More than 80 people attended the inaugural service of a modern Orthodox minyan in South-West London.
The Shabbat gathering at a Chelsea venue included families with young children and teenagers and the congregation tucked into a Tony Page-catered kiddush lunch following the service.
SW3 is the brainchild of local resident Aron Freedman, who felt “there was a need for it in this part of London”.
“I wanted to create an authentic Shabbat atmosphere in the heart of SW3 and I was thrilled to see so many men, women and children come and enjoy the service and kiddush lunch. The fact people stayed to chat for an hour-and-a-half showed me how welcome this initiative was.
“My goal with SW3 is to enhance and build the Jewish community in this part of London, where people have told me they are yearning for Yiddishkeit and missing being part of a Jewish community. We’re already planning another service and kiddush for Shabbat Chanukah on December 4.”
He thanked all who attended and Rabbi Yossi Fachler “for his energetic davening and hilarious sermon”.
