Rabbi Nir Nadav has given up running a London IT company, with clients including Merrill Lynch, BT and the London Stock Exchange, to take over the pulpit at north Manchester's Shaare Tefillah Synagogue.

His wife Jessica left a solicitor's job in the City to join him at the Sephardi congregation with their six-year-old son Netanel Zvi.

The 37-year-old rabbi, who remains in charge of a smaller IT operation, said he and his wife wanted to refocus their lives.

"I've had a career in system engineering, but now I've done that, I ultimately want to build on a thriving community and inspire people for the next generation," he explained.

Rabbi Nadav succeeds Rabbi Abraham Hassan, whose five years at the helm have seen membership growth boosted by young families moving to Manchester.