Chabad has opened a synagogue and Jewish community space in Islington, filling a gap of more than half-a-century. Fifty people attended Rosh Hashanah services on Sunday at the premises in Upper Street, near Angel tube station. It will also be open on Yom Kippur and Shabbat services are planned.
The shul is described as a “pop-up space” and Chabad Islington’s Rabbi Mendy Korer told the JC: “Indeed for now it is temporary, with thanks to a generous landlord, until we find a benefactor who can ensure our project becomes permanent.”
After the festivals, the space will be open to all with facilities including a café — previewed by Rabbi Korer as “a start-up artisanal bakery and specialty coffee house” — and a kosher food collection point.
“We currently provide a kosher food delivery service called Kosheroo to allow locals to order fresh meat without having to schlep to Golders Green or Stamford Hill. With a central location in Upper Street, we will offer an easy ‘click and collect’ option.”
