Last month, over 20 families attended our Drop In centre. They came from oppressive or war-ravaged countries from Syria to Congo to Eritrea to Sri Lanka. Many of the parents we interviewed had professional degrees or had been in higher education when they'd had to flee persecution or certain death. Without the support offered to them at Drop In Centres such as ours, they would be without resources altogether. What we provide in nourishment, food allowance, clothing and personal hygiene makes a substantial difference to these families. To participate in this project is to witness the impact not only of events covered in the global news on individual lives, but of the benefits of providing what we can to address the needs of those affected.

When: Sunday 15th April and Sunday 20 May, 1:30pm until 4:30pm (or any amount of time in between!)
Where: WLS Drop In for destitute asylum seekers St Paul's Church Community Hall, 5 Rossmore Road, Nw1 6NJ. 
Who: Energetic volunteers of all ages to play with high-spirited children Compassionate listeners to register newcomers and to conduct intake interviews
Special Pleas: We need, desperately, Citizen's Advice Bureau workers to provide guidance for families who request it. AND we need lawyers who can direct our families to appropriate representation.
IMPORTANT: Lawyers who volunteer will not be expected to provide legal services. We need professionals with sufficient knowledge of the asylum/refugee/naturalization system to point our families toward those who can provide appropriate legal services.

If you're not able to volunteer, you can support the centre through our Omer Project. Please bring nappies and 1 kilo bags of rice to the case in the corridor at reception for distribution to our families.

And/or sign up to sponsor a month's worth of hot food for the centre. It costs us roughly 90 pounds to feed the families who attend the drop in. WLS members who underwrite a monthly meal will receive a bespoke cheesecake prepared by an ace member of our culinary team.

To volunteer, support or make inquiries, please email  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The last in a series of three adult education seminars on preparing for death and living a life was largely led by Dr Isky Gordon, Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Imaging, - ably chaired by Marilyn Rixhon, and wonderfully put together - her parting demonstration of her great creativity - by Tina Elliott.

Dr Gordon took us through how to prepare an Advance Decision, or 'living will', and how to ensure those who need to know about it know that you have one. The slides here give that guidance. As a congregation, WLS takes no view about whether or not people should have an advance decisions. However, we do believe that people should think about whether they want one, and, if they do, should do it properly. Not only that, but as good Jews preparing for High Holy days in Ellul- August, and over the summer- we think it's a good time to review what we have said and written. That includes any advance decision or appointment of a healthcare proxy (Lasting Power of Attorney) - someone you appoint to make decisions for you if you are unable to do so, whether to write an ethical will- a letter to ones' children/grandchildren about what you hold dear, and what other instructions, including a standard will, you wish to make.

One of the main points to emerge from all three seminars was that we should not pretend we are not going to die, and that there is real merit in being ready for it when the time comes.

At last, it is permissible to talk about death and dying in the wider community. I hope we will continue to set the lead at West London, and continue to debate the issues in the news around death and dying.

Rabbi Julia Neuberger

• Please click here to download Dr Isky Gordon's Slideshow
• Please click here to download the Preparing Advance Directives Booklet