Richmond Synagogue has complained that the move of its rabbi to a larger United Synagogue after barely two years in the post undermined the "dynamics of a small community".

Rabbi Jonathan Hughes is to leave Richmond later this year to become the spiritual leader of the Radlett congregation in Hertfordshire.

Addressing Monday's US council meeting, Richmond representative Robert Bieber said his comments were more in "sorrow than anger". He sought assurances from the US that a rabbi would not "be enticed to move to another congregation when he has barely started his rabbinical operations".

US president Stephen Pack said the job change after such a short time was "not ideal".

But the US felt that "it wasn't appropriate for us to prevent a rabbinic career being developed".

A minister should 'not be enticed to move when he has barely started' at a synagogue

Although he could not give the assurances Mr Bieber wanted, Mr Pack said the US would do its best to ensure rabbinic moves happened "at the right time".

Radlett chairman Alex Pomerance explained that Rabbi Hughes's name had been included in a shortlist of suitable candidates for the post given to Radlett by the US. "It wasn't poaching," he insisted.

Radlett did have reservations about taking Rabbi Hughes from Richmond and wanted to ensure that the south-London congregation "wasn't left high and dry".

The US said that interviews for the Richmond job had been taking place and that an appointment was anticipated soon.