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Teachers shine a light on a new way of life

October 2, 2014 10:38
Year three pupils learn how to light a menorah

By

Rosa Doherty,

Rosa Doherty

4 min read

Pinner Synagogue serves many purposes for its 1,000 members - not least providing a space where its younger congregants can learn about Jewish life. But this year, it welcomed some unexpected faces: young people who are not Jewish.

Like many other Jewish centres across the UK, the North London shul has recently provided a base for the Board of Deputies' Jewish Living Experience(JLE) - a travelling display designed 30 years ago. In June, the shul played host to 60 pupils from year three at St George's Catholic Primary School in Sudbury Hill.

Una McGivney, a teacher at St George's, took her pupils around the exhibition, where they looked at Jewish artefacts, sat at the Passover table and tasted matzah for the first time.

She said: "Our class is quite engaged in learning about religion because we do two and a half hours of religious education per week, which is double what most state schools do."