot last weekend, celebrating Torah and the giving of the Ten Commandments, one of the greatest known and most significant stories of our Jewish history. NWSS hosted a fully packed weekend, not just with this great festival but also a special birthday for […]

Shavuot. What, why, where, when…. The Holiday of Shavuot has no specific date in the Torah. The Torah tells us “Count 50 days from Passover this shall be the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot)”. So, what is the holiday of Shavuot all about and why does the Torah not state a specific date for it? Unlike […]

Every year NWSS has celebrated Israel’s Independence Day with a special service and entertainment on the following Saturday, Shabbat Atzma’ut, thanks in the past to Avril Hallé and members of the Israel Group. This year we marked a special birthday, Israel’s 70th, which I had the privilege to lead. Few of those present at the […]

Many thanks to all of you who joined the Communal Seder this Passover. As always it was a fantastic evening with the community coming together to share this special festival. Whether it was your second Seder of the year or your first, you brought energy, high spirits and great conversation to make this year’s Pesach […]

What a great time we’ve had over the past week celebrating Purim in our very own three-cornered way! Thank you to everyone who came out and braved the Beast from the East on Wednesday for a fantastic interpretation and Megiallah reading from Lynette Nusbacher and again on Friday for fancy dress and more Megillah recitals […]

1. Disconnect to reconnect – Imagine the scene…with your two weeks’ holiday a year you decide to spend it on a sun-drenched beach with the sea lapping against the shore, a cocktail in one hand and your mobile phone in the other. Suddenly, beep, beep, it’s the office wanting just a small thing. Two minutes […]

When we think of Purim we often think of Hamatashen or costumes. However, there is a deeper meaning hiding just beneath the surface of this epic tale.   It is a story of leadership, spiritual regrowth and Divine Providence. Haman (booo) the Agagite was a descendant of the Amalkite people. Their central belief was that […]

Just like the three corners of the Hamantashen which we love to eat at this time of year, we’ve got three opportunities for you to celebrate and relive the Purim story with NWSS! The liveliest festival in the Jewish calendar kicks off with Erev Purim on Wednesday 28th February at 7pm. Come and join a […]

Rabbi Kath’s closing blessing she gave at the end of her Induction Service:

North West Surrey Synagogue welcomed over 300 guests on Sunday, 14 January 2018 for the Induction of Rabbi Kath Vardi, the largest attendance ever at the shul. Distinguished guests included the Mayor of Elmbridge, local clergy from several religions, representatives from the Movement for Reform Judaism, Liberal Judaism, Leo Baeck College and other rabbis. Also […]

There is an exciting line-up of Chanukah events for you this December!   Synagogue Celebrations: We will be holding our traditional Chanukah Lighting and Celebration at the Synagogue. This includes Music, Mulled Wine, Meal, Quiz – do join us for a fun evening for all ages! Chanukah cookie decorating will be available throughout the celebration. The […]

This article is being written “the day after the evening before” under pressure because of a very tight publishing deadline. The idea for this event came about during a meeting of the NWSS Social Group several months ago. It was suggested by Jen Jankel who had come to learn of Katsha’nes through her work with […]

NWSS 2017 FOUNDATION LECTURE Sunday 12th November 2017 7:30 p.m. ‘Israel: Balfour and Beyond’     It was a great privilege for NWSS to have as our Foundation Lecturer Colin Shindler, Senior Research Fellow and Emeritus Professor of Israel Studies at SOAS and the first person in Britain to hold a Chair in this subject.  […]

Teshuva, teffila u’tzedakah: return, prayer and justice. These are the requirements of the High Holy Days. Teshuva; so that we return to ourselves, to others and to God. Tefilla, so that we achieve this return through our act of prayer and of allowing ourselves to be still and listen. And Tzedakah so that we enact […]