New Masorti community development officer Laurence Jacobs brings a theatrical flourish to the role.

For he once moved to Toronto to pursue an acting career, appearing in a number of programmes for the History Channel, as well performing in professional opera and musical theatre productions.

Now back in the UK with his family, Dr Jacobs organises the the Art of Shulmanship series for Masorti, helping people to get the most out of synagogue attendance.

He says he discovered his love of music, singing and chazanut at Carmel College, the former Jewish boarding school in Oxfordshire. And "performing as an actor and singer left me wanting more. But I wanted to become more involved with the Jewish community."

Dr Jacobs - who has also lived in Israel - last year took part in Masorti's pilot Jewish Community Organising course and programmes arranged by Citizens UK. He has started training for a full cantorial qualification and the first Art of Shulmanship event under his watch will be on Sunday afternoon at the New London Synagogue in St John's Wood.

Laurence Jacobs has starred in History Channel programmes