Become a Member
Community

Alyth's Friday Night fever is a crowd-puller

April 8, 2015 15:39
Highly strung: Cantor Cheryl Wunch amd Rabbi Josh Levy

BySimon Rocker, Simon Rocker

1 min read

Some synagogues struggle to muster a Friday night minyan. But not Alyth - the North Western Reform Synagogue in Golders Green - which has doubled attendances over the past year or so.

"We've always had a big Friday night service with 100 to 150 people," said Rabbi Mark Goldsmith. "But now we are getting 300 to 350 people most weeks - and without detracting from Saturday morning."

In his view, the secrets to its success were tunes that congregants could join in with, a topical dvar Torah and a duration of no more than 50 minutes.

His colleague, Rabbi Josh Levy, had "worked hard on making sure the music is very participatory and our cantor, Cheryl Wunch, who joined a year ago, has been bringing aspects of American repertoire, which gets the whole community singing together. We use guitar in most services rather than piano or organ."