It is with great sadness that we heard the news of the loss of Barbara Goldstone zl. She is now reunited with her late husband Neville whom she sorely missed. She is survived by her three daughters Karen, Sandra (in USA) and Jayne (London), and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
She was an English and Drama teacher by profession with a Master’s Degree in Education; she also taught elocution, loved her work and was well liked and respected by her colleagues and pupils. She was working up to the time she became ill two years ago.
In terms of her wider communal activities, she was a staunch member of and President of both Whitefield and later Manchester B’nai Brith on a number of occasions, and Prestwich Emunah in 1958 and again in 1967. She ran a Book Club, which satisfied her passion for English literature. She was a delegate on behalf of Emunah to the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region, served in various roles including Vice-President and then became President of the Representative Council from 2007 to 2010. She was the 28th President and the 4th woman to hold this position. She chaired the Representative Council’s Education Committee for many years, during which time the Council obtained funding to appoint its first Education Officer. She was instrumental in organising the annual Yom Hashoa commemoration.
She was a member of Bury Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education, Salford Health and Collaborative in the Community, the Independent Advisory Group to the Police and helped establish Salford Interfaith Network in 2011, becoming its Co-Chair 2 years later until she became ill. She participated in a number of interfaith groups in Manchester. She edited RepPresents, the Council’s newsletter, for several years.
During the course of her Presidency and thereafter, she could always be relied upon to attend multiple meetings and provide valuable input to support the Jewish Community. On behalf of the Jewish Leadership Council she attended a meeting with Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street in his last week as Prime Minister. She also attended Chanukah lighting at 10 Downing Street. She initiated and oversaw the introduction of the Representative Council’s Community Awards sponsored by the Jewish Telegraph. She and her daughter Jayne attended the Queen’s Garden Party on 21 July 2009 and had the honour of speaking with Prince Charles. Later that year on 22 November 2009, she met with the Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks and his wife when he addressed the Council. In 2012 she was also introduced to the Queen and Prince Phillip by the Bishop of Manchester, Nigel McCulloch, at Lambeth Palace on the occasion of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
She loved entertaining and was a very lavish hostess, holding many meetings in her home and welcoming everyone warmly. She always went to great lengths to present a beautiful array of cakes, biscuits and fruit and ensure that her guests were suitably replete during these meetings. She was a very positive, upbeat person with a joie de vivre, always in touch with the times and greeted everyone with a warm genuine smile. She was a fount of knowledge and gave advice willingly and always with the utmost grace and tact. She was an inspiring communal leader.
In her personal life she was a very glamorous person, always well-dressed and manicured, with a good sense of humour and an infectious laugh. She attacked challenges with gusto. She loved playing and watching tennis, adored Roger Federer and, with her daughter Jayne, used to attend the annual tournament at the Queen’s Club and Wimbledon. She also played table tennis. She was an avid theatre goer, loved literature and used to go regularly to plays at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon.
She will be deeply missed by all those who knew her and were influenced by her.