A 700 crowd at Leeds’s United Hebrew Congregation witnessed the induction of chazan Alby Chait as senior minister by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.

Chazan Chait said he was overwhelmed by the turnout and was delighted to be among people who meant so much to him.

He told the Chief Rabbi it was "humbling" to be spiritual leader of "this incredible synagogue" he had served for a decade.

“We have journeyed together in the happy and difficult moments that life brings; we have celebrated together and there have been times when we have cried together."

He then took a selfie of himself with the congregation. "After all, it's not Shabbat or Yomtov but just a plain old Sunday," he said to laughter.

As a child, he would build a mini play-shul in his parents' lounge and attempt to emulate the way he saw his father conducting services.

A valuable lesson had been that "listening intensely is far more valuable than speaking immensely".