The Ark Synagogue held its annual communal baby blessing, with Rabbis Aaron Goldstein and Lea Mühlstein asking God to bless the congregation’s babies and toddlers and their families.

What made this year’s ceremony even more special was the involvement of Ark member families in Yorkshire, Northern Ireland, and Tamil Nadu in Southern India. They were beamed into the Ark Sanctuary, and the Sanctuary back into their homes, through the wonders of the synagogue’s technology.

Rabbi Aaron said: “As we heard about Jacob’s dream of angels going up and down a ladder – with this portion read by one of the grandmothers in attendance – our Sanctuary was full of angelic young beings, both in person and on our screens.

“The faces of joy throughout the community was palpable and the excitement of being connected in such a way was inspiring. The sense of belonging was strongly felt and we all felt blessed.”

• Photos courtesy of Victor Shack