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30 Jul 2010 / 19 Av 5770     

Judi Sheffrin

How do you like to be known? Judi

How long have you been associated with BRS and what brought you to us?
I’m glad you asked! More than 43 years; my parents. That is not as glib an answer as it sounds. Both my parents, as a female and a German refugee, respectively, had been turned off Judaism in their youth, but the founding of a Reform community close to home, just when they had three cheder-age children, tempted them back... whereupon they became inspired and totally immersed for the rest of their lives. Hence, this community is my extended family. Aren’t I lucky to be “related” to such a variety of dedicated, talented and stimulating people! I cherish my wonderful friends here, old and new.

What is your role in the community?
Too varied to pin down, but touches on communications (I love sending out our weekly e-light and proofreading Highlight, but I am getting a bit past it now, so new helpers would be a good idea) choir, Cheder (including helping some individual Bar Mitzvah students), the Library, Ritual (one of my favourite jobs is co-ordinating High Holyday mitzvot) and trying, with others locally, to improve BR10, our social group for the Bromley area. All suggestions, helpers, offers of hospitality etc are welcome. If “community” includes Nightingale, I occasionally help there, and have been rewarded with many a free film show over the years.

Have you any hobbies?
How much room have I got? Chiefly walking. Just show me our beautiful garden of England and I can’t wait to get out there and run around, rain, snow or shine. I occasionally lead urban walks as well as rural ones for my rambling club, as I also enjoy wandering around London, discovering everything from historical architecture and modern sculpture to riverside paths and hidden gardens. Also photography (especially of flowers that can be used for greetings cards), making greetings cards, board and word games, reading poetry, crosswords, singing, theatre/musicals, visiting cities abroad and entertaining at home.
Favourite things? Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens... I’m not joking; I cannot resist photographing flowers at the best of times, but think of the wonderful fragrance of roses combined with glistening raindrops! And I can wax just as enthusiastic on bluebell woods and autumn leaves. Nor can I resist kittens. If only I didn’t live in a flat from which I am frequently absent... Maybe when I retire...?

What do you do professionally and how has your career developed?
Hardly a career, more a progressive supper subsidised by a succession of printers and publishers. I went from playing table tennis at an insurance company on the pretext of preparing documentation to drinking Pimms at the Brewers Society under cover of helping with press releases to staying in motels with the News Shopper in the course of proof reading to a proper job running Prontaprint at London Bridge with Alan, who is still there after more than 25 years (Mazal tov, Al; please use him, everybody!). Then seven years of G&Ts as a Hansard committee reporter and nearly two eating kosher leftovers at the JC in between taking announcements. Odd jobs have included three weeks in Brixton nick and three months on a magazine covering HR conferences. The latter gave me a taste for cheese and baguettes in European cities, which I indulged further in Strasbourg, Paris and Belfast with Hansard.

Who are your family members?
My immediate family is pretty small: sisters Helen, nearby, and her twin Sue, the mother of my unbelievably attractive, talented and adorable niece and nephew, Naomi and Adam, in Melbourne – sadly too far to go for Shabbat dinner, but I have visited several times and can recommend their community, too, for its friendliness. Luckily, I do have some very dear cousins, aunts and uncles of varying degrees of removal and a few “adopted relatives” in UK, Australia, Spain and Israel, with a few of whom I am going on a rather ambitious walking holiday later this year, hence my new-found obsession with fitness training.

What achievements are you proudest of and what would you like to achieve in future?
a) Getting into Hansard when I did;and b) Retiring while I still have the koach to do something useful (and get a kitten).

This member profile originally appeared in Highlight, the monthly newsletter of Bromley Reform Synagogue, in June 2009. It was correct at the time of going to print.

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