Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue (EHRS) is an inclusive, progressive, vibrant and welcoming Holy community, which strongly values tradition whilst responding to the challenges of modern day Jewish living. 

There are so many activities and opportunities at EHRS, which make it much more than a synagogue, it is a community centre for all ages, or as someone described us, a multiplex cinema offering something for everyone.  

The synagogue building is a place of worship and also a community centre with many different regular and special activities for all ages. We are delighted to offer a huge range of Synagogue services and activities to cater for all ages. These include Nagila, our Early Years Nursery; Orot, our Religion School; Youth Clubs; Uniformed Groups; our Day Centre for the elderly, plus a wide range of adult education and social groups.

You can find out more about EHRS not only on our website, but also in our bi-monthly magazine LeDor VaDor, or subscribing to our weekly email Our Week Ahead. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you wish to be added to the email list.

Thursday 14 May

Dear friends

Time for another message to you as I know you will be wondering when, and indeed how, the synagogue can re-open, and we can all meet up with each other again. The admin team and council are looking at this in the light of the new government guidelines, but I’m afraid that it maybe that we cannot meet up in person until well into the Summer, and even then, only in small numbers with a care to social distancing. I know everybody is fed up being at home, but safety is my main priority and I believe we have to be cautious to prevent any more risk to our community than is absolutely necessary. Never fear, 118 will be ready to receive you again, but I can’t give you a definite time just yet!

Here you will see regular updates for our community, updated Thursday 28 May
Please continue to read.

The synagogue premises are now closed to visitors. There is no access without prior appointment.
The EHRS offices and departments are trying to operate as much as normal as is possible within the government regulations at this time. The telephone is operated during the normal office hours. Although the staff are operating from home they are reachable via the usual telephone numbers and email addresses. Please listen to the menu when you call, to be connected as appropriate. Please do not send anything by post. All payments should be made via the website. We will soon be able to take payments over the phone once a new system is set up.

In the case of a bereavement, please contact the Jewish Joint Burial Society
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 020 8989 5252, 07483 308278

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur 5781/2020 at EHRS

The High Holy Days for EHRS is an extraordinary celebration of community as well as being a spiritually transformative time for every individual in our congregation. Most years close to two thousand members come onto our Stonegrove site at the same time. This year, as we continue to cope responsibly and caringly with the Covid-19 pandemic, we will have to prioritise the highest Jewish value, pikuach nefesh, the preservation of life and adapt our High Holy Days experience accordingly. In the Talmud Yoma 83a our Rabbis tell us directly that this is what we must do as they consider a case where a building has collapsed near a Synagogue on Yom Kippur. They rule that the services must end immediately and all go out to help save anyone still living as long as there is still breath in their body.

Friday 5 June
16:15-16:45 Kuddle Up by Livestream
Join Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers and the Shabbat Dinosaur for Shabbat stories and songs through our livestream. Best for younger children. Please check the EHRS Our Week Ahead email for the opportunity to join on Zoom so we can hear your suggestions for what to put in the Chicken soup pot and where you have your Shabbat feelings!
18:30 Erev Shabbat Service
led by Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers through the EHRS Livestream
Click here for the Erev Shabbat Service siddur
20:00 Friday Night Lights
Join Rabbi Emily Reitsma-Jurman and her family on Erev Shabbat for candle lighting and Shabbat songs, through the EHRS Livestream.

Saturday 6 June
9:15-10:00 First Shabbat Shiur: What is happening in Synagogue music?
Join Student Cantor Rachel Weston with an introductory Shiur exploring current trends in contemporary cantorial music. We will spend this time together with a mixture of recordings, live demonstrations, and community participation, with a focus on integrating accessible melodies with meaningful prayer experiences. Rachel is a Chazzan in training at New York's Hebrew Union College School of Sacred Music, where she is the recipient of the Koret Foundation Scholarship and the Atara Scholarship for Merit. From 2012 to 2018 she worked as the cantorial soloist and resident soprano at Hendon Reform Synagogue as well as making a great contribution to Jewish music throughout the UK. This session will be hosted by Rabbi Emily. For Zoom details please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

10:30 Main Service available to watch through the EHRS Livestream
Click here for the Shabbat Morning Service siddur. A link to our Torah and Haftarah Portions for this week will appear on the EHRS Community Channel on the front page of the website.
Shacharit Service and Torah Service led by Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers

11:00 Shabbat B'Bayit
Join Rabbi Emily Reitsma-Jurman LIVE on the EHRS Facebook page for Shabbat B'Bayit, a fun Shabbat morning service with songs, stories, and reflections to give you Shabbat flavour without the formality.

Youth Media Moments
For all those aged 5-11
So far we have had great fun taking part in a variety of quizzes, amazing Passover sing alongs, origami, matzah houses, home adventures, first aid and tie competitions in memory of Rabbi Kraft.

Youth Media Moments takes place every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 16:30 on Zoom with amazing activities for EHRS children. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details and if you would like a Zoom link for your children to join us. Send us your photos and videos of what you have been doing to keep yourself busy and we will share them and enjoy them all together every Show and Share Thursday.

Whilst we can't get together in person, below you will find links to the videos and resources created by your EHRS team.

 

Here is a link to the Torah and Haftarah portions for Shabbat B'ha'a'lot'cha on Saturday 6 June - click here

Here is a link to the Torah and Haftarah portions for Shabbat Sh'lach L'cha on Saturday 13 June - click here

Here is a link to the entire Reform Judaism Siddur to use on weekdays and Shabbat: Seder HaTefillot - Forms of Prayer. All you need to do to find your way around the Siddur is to type the page number you need in the box at the top next to the word 'pages'. Thank you to Reform Judaism for making this facility available.

If you are joining a funeral service from home you can follow this service in this online Siddur provided by Reform Judaism. Click here to download it in full or click here for an abridged printable version.

If you are joining a Shivah (Memorial Prayer) service from home you can follow this service in this online Siddur provided by Reform Judaism. Click here to download it in full.

Please continue to read for more links, including our EHRS Online Talks of the Week, songs and prayers

Here are a selection of recordings from the EHRS Choir for you to listen to. The "Krafty Koristors" will be able to provide more recordings in this way, so please look out for them here in the coming weeks. Ann Sadan

Odecha
Odecha is part of Psalm 118, which is always included in our Halleil prayers on Rosh Chodesh and Festivals. You can find it on page 673 in our Siddur, beginning at v 21. We have three different tunes that are sung at EHRS, and this recording has proved to be one of the favourite versions in our Shul.  Interestingly, our wonderful Bass and Tenor voices sing strongly these words: 
‘A stone the builders rejected has become the corner-stone itself.
Through God this came about, this wonder to our eyes.’
If some of the chords sound familiar, or Stephen Glass’ arrangement ‘rings some bells’ this is because we also sing Stephen’s Adon Olam – known as San Francisco. We hope you find this uplifting.

Talmud Class - via Zoom
Sundays 10 & 24 May and 21 June, 10:00 - 11:00
EHRS’s stimulating and friendly Talmud class is open to all levels of Jewish knowledge. Join Rabbi Mark to grapple with the ideas of our classical Rabbis. Join the discussion of 2000 years ago and its remarkable relevance to issues today. No previous Talmud study experience necessary, just a thirst to get deep into the foundational texts of Judaism. This class is conducted online through Zoom as discussion and argument is what it is all about!
Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get the Zoom details and the Talmud texts we are studying.