The average congregant is a knitted-kippah enthusiast, with an admirable knowledge of Hebrew and Jewish thought. They keep kosher and observe Shabbat. After the service we were treated to an engaging sermon, where an all-Hebrew source sheet was given out and the community listened passionately and asked questions.
We were hoping for all this enthusiasm in a traditional Anglo-Jewish synagogue, but we didn't find it. The service was conducted using an (American, right-wing) Artscroll siddur, and the Prayer for the Queen was conducted in Hebrew, which rather defeats the point.
Instead, you have a community influenced by their gap year in Israel – who would rather pray during the services than chat about the football. The synagogue itself is in a bland side-room of the aesthetically parev LSJS building in Hendon – a substance-over-style synagogue.
As far as the kiddush goes, Alei Tzion made up for its lack of patriotism with Ben & Jerry's ice-cream. It was a warm day, and kiddush was outdoors. We were pleased to be welcomed warmly by a smiling Rabbi Daniel Roselaar.
It was not the standard US that we are used to – no chatting during the services, no pews to sit in and no chazzan with a silly hat.
Instead Alei Tzion will offer you a friendly and youthful "work hard, pray hard" community. If you take your Orthodox Judaism seriously, you are 20 to 35 and you miss B'nei Akiva, this is the place for you.