1 January 2020

Members of the East Anglian Jewish population packed the Old Meeting House in Norwich to see Rabbi Cantor Gershon Silins inducted as the new rabbi of the Norwich Liberal Jewish Community (NLJC).

Gershon – who was ordained as rabbi in July after graduating from Leo Baeck College – was inducted by Rabbi Danny Rich, the senior rabbi of Liberal Judaism.

Danny paid tribute to Gershon’s musical skills and his tenacity in undertaking a five-year rabbinic training course after many years as a cantor in Britain, America and Canada. He added: “Communities are about the close relationship between the rabbi and the congregation and Norwich Liberal Jewish Community has been, and will continue to be, a great example of that. I am looking forward to seeing all that Gershon achieves here.”

Peter Whear, chair of the NLJC , thanked Danny for his support and for being a good friend of the community and officially welcomed Gershon, who had served the congregation while studying.

After a chavurah lunch with members of the community, Gershon and Danny met up with Dr Marian Prinsley – the High Sheriff of Norwich and vice president of the Orthodox Norwich Hebrew Congregation – at the Norwich Guildhall.