11 June 2020

Rabbi Leah Jordan has begun work as the new rabbi of Kehillah North London.

The community started life as North London Progressive Jewish Community in 2002 and was built and led for 15 years by Rabbi Shulamit Ambalu. It has also been served by Cantor Tamara Wolfson and, during two interim periods, by Rabbi Danny Rich.

Leah has already hit the ground running, having collaborated with the community in leading Kehillah’s Tikkun Leyl Shavuot – complete with Torah study, creativity, meditation and music – before her formal contract even began. She is also working with members to turn big visions into concrete plans for building and strengthening the community.

During her first official Kehillah Shabbat morning service, held online, Leah laid out her commitment to justice with a heartfelt and uncompromising sermon in response to Black Lives Matter.

Chair Robin Samson said: “This couldn’t be a better fit. Rabbi Leah’s passion for Torah learning, social change, pushing the boundaries of progressive, community Judaism, for offering a warm welcome to everyone, and having those who have been previously marginalised at the centre of the community, makes her the perfect person to be setting out with us on this next leg of our journey. We are very lucky to have her.”

Leah served for a number of years as Progressive Jewish Chaplain for university students and young adults in the UK, and as the congregational rabbi of the Norwich Liberal Jewish Community, before leaving the UK to study in Jerusalem in 2018. She is also a founding member of Na’amod: British Jews Against Occupation.

She said: “Every community and rabbi pairing is a shidduch, a complex matchmaking between personalities, history and vision for the future, and this feels like the start of an especially fitting and fruitful match. Having spent the past two years studying and organising in Jerusalem, coming back to start work in London as the spiritual leader of such a dynamic community as Kehillah is very exciting.”