The Lauderdale Road Synagogue
This past weekend was the last of the Jewish holidays that I will celebrate while in London (at least until Chanukah). While these holidays are important in their own right, a big part of these celebrations is being with family and enjoying tradition. Being away from home, Jewish families from different communities invited me to celebrate with them. While it was difficult being away from home, it was interesting to see the unique jewish communities of London.
I had the opportunity to be with a traditional orthodox family and their community in Golders Green, as well as a Masorti family in Finchley (a denomination we don’t officially have in America). But by far the most interesting experience was my time spent with a Rabbi and his family who moved from NY to become the Chief Rabbi of the Spanish Portuguese Synagogues in London. While the words of the services might be the same, their traditions were totally foreign.
The men of the congregation wore top hats. They used to wear Tricorn hats, until they became out of style, which oddly enough has not stopped the use of top hats. The services themselves were also different, using a choir, which is no longer a traditional part of most American Sephardic communities. They used different tunes, that resemble church hymns and ate a combination of undefined, Middle Eastern and English cuisine.
To more cultural immersion!
Cheers
