To listen to a recording of the event please see below Some 700 men and women attended a pre-Rosh Hashanah lecture given by the acclaimed American storyteller Rabbi Paysach Krohn last Monday evening. The event, which was held at the Menorah Primary School in Golders Green, was organised by a new UK outreach organisation, Phone and Learn.

Phone and Learn was set up three months ago at the urging of Rabbi Krohn, who suggested it would be a fitting memorial to a much-loved Jewish educator, Sammy Homburger. The programme, in which participants delve into the Jewish topic of their choice in telephone learning sessions, is based on a successful American model that currently boasts around 10,000 enrolees.

During the course of his lecture, which represented the public launch of PaL, Rabbi Krohn discussed ways in which the Jewish community can reconnect with itself and with G-d in the run up to the High Holidays. His suggestions included counting ones blessings, literally through increased prayer and figuratively by being grateful for the good in our lives. He also urged the community to make more time for its children.

At the end of the evening, PaL committee member Dov Harris asked people to sign up to the programme, either as students or prospective tutors. Dov said: "We are delighted at the success of this evening, which has seen many people encouraged to become part of this great project. In future months, we hope to run a series of tutor training courses given by international experts in the field."