We are delighted to introduce Rabbi Gabriel Botnick and family to our Synagogue.

Rabbi Botnick will be working with Rabbi Altshuler for the next few months as we get to know him.

Rabbi Botnick grew up in Cleveland, Ohio where his family are active members of the B’nai Jeshurun Congregation, which was founded more than 170 years ago by Hungarian Jews to bridge the gap between the early German Jewish community and the newer wave of Russian Jewish immigrants. It is a synagogue with an organ and choir and a history parallel to ours. Rabbi Botnick’s mother served as the first female president of the synagogue, during which time she recruited all three of its current clergy.

Why did he become a rabbi? Rabbi Botnick says that after university, he returned home to work in the family jewellery business and eventually to take it over. He had already been involved in BBYO and Hillel and became Youth Director of his synagogue. He told himself that he would go to rabbinical school upon retirement – not to serve as a rabbi, but simply to engross himself in Torah study. Then, having moved to Los Angeles, Rabbi Botnick re-evaluated this decision, inspired by a desire to connect with others, in order to bring the depth of our Jewish heritage to life for them. He studied in Jerusalem.

Rabbi Botnick comes to us from the Mishkon Synagogue, located in Venice Beach, California, founded more than 100 years ago as the first synagogue serving Jews on the west side of Los Angeles. Unlike in London, during Lecha Dodi the Community would open the front doors, overlooking the ocean, to welcome the Sabbath bride!

He has come to London with his wife Rabbi Rose Prevezer and daughter Lev. While Rabbi Botnick has not lived in the UK before, Rose grew up in Hampstead Garden Suburb and attended South Hampstead High School, after which she read Archaeology and Anthropology at St Hugh’s, Oxford, and stayed on at Oxford for her Masters in Visual Anthropology. Her rabbinate is focused on the intersection between arts and spirituality and she has just started working at JW3. Rabbi Botnick has visited London regularly to see his in-laws, so knows our city well. Lev loves dancing, playing football, making music, reading – and building LEGO.

Welcome to Belsize!

We are now taking bookings for Shabbat Services from Friday 19 March.

Services will begin at the regular time, 6.45pm on Friday evening and 10.00am on Saturday morning. All Services will continue to be streamed on BelsizeLIVE.

Various measures have been put in place to ensure that the building and Services are compliant with government regulations, and that everyone attending feels as safe as possible. Here is a sample of the measures that have been put into place:

• Seating is grouped into family bubbles
• There are 2m spaces between each group
• All seating is allocated in advance
• A one-way system within the building
• Sanitising stations at entrances/exits
• A full clean and sanitization of the building immediately after the service
• Strict arrival and exit procedures including taking the temperature of each person before they enter

To book for a service could not be easier. You can email Adam (adam@synagogue.org.uk) in the synagogue office or call him on 020 7794 3949. Please let us know which service you wish to attend and how many people will be attending. You will receive a confirmation email with full instructions. Please note that your booking has not been confirmed until you receive the confirmation email.

We are restricting bookings to one service every three weeks so that everyone has a chance to attend but you are welcome to put your name on the reserve list for other services. We do not expect to be fully booked every week and we will let you know if a space becomes available . As a member you will be given priority over non-members who wish to attend.

Bookings can be made up to 12.00pm on a Friday. We cannot guarantee a response to any emails sent after that time.

There will be no age restrictions in place so if you wish to bring along children that would be fine. We will not have our regular toys and books out and the playground is not available.

If you have any questions or wish to be sent a copy of our full risk assessment then please call or email Lee (lee@synagogue.org.uk).

Full details of our coronavirus response.

Making a donation could not be easier.

• To donate via debit/credit card click here to be transported to our secure payments page
• If you would like to donate via cheque or make a bank transfer, please send a text message to 07876 340059 or email lee@synagogue.org.uk, stating your name and the amount you wish to pledge. You will be contacted by a member of our team within the next 48 hours to redeem your pledge.

GIFT AID – Gift aid means we can make your donation go further. Your donation increases by the rate of tax applicable at the date of your payment with no extra cost to yourself. Gift aid will be added to your donation where possible and if we hold a valid gift aid form on record.

.