About Us
At HEMS we are proud of our relaxed and warm atmosphere.
The synagogue was founded in 1998 by a small group of families, and holds its services in shared premises in Grimsdyke Road.
Masorti is the Hebrew word for tradition and Masorti Judaism is traditional yet practised in a spirit of open-minded enquiry and tolerance. In general you will notice very little difference between a service in our synagogue and that in any other traditional synagogue.
Masorti [
masorti.php ] recognises that Jewish law permits a number of practices that are not carried out in most orthodox synagogues. For example, at HEMS women are counted as part of the minyan and men and women are seated together. We welcome children of all ages and make no distinction between girls and boys either in what is taught or what they undertake for their bar or bat mitzvah. Each bar or bat mizvah student has one to one lessons with one of our experienced tutors.
In addition to our Shabbat services we hold services for all the major festivals. In particular, we enjoy lively communal Pesach Seders and Purim, Chanukah and Simchat Torah parties. We also hold regular youth services.
Our popular Friday night services are a special time for the community to get together to enjoy each others company and to share in prayer. Services take place monthly at members’ homes and are followed by a delicious informal communal supper.
Our first Rabbi was David Soetendorp who served as our Rabbi in 2007 and 2008, having retired as the Rabbi of Bournemouth Reform Synagogue. The synagogue is actively seeking a replacement Rabbi.
At HEMS we take education [ education.php ] seriously, which doesn’t mean it can’t be fun ! We help our young members develop a knowledge and understanding of Judaism and strengthen their competencies in synagogue skills.
Our younger children attend the excellent Cheder run by Kol Chai, the local Reform Synagogue, At the secondary level, Years 7-10, HEMS children attend the Masorti Cheder in Edgware. This group are also able to participate in the Masorti Secondary programmes at GESHER which leads to GCSE's in Jewish Studies and Ivrit (where appropriate). Subsequently, Masorti led youth training programmes enable our young people to learn to lead groups of children in services and on summer camps. In the sixth form, Masorti "SOX" organises social events and programmes.
At HEMS, we organise a number of vibrant social activities for young people via the Masorti youth group NOAM.
HEMS is committed to providing learning opportunities for all its members. From sessions that provide an insight into understanding the Torah, to learning more about Masorti or participating in a lively discussion about the week’s sedra, our aim is to stimulate learning and debate in an informal and inclusive way. HEMS members can also benefit from the learning opportunities provided by the
Lishma Jewish Study Centres, the educational arm of the Masorti movement.
The Synagogue has a simple fee structure, with rates for families, couples and singles. Fees include burial. For more information on these rates, including attractive introductory rates for new members, contact the Membership Team [
membership.php ].