Faith

Centenary Christmas Coffee Morning on Saturday 28th November from 10.30am - 12.30pm at Pinner Free Church (Baptist), Paines Lane, Pinner.

HARROW Muslim Council is prepared to run the "underused" Muslim section of Harrow Weald cemetery in order to provide a seven-day-a-week burial service there.
The idea was put forward after Harrow Council attracted criticism for not providing families with the ability to inter their relatives at weekends at a different cemetery - the Brent Council-managed Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery in Oxhey Lane, Watford, where Harrow has had its own graveyard area since May 2008.
Nizam Ismail (Labour), chairman of Harrow Muslim Council and a ward councillor for Queensbury, has been lobbying for Saturday and Sunday burials at Carpenders Park and recently attended a meeting between faith representatives and Harrow Council bosses to resolve the matter.
Afterwards, a Labour statement said: "The meeting was very positive and constructive. It was agreed to look into this matter very seriously and an undertaking was given that burial facilities would be provided on Saturdays at Carpenders Park as from April 1 2010."
Mr Ismail added: "At last someone has listened to us. Having burials on Saturdays is an important step forward and we will wish to see this extended to Sundays as well."
Aside from talks about Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery, he said there was "a very productive discussion" about the future management of the Muslim section of Harrow Weald Cemetery in Clamp Hill, Stanmore, which is, according to Labour, is "currently underused due to the restricted services offered by the council".
The Harrow Muslim Council suggested to Michael Lockwood, chief executive of Harrow Council, that the borough's Islamic community manage the section itself with public funding to ensure burials could take place every day.
It is understood that the replacement Harrow Central Mosque in Station Road, Harrow, will employ an undertaker to run its morgue in order to make this practicable.
Mr Ismail said: "The council has promised to look at this innovative proposal very seriously and to respond in the very near future."
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Oxford University's finest choir heads to Pinner on Saturday, February 28, to perform a selection of much-loved works.

Schola Cantorum will give a one-off show at Pinner Parish Church, in Church Lane, and tickets are now on sale from 07972 542 524 or at scholatickets@gmail.com.

For more information on the concert visit the choir's website www.schola-cantorum.net

People met at Harrow Civic Centre on Sunday to pray for peace.

Councillor Navin Shah, (Labour) member for Brent and Harrow, jointly organised the meeting with the Middlesex New Synagogue, Muslim Council of Britain and Harrow Interfaith Council.

They prayed for all those who had lost their lives or have suffered during recent conflicts in the Middle East. The climax of the meeting was the signing of a peace declaration by almost 100 people.

Mr Shah said: "The gathering was a true reflection of the unity and harmony enshrined in Harrow's diverse community".

Representatives from nine faiths including Hinduism, Judaism and Sikhism read prayers as well as committing to maintaining peace and harmony among Harrow's diverse communities.

The fire brigade and police commanders for Harrow are also to sign the declaration. Mr Shah is hoping to conduct regular meetings to reflect upon global crisis.

When asked what was gained from the meeting he said: "At a local level we saw the will to continue working for piece and solidarity. It is great to see the desire to live in Harmony."

Pinner Association of Churches is due to host its own Songs of Praise in the park event.

The concert in Pinner Memorial Park in Chapel Lane, Pinner, will start at 2.30pm on August 24.

The Pinner Association of Churches is a group of six churches in the village which includes St Luke's, Paines Lane United Free, Pinner Methodist, St John's, St Andrew's and Cannon Lane Methodist church.

By Tara Brady

A charismatic young Rabbi is hoping to make his own mark on a Jewish community when he takes over from his father at Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue.

On Saturday (09) father-of-two, Aaron Goldstein, 38, will replace Dr Andrew Goldstein as senior Rabbi at the synagogue in Oaklands Gate.

By Tara Brady

Hundreds of revellers turned out to enjoy an annual summer fair organised by Pinner Associated of Churches (PAC).
Children, parents and friends had their faces painted, hopped on a bouncy castle and a watched a puppet show in Pinner Memorial Park and Youth Centre on Saturday (June 5).
Music performed by St Michael and All Angels Steel Band from Stonebridge in Brent kept people's toes tapping while refreshments were served throughout the day.
Dorothy Nott of Moss Lane, Pinner, helped on a craft stall. She said: "It was such wonderful day. We were blessed with the weather and it was busy all afternoon. We just didn't stop.
"It was great to see the children enjoying themselves on the bouncy castle and having their faces painted. There were people of all ages who really had fun throughout the day."
PAC is made up of six churches in Pinner which work together organising and supporting community acitivites in the area. The churches are Cannon Lane Methodist Church, Love Lane Methodist Church, Pinner United Free Church, St Andrew's United Reform Church, St John the Baptist Church of England and St Luke's Roman Catholic Church.
To find out more about PAC email webmaster@pinnerchurches.org.uk.

More than 400 people paid tribute to the lives lost during the Holocaust in a special ceremony held at Pinner Synagogue.
Yom Hashoah, a day set aside by Jews to remember their persecution during the Second World War, has been commemorated at the synagogue in Cecil Park, Pinner, for the past 19 years.
And this year's event is believed to have attracted the biggest attendance ever.
Brian Eisenberg, a member of the synagogue, helped organise the event and was delighted with the turnout, particularly from younger members of the community.
He said: "Everyone felt the evening went brilliantly and we think it was the biggest turnout ever. To get so many people interested in this is very rewarding because it is something we need to keep in the minds of all generations.
"Obviously we are always worried that it's going to start fading in memory as generations get older so it is crucial to keep it in the minds of the younger people."
This year's focus was on the 70th anniversary of the Kindertransport - trains which were used to transport more than 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi Germany to Britain prior to the War.
As part of the evening two former Kinder, Susi Bechhofer and Herman Hirschberger spoke about their own experiences during the Holocaust, and Ambassador of the Slovak Republic, His Excellency Juraj Zervan, addressed those who turned up on the night.
Amongst the 400 people at the evening on May 1, were students from schools across the area who read out poems and lit candles in memory of those who died during the War.
Six candles were lit - one for every million Jews persecuted.
Pupils from Heathfield School, based in Beaulieu Drive, Pinner, came along to hear first hand accounts of those who survived the Holocaust, to help with an upcoming production on Kindertransport.
Families of the children on the Kindertransport had to pay £50 per child to send them to Britain between November 9, 1938, and September 1, the following year.

Pinner Synagogue, Cecil Park, Pinner, will be hosting guest speaker Lindsay Taylor-Gutharz for Tanach with Attitude on Monday (19).