Michael Morris

I asked Michael what his profession was, and he replied: ‘keeping women happy’. In my, limited, experience that is a tough job. It transpires that he was referring to his trade in simulated fur coats, which has taken him around the world in a quest to keep women happy and to keep them warm. Now however he is focused on Maidenhead synagogue in an attempt to keep Jonathan happy, perhaps an equally daunting task.

Michael and his wife Gill – recently celebrating their 50^th anniversary - are long standing members of the community, and he remembers how the early synagogue comprised of only a few families. It seems that the character of the community has not changed greatly from its inception, and Michael talked of despite the shifting transient nature of members and disparate spread across the area the synagogue has maintained its core founding values. As well as fulfilling religious needs the synagogue also played an important, as it does now, social role. Michael believes in the enduring tradition of the communal seder, but fears that it is being used as a substitute for a seder in the home adding that it should be adapted to suit the needs of those without their own family seder.

For several years Michael has been at the heart of synagogue improvements and building projects. His labour of love has provided us with the kosher shop and a toilet in Gannon amongst a vast array of other things, and he maintains a pragmatic approach, if not a touch combative, towards the funding and organisation of developments. I admire his tenacity, being a little bit naughty in order to get things done in a straightforward way. I got the impression that he feels very strongly on a number of issues but I’m afraid he might get into trouble! He believes in honesty and trust, and recalls how he once settled a particular argument over whether to serve chicken soup or tomato soup at a function by falling off a chair backwards through a window (there’s no argument in my opinion, has to be chicken soup all the way).

I wish Michael all the best in his recovery, and I hope that he will continue his battle to fix the kitchen windows and above all, ‘keep women happy’!