Howard Johnson and Janet Suzman at JR Salon, Jan 2015 © Charlotte Mayhew

We enjoyed our first Jewish Renaissance salon on Sunday 18 January as much as we hope all of you did. This exclusive event for our subscribers was held at Lord and Lady Lipworth's house in St John's Wood and featured Howard Jacobson in conversation with Janet Suzman (pictured above), with a performance by virtuoso violinist Irmina Trynkos.

The music was fabulous, the conversation, which veered from why there is no British Sienfeld, to Howard's typically eccentric interpretation of the Ten Commandments, was pithy and frequently hilarious, and the canapés were addictive. It was a fantastically positive start to our newly energised magazine and our fundraising drive.

We want to say a big thank you to everyone who took part and helped, and to all of you who came and supported us. See our pictures below for a hint at how it went (more can be found on the JR Facebook page).

Our next salon features a full concert with the wonderful Irmina Trynkos, who'll be playing from a repertoire including Brahms, Waghalter, Gershwin and Bloch. This will be on Tuesday 10 March, 7pm at Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, N6 5HG. Tickets cost £35 (£25 for subscribers) and can be purchased by clicking here.

By Rebecca Taylor

Photos © Charlotte Mayhew