Festival Services We create meaningful and engaging festival celebrations for all ages. Expand Evening festival service are usually held at 6.00pm and morning services at 11.00am, preceded by coffee and cake from 10.30am. At the end of every festival service there is a kiddush (blessing over wine). Sukkot: After the solemnity of the High Holy Days, we come together to build and decorate a communal sukkah (tabernacle). Each year we have a theme, and at an Open House service we welcome people of all faiths and none into the sukkah. Simchat Torah: At the end of the torah reading year, the torah scrolls are danced around the synagogue to joyous klezmer music. Congregants help unwind one scroll from one end of the Sanctuary to the other. The rabbis circumnavigate this scroll, reliving the journey from Genesis to Deuteronomy. A celebratory supper follows the evening service. The next morning the wardens at the end of their term of office are honoured. Chanukah: The communal chanukkiah dates back to 1849, and we light it each night of Chanukah to mark the miracle of the light and the hope of good triumphing over evil. Each night of Chanukah is dedicated to a different constituent group of the community. There may be a rabbis’ drinks reception, a celebratory intergenerational Shabbat Chanukah service, a children’s doughnut party, area group meetings all over London where we light the chanukkiah in members’ homes, a young adults event, a tea party for our senior members.... Purim: For families there is a Purim carnival, and for all we have a spirited reading of the Megillah (Esther), followed by a themed Spiel (show) performed by rabbis and wardens in fabulous costumes, and an ‘after party’. Pesach: Several seders are offered – a first night communal seder for all, which is joyous, thoughtful and interactive; a second night Young Adults (YAD) seder; and often a second night Interfaith seder at which members of other faith groups join our own members. There is a traditional Pesach morning service. And at the conclusion of the festival, we follow the Moroccan-Jewish tradition of holding a Mimouna, a delicious community supper of Middle Eastern leavened dishes. Shavuot: The evening of Shavuot starts with an uplifting service, followed by a supper and then a ‘Shavuaton’ - a full night of inspiring study sessions. We are joined by St John’s Wood’s Liberal Jewish Synagogue and run an educational programme from dusk to dawn. We welcome the first rays of morning with a roof-top sunrise service. The traditional 11am service commences with the community’s children dancing on rose petals in the Sanctuary, to release their perfume.
Weekly Services Each weekend we hold both Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat services and Saturday morning Shabbat Shacharit services. Expand On all Fridays we have a traditional Reform choral service at 6pm, with a sermon and beautiful music to help close the working week and enter Shabbat. On the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month we also have an informal and uplifting band-led Shira service, at 7.15pm. “Shira” means singing and the emphasis is on a vibrant, participatory service with lots of singing and modern music. On the 2nd Friday of each month, the 6pm service becomes a Combo service, bringing together our choir, our Director of Music, our Community Musician, and the Shira band, to create an energetic and participative communal prayer-experience. Often this Combo service will be followed by a community dinner (for which prebooking is preferred). On Saturdays we have a weekly Shacharit Service at 11.00am. The Torah is read, and there is usually a sermon. Many members choose to mark their lifecycle moments at these services, whether this is a bar/bat mitzvah, baby blessing, pre-marriage celebration or significant birthday/anniversary. Morning services are preceded by coffee and cake from 10.30am. At the conclusion of every service there is a kiddush (blessing with wine, and light reception). On Saturdays there is also a children’s service (Shabbatots) commencing 10.30am. On Wednesdays during term-time there are evening Ma’ariv prayers at 6.30pm. Prayers can be arranged on other days for those bereaved who wish to mark their loss through Shiva at the synagogue.
ShabbaTots This is a family friendly sing-a-long and service for the under fives. Expand Held in the delightful first floor Children’s Synagogue within WLS, it is run by Dahlia Sherrington with English and Hebrew songs, accompanied by guitar and with percussion instruments for children. A Rabbi is there each week at the start to greet you, and the event concludes with Kiddush. A service is held every Shabbat, during term time (please check events for exact dates) from 10.30am - 12.00pm (note that this starts 30 minutes before the main service). ShabbaTots special services are held to celebrate Festivals.
High Holy Days All services over the High Holy Days are now contained within our own building. There is a range of traditional and more innovative services from which to choose (the traditional Reform service taking place in our historic Sanctuary), with entry by ticket. Expand If you are a synagogue member, you will receive your High Holy Day programme and tickets around 8 weeks before the Jewish New Year. If you would like to attend as a non member (a guest of a member, or a visitor to London over the holidays, or a member of another Reform or Liberal synagogue), we will do our best to find you a place to pray with us - please contact Ronit Wang on 020 7535 0285. During the Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when spiritual introspection is customary, the Synagogue also provides stimulating educational sessions and lively cultural events. All main services are streamed online for those who cannot attend in person.