Ceremony a privilege and a joy'

PM visits new synagogue

Mrs Thatcher paid a visit to North Finchley on Sunday for the consecration of the new Woodside Park Synagogue and the Induction of its rabbi, Geoffrey Hyman.

She was invited to the ceremony several weeks ago but let the organisers know that she was coming only a few days before.

The synagogue is actually in MP Sydney Chapman's Chipping Barnet constituency, but many of Mrs Thatcher's supporters attend it.

Mrs Thatcher, wearing a grey suit and a widebrimmed cream hat, sat in the ladies' gallery during the ceremony, led by Chief Rabbi Sir Immanuel Jakobovits.

The service was conducted by the Rev Michael Plaskow, and the choir was under the direction of Mr. E. Fisher.

Mrs Thatcher was obviously moved by the ceremony, the first synagogue consecration she has attended. Afterwards she addressed an audience of about 400 at a reception in the nearby hall on “God-given freedom” and the law.

The synagogue's president, Victor Lucas, introduced the Prime Minister as “a long-standing friend of Israel.” Her forthcoming visit to Israel will be the first by a Prime Minister in office.

He told her how much the Jewish community supported and respected her hard-line stance against terrorism, “in all its guises, from whatever source.”

He also thanked her for “turning away last year the cunning hand of the PLO” —a reference to the planned meeting with representatives of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation last autumn.

In her address, Mrs Thatcher thanked the synagogue for allowing her to attend the ceremony which she described as “a privilege and a joy.”

She also congratulated Sir Immanuel and Rabbi Hyman on their “remarkable sermons.”

In his sermon the Chief Rabbi spoke of the freedom that is enjoyed in Britain and expressed a wish that it could be extended to people in other countries.

Said Mrs Thatcher: “You may wonder why a Prime Minister makes so much of a effort to come to a religious occasion.

“It is because of that freedom and that law, which is the only thing that enables freedom to have its true expression. These are not man made, they are God given.”

She said that without this realisation freedom and that rule of law would perish.

She went on: “My message is that unless we keep alive that belief in God all the other things will perish and die, because it would be like cutting a flower off at its roots.

“It would be beautiful when it was first given, but it would soon wither and die.”

Mrs Thatcher said she honoured both freedom and liberty, which “are part of my philosophical as well as my religious belief.”

The synagogue's president, Victor Lucas, had spoken of the need for leadership in his address, and Mrs Thatcher took up his theme.

“We need more people willing to take on leadership roles throughout society.

“Democracy is about people being prepared to take on responsibility at all levels,” she said.

And she concluded: “Rabbi Hyman you have your number 10 (the commandments) and I have mine. I hope we both keep them for a very long time.”

The new synagogue, which has been in use since September, was built on the site of the old Woodside Park Synagogue which was too small and was demolished because it was in danger of falling down.

The building is furnished with several items salvaged from synagogues that have been demolished or closed.

The ark and bimah, the platform on which ceremonies are conducted were taken from the Sunderland Beth Hamed rash and the stained glass windows are from the South-East London Synagogue, which closed last year.