Five new rabbis were ordained by Leo Baeck College at a ceremony at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue St John’s Wood on Sunday.

The course graduates included rabbis Anthony Lazarus Magrill (Mosaic Masorti); David Yehuda Stern (Radlett Reform); Gabriel Kanter-Webber (Brighton and Hove Progressive) and Lev Taylor (South West Essex and Settlement Reform).

The quintet was completed by Mathias Elasri, the founder of Tselem, a Paris-based organisation operating in the UK and Europe with the aim of teaching about God through art, play and tradition.

With in-person attendance allowed for the first time in three years, there was a turnout of more than 150 at the ceremony with a further 100 watching on Zoom.

The ordination address was delivered by Leo Baeck lecturer Rabbi Dr Tali Artman-Partock, who was herself ordained last year.

“I have had the rather surreal experience of being both your teacher and your classmate,” she observed.

“I cannot imagine another group of people with whom it would have been more fun to travel. Your presence has enriched college life so much.

“Over the last five years, life was sometimes immensely kind and sometime terribly hard for you.

“But you all found a way to turn whatever came your way into sharable life lessons. The real transformation in each and every one of you has been awe-inspiring.”

The rabbis were variously ordained by Leo Baeck dean Rabbi Dr Charles Middleburgh, Rabbi Danny Rich and Rabbi Mark Solomon. Ordination certificates were presented by the college’s acting chair of governors, Mimi Konigsberg.

The event was dedicated to the memory of governors’ chair Dr Stephen Herman, who died last week.

“Steve cared passionately about Leo Baeck College and worked tirelessly for it,” Rabbi Middleburgh said. “While this service is one of celebration, Steve’s death inevitably casts a shadow over it.”