Wimbledon Synagogue publishes Community Cookbook

With contributions from over 100 members of the Wimbledon Synagogue community and illustrated by over 200 beautiful photographs, ‘The Wimbledon Synagogue Community Cookbook’ demonstrates how food and cooking strengthen and sustain a community.

Wimshul Cooks is a group of eight Wimbledon Synagogue enthusiasts that set up a community cooking project in 2012. The aim of the project was to find a way of celebrating the community through the theme of food, cooking and eating by collecting stories, recipes, reflections and advice.

Editor Liz Ison explains: “The aim of the project was to collect not only recipes and personal stories from members of our community, but also to find a way to celebrate the diverse ways food and cooking help our community flourish.

“The project has culminated in a cookbook that is a vibrant record of our community life today. Part of this record is about reflecting back to the past and our individual and collective food heritage. Another aspect of the project has been capturing how food is so often the key to our current activities, events and life cycle celebrations.

“Not only has the project inspired and supported people to write down and share their stories, recipes and memories, it has generated many special events (communal baking sessions, workshops and tastings) that have helped to energise community life and create or cement friendships across the generations (as well as yet more opportunities for eating)”.

You can find out more and order a copy of the book here. The book costs £18 (or £15 per copy if you order two or more). Proceeds will go to Wimbledon Synagogue and the charities and good causes featured in the book.

“A wonderful way of celebrating community and family through the shared enjoyment of food, The Wimbledon Synagogue Community Cookbook is instructive and inspiring, full of love and appealing recipes. You will be charmed”.

Claudia Roden, author of The Book of Jewish Food and The Food of Spain

“A magnificent record of love and care in edible form…the scent of good cooking rises from every page… the recipes have the ring of experience – there’s no doubt of the generosity of the contributors in sharing their favourite dishes and the circumstances under which they were (and are) served…to be enjoyed by everyone of whatever religious or secular persuasion”.

From the Foreword by Elisabeth Luard, Director of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Drink, author of European Peasant Cookery, Family Life and many others

“Recipes and stories have fallen like manna, each one delicious, filled with love and memories”.

From the preface by Judith Ish-Horowicz