Leading Orthodox outreach organisations gathered at conference in Watford last weekend, pledging to work more closely together in a spirit of unity.

But guess who was missing from the event, which was put on by Aish, the Jewish Learning Exchange (which is connected with Ohr Somayach) and Project Seed?

Rabbis from the United Synagogue, Federation and other organisations such as Kesher were listed as attending. But there was no mention of Lubavitch.

Chabad can fairly claim to be the pioneers of modern-day Orthodox outreach.

They do tend to plough their own furrow. But that is probably not the reason for their absence. Lubavitch are Chasidic, and the other groups hail from the Litvish yeshivah world. Old differences die hard, it seems.