Click here to watch Founder Member Gweni Sorokin’s Interview on Latest TV
Here you can watch an interview with Yael Breuer of Latest TV with our founder member, Gweni Sorokin, to mark the 57th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone.
The most spectacular thing that I always look at are the stained glass windows…the light coming through – it is absolutely beautiful. And there are supposed to be 32 stories.
Now, I have been looking at those windows every week, or most, since the windows were there…
I haven’t found all 32.
There is always something to explore and something new to see.
I write as the daughter of founding members of The Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue
In 1956, when I was 10 years old, my parents relocated from Hampstead London to Hove. By chance, our next door neighbour was Rabbi Rosenblum, who was in the process of commencing religious services in people’s homes. Within a very short time, offices were rented from a church in Holland Road Hove and our Congregation was born.
Founding members, such as my parents had a dream of building a purpose built Synagogue. Much fund raising took place and through the generosity of the local Community and individuals the dream became reality. I, together with my father and my fiancé were at the laying of the foundation stone on 17th July 1966. Sadly, my mother died in 1963 and regretfully never saw her dream of our Synagogue come to fruition.
September 1967, the newly built Synagogue opened its doors for the first time. It was a day I shall never forget. Dedicated to the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered in the Holocaust, the emotions of all present were palpable. The sheer wonder of the artistry, the Biblical stories displayed in glass, and the beauty of the stained-glass windows was a wonder to behold. And to this day, when I sit in the Synagogue, my eyes are drawn to the magnificent windows, lit by natural light, I feel in awe of their sheer beauty.
I regularly attended (and still do) Services. From when I was 16 years of age, a special time was always on the anniversary of my mother’s demise. My Dad and I would sit together holding hands. He died 19 years ago, yet I can still feel his presence and hear his voice, as though he was standing next to me reciting the Yahrzeit Memorial Prayer in memory of my Mother.
My daughter, now 56 years old, was the first baby to be Blessed in the Synagogue on 25/11/67, which coincided with my 21st birthday. She had her Bat Mitzvah there and my son his Bar Mitzvah. Over the years, we had an amazing functions committee of which I was Chair. Funds were raised for various projects for the Synagogue. Themed Dinner Dances, Quiz Evenings, Speakers of Note, Cabaret Evenings with the Stars of the day were held and so much more!
I am now a widow in my 77th year! I sit in the Synagogue and remember so much of my life which has and continues to revolve around this building. In memory of those murdered in the Holocaust and those who had the dream and are no longer with us, I hope the building can be saved for future generations, such as my four grandsons. This is their history and their future. They are the 4th generation of my family to love this iconic building and gaze upon the windows.
September 1967, the newly built Synagogue opened its doors for the first time. It was a day I shall never forget. Dedicated to the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered in the Holocaust, the emotions of all present were palpable.
The sheer wonder of the artistry, the Biblical stories displayed in glass, and the beauty of the stained-glass windows was a wonder to behold. And to this day, when I sit in the Synagogue, my eyes are drawn to the magnificent windows, lit by natural light, I feel in awe of their sheer beauty.
My father’s first cousins were among the founder members of the synagogue. Even more importantly, my Grandmother’s first cousin, Rhoda Rosenblum was the wife of BHRS’s first and founding rabbi, Emeritus Rabbi Erwin Rosenblum. Indeed, such was the closeness of the family connection, Rhoda was a bridesmaid at my Grandmother’s wedding and Rabbi Rosenblum was invited to sing as Cantor at my parents’ wedding in the West London Synagogue, Upper Berkeley Street, in London in 1961.
The BHRS community began in 1955, and, like many other fledgling communities, met in temporary accommodation. As it grew, demand outstripped the venue and it was decided that a purpose built synagogue had to be created. Designed by Derek Sharp, the beautiful synagogue was built to hold 400 people and the foundation stone was laid on the 17th July 1966. Of course, membership has fluctuated over the years, yet, now, despite a slightly smaller membership, the core values of community and education have remained. The synagogue has a thriving religion school with children joining from other Brighton and Hove Synagogues, such is the popularity and high quality of teaching. We have 55 children on the religion school register from September 2023, but this may well increase over the summer. When I first became involved in the Jewish education of the religion school, there were scarcely 25 children registered!
Synagogue members are justifiably proud of our wonderful stained glass windows. Originally, the renowned artist Chagall was approached to design for the synagogue, but, due to illness, he was unable to move forward with this. Instead, he recommended the artist, John Petts, who has also undertaken work at a church in Alabama (USA), the ‘Tree of Life’ window for St Peter’s Church in Carmarthen, several churches and chapels in Wales, and in Kent. He was a member of the Arts Council of Great Britain between 1958 and 1961.
My son, when preparing for his wedding…wanted to have the windows as part of his wedding day in 2017, as it was at his Bar Mitzvah in 2001. Like so many members, he and his fiancee love the windows and appreciate their beauty and value to the BHRS and wider community. When we speak of our synagogue, non members always say ‘oh, the synagogue with the stunning stained glass windows’. They are horrified with the prospect of anything happening to them, or to the building itself.
The educational role of our building, which was, as already mentioned, constructed as a Holocaust Memorial, is so very important. The Holocaust Memorial Windows, and the fact that the ‘Holocaust memorial’ aspect is set within a vibrant, living synagogue, offers a very particular possibility for education on this sensitive topic that both relates to a real community, touched by the Holocaust, but also one that reassuringly survived to tell the tale. The synagogue has a group of members who regularly talk to local schools when they come to visit as BHRS because of the Holocaust memorial aspect. As of today (June 2023), there have been over 1,000 children visiting this year. Among the Torah scrolls is one from Czechia which had survived WW2.
BHRS is a wonderful and vibrant community. The building is well known, not only to the local Jewish community and local community, but to the Jewish communities throughout the UK and beyond. It is our home and the wonderful, warm and historic windows are a huge part of that. We cannot and must not lose them.
The Holocaust Memorial Windows, and the fact that the ‘Holocaust memorial’ aspect is set within a vibrant, living synagogue, offers a very particular possibility for education on this sensitive topic that both relates to a real community, touched by the Holocaust, but also one that reassuringly survived to tell the tale.
Two little girls, Cindy and Juliet Dicks, reading the inscription on the Foundation Stone of The Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue, circa 1966. Cindy went on to marry Rabbi Dr Jeremy Collick, of Blessed Memory, and thus became the Rebbitzin. The photo shows Cindy nearest to the camera. I have posted this at the request of my very dear friend, Devorah Dicks, mother of Cindy and Juliet.