Modern Orthodox synagogue Ner Yisrael has introduced a rabbinic internship, reportedly the first of its kind in the Hendon-based community.
The independent shul, which has over 350 families, will welcome couple Simcha and Nadia Morris under the experienced mentorship of Dayan Eliezer and Rebbetzin Aviva Zobin.
The internship is a collaboration with the Rabbinic Training Academy (RTA), where Rabbi Morris is studying for his semichah.
In a joint statement, Dayan and Rebbetzin Zobin said: “For many years we have admired the RTA's outstanding rabbinic training programme and are delighted to work with them in this partnership.
"It is a privilege for us to be able to mentor R' Simcha and Nadia, and we look forward to their energy and inspiration that they will bring to the Ner Yisrael Community, and to their contribution to wider Anglo-Jewry as rabbinic leaders of the future.”
As interns, Simcha and Nadia will receive both halachic and pastoral mentoring from Dayan and Rebbetzin Zobin. They will also be tasked with organising events, giving sermons, and teaching. The two-way model intends to foster future rabbinic leadership while contributing to Ner Yisrael’s communal life.
“This partnership with Ner Yisrael represents exactly what the RTA stands for: collaboration, vision, and investment in the future of Anglo Jewry,” said Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt, CEO of the academy. “By working hand-in-hand with outstanding communities and rabbinic leaders like Dayan Zobin, we are creating pathways for talented couples to grow into confident, capable and empathetic rabbinic leaders whilst enriching the communities.”
London-born couple Simcha and Nadia were educated in the UK and Israel. While Simcha is undergoing rabbinical training, Nadia Morris teaches on the Hasmonean Midrasha programme.
“My wife and I are delighted to be joining such a vibrant and warm community,” said Simcha. “We also feel honoured by the opportunity to gain experience from Dayan and Rebbetzin Zobin.”
The Rabbinic Training Academy, established by Rabbi Rosenblatt in 2019, is now training its seventh cohort of rabbis. It has placed graduates across modern Orthodox communities in the English-speaking world. The rabbinic internship at Ner follows previous successful internships, including at Bushey United Synagogue in 2025.
This new arrangement will start immediately and is anticipated to be a model for future collaborations between the RTA and communities across the UK.
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