Kehillah North London

Kehillah North London is a growing community, established in 2002. We have a part-time rabbi, R' Shulamit Ambalu, a location at the Community Buildings in the grounds of St. Mary's Church in Stoke Newington, a growing cr?che and cheder (Religion School), and a programme of learning and religious events to suit a wide range of interests. We are an intergenerational, multi-racial and multi-ethnic diverse community which welcomes all who wish to experience Judaism in a range of different ways.
 
Some members had not been to a synagogue for years, and had lost touch with Jewish life. Many have non-Jewish partners, are in multi-racial and multi-ethnic relationships, or are in same-sex relationships. Other are rethinking their Orthodox background. What we have in common is our interest in maintaining some form of Jewish identity, whether through religious, learning or social activity.
 
We are different from many traditional synagogues as we make every effort to be inclusive and make everyone feel welcome. All are encouraged to share ideas and join in. Our services are interactive, with members contributing their ideas.
 
Our cheder and cr?che are given high priority - we have employed a teacher to encourage our children to participate in interesting and stimulating activities. We have family services and involve the children in parts of the Saturday morning services.
 
As a community we aim to be involved in social action activities locally. We have links with North London Action for the Homeless, and have participated in a number of local inter-faith events and initiatives. Some of our members regularly join in with local churches to assist with the annual Homeless Shelter that runs each winter. We recently participated in the Strangers into Citizens campaign march, which is proposing an "earned amnesty" for undocumented migrants living in the United Kingdom.