Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has composed a special blessing for women honoured by synagogues at Simchat Torah.

While men have long enjoyed the accolade of being named “bridegrooms”, Chatan Torah and Chatan Bereshit, to mark the end of the Torah cycle and the beginning of a new one, more recently United Synagogues have introduced the honour of Eishet Chayil, a “woman of worth”.

But until now, there was no special mish’berach, a blessing for the honoree, recited after the Torah reading.

The Chief Rabbi’s mish’berach for an Eishet Chayil acknowledges her “outstanding contribution” to the community and goes on to say, “May she continue to perform outstanding deeds before You with virtue and grace”.