I am a member of the Plymouth Jewish Community and attend the Synagogue in the city centre.

My parents came to Britain as refugees from the Hitler regime and I was born in Glasgow during the Second World War.

Because my parents feared anti-Semitism they did not bring me up in the Jewish faith and it was only later in life that I learnt about the Jewish way of life and started going to Synagogue.

The Synagogue in Plymouth

For this reason, my Judaism is very important to me - both in my everyday life and my spiritual life. Judaism teaches a code of ethics, both at a personal and a business level.

The basis for this code is mutual respect and honesty.

A fundamental feature of Judaism is a search for continual improvement both in interpersonal relationships and level of religious observance - it is a path along which one travels.

I find that attending Synagogue for Divine worship is spiritually invigorating. Prayer provides communion with Our Maker from which one can draw reassurance and support.

In addition prayer is a means of atonement from which one feels renewal and a refreshment of spirit.

The Synagogue in Plymouth is one of the oldest in the English speaking world

A large part of the Jewish way of life centres on special occasions and festivals. This cycle of celebration and worship, for me breaks the year into 'manageable' sections.

The most important part of the cycle is the Sabbath. Judaism teaches the importance of the Sabbath, which is one of the covenants that the people of Israel made with The Lord in the time Moses.

However, the Sabbath has another important influence on me - it punctuates my working week. Because I am self-employed, I can work any time I choose.

Going to Synagogue on a Friday evening provides a mark for the end of the working week and the start of new working week on Sunday.

My Judaism has one other very important influence on me. It is an expression of my culture and my heritage and gives me a feeling of continuity and purpose.

The cycle of festivals and Holy days provides me with eight major points of reflection in the year.

These, starting in Spring and moving through the year to Winter, are:
Purim	Celebration for the defeat of an anti-Semitic enemy
Pesach (Passover)	Thanks for deliverance
Shavuoth	Awe in the receiving of the Covenant
Rosh Hashanah (New Year)	Renewal
Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)	Atonement and rebirth after forgiveness
Succoth (Tabernacles)	Remembrance of the time in the desert
Simchat Torah	Celebration of the completion of the cycle of reading of the Torah
Chanukah	Celebration of a miracle and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem