Lord Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi, has launched a series of short videos in the lead-up to the High Holy-Days on the themes of the festivals, and on Jewish prayer.

The "Understanding Prayer: Heart, Mind and Soul" series features 10 films with titles such as “Mistakes”, “Growth” and “Framing Beliefs”.

In the video on “Spiritual Exercise”, Rabbi Lord Sacks says “prayer is to the spirit what physical exercise is to the body.”

 He adds: “Jewish prayer, when it’s done the right way, is a form of meditation and mindfulness. But it’s also so much more.”

On the subject of family, the former Chief Rabbi says: “What we believe is that to all humanity, God is a friend. But to us, he’s family.”

Lord Sacks told the JC it was vital faith eaders had a significant presence online, particularly on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. “This is where the next generation is and these are the technologies they use, and therefore this is where, as spiritual leaders, I feel we must be,” he said

The video series, he said, “seeks to combine meditative words with powerful music and evocative imagery to create a 4-5 minute spiritual experience during which the viewer can gain insight into the themes of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and of Jewish prayer more generally.

“I hope people will find their spirits lifted and their feelings focused and inspired.”