BES Chatanim & N'shei Chayil 2020

Andrew and his wife Maralyn moved to the area in 1993, and have four children Abby, Josh, Sophie and Matti.

He took children’s services for many years, regularly leads davening and leining, including over the Yamim Noraim, served as Gabbai for a number of years in the Limmud Minyan and was Vice-Chair of the shul between 2017-19.

In the wider community, he volunteers as an emergency responder with the London Ambulance Service, sits as a magistrate, and was previously a Borough Councillor.

Ruben moved to Borehamwood in 2006 with his wife Natalie and soon started running BES children’s services and managing the leaders’ rotas at Croxdale and later at Yavneh. He held both Security and Town Liaison portfolios and introduced RotaCentral across many of BES weekly rotas.

As Town Liaison, Ruben and his team were proud to have reinvigorated the Elstree & Borehamwood Youth Council with a strong representation from BES and to embed the BoD’s Jewish Living Experience (JLEX) as an annual event at BES. He also published quarterly updates from BES in the Borehamwood Town Crier, established a Community Liaison Group, represented BES at Hertsmere Forum of Faiths and led the Great Faith Get Together.

Since stepping down from committee work, Ruben has taken over as Security Officer at Yavneh, contributing to establish Yavneh as CST's regional Hertfordshire base with several weekly courses (until lockdown paused that).

Judy Minsky came to live in Borehamwood after her marriage to Godfrey in June 1975. At that time the community consisted of less than 200 young families and weekly Shul services were held on a Friday night and Shabbat morning in what is now the front of the Kiddush hall; with perhaps 20 or 30 men and up to six women sitting in plush red "tip up" cinema seats!

When she was first married, Judy became involved with Kol Rinah, the Shul nursery; firstly on the Board of Governors, a post she held for several years, finally becoming Chairman in the 1980s. She also founded the Mother & Toddler group in 1981 together with some of her local friends, a group which ran for several years. When the local Guide pack needed a new Leader, Judy volunteered for that role and ran the pack with a friend for 2 years.

After taking a 6 month Sabbatical from M&S in 2015, Judy decided to retire altogether and found she had time on her hands which enabled her to become involved in the community once again. She volunteered to help update a New Members Guide which was published as a booklet and distributed to the continuing large numbers of new members who were joining the Shul. She joined the BES Wide Committee and now organises the New Members events to ensure they get to meet each other when they join the Shul.  She spends several hours every month delivering welcome letters & vouchers to every new family. Sadly at this time due to Covid 19 restrictions, she is unable to organise these events.

Following her retirement from work, Judy has become a voluntary Shadchan (Matchmaker) for a Jewish singles organisation, Saw You at Sinai, this is also keeping her very busy.

Judy is very honoured to have been nominated as one of this year's Eshet Chayil.

Juliet has been a member of BES for 18 years and the Shul has played a huge part in her life and that of her husband Simon and children, Joel, Tammy and their much-missed daughter Shani.

Together with Simon, Juliet was part of the original Southside Committee, developing services at Yavneh.  She initiated the children's service provision, recruiting volunteers and running the rotas as well as taking many Reception services. Her claim to fame is that she started the BES@Yavneh Facebook page!

Juliet enjoys being part of the welcoming team, and is looking forward to resuming her favourite position at the back of the Shul wearing her homemade lanyard very soon. She is also involved with CRP scanning, Kiddush rota and for the past two years has coordinated volunteers for the JLEX exhibition which brings hundreds of local children into Shul and teaches them about Judaism, she is proud to be part of this important project.

This year Juliet was happy to have the opportunity to work in the BES Office, helping to organise and publicise events. She really enjoyed working alongside the professional team and the HOs and particularly enjoyed the design challenges set by Simon Mitchell and Rabbi Chapper, like the chocolate-themed Simchat Torah and the Fancy Hat Competition for Purim! When the office closed due to Covid19, she helped with the BES Stay Connected programme.

She is honoured to be asked to be Eishet Chayil and is looking forward to lockdown lifting so we can all be together at Shul again.