You may think running one shul and building with a wide-ranging membership is hard enough, but for Mosaic Jewish Community, the challenge has been running three under the same roof.

The unique shul in Stanmore, Middlesex, which is home to Reform, Masorti and Liberal denominations, celebrated its official opening on Sunday.

Leaders say the last year in the new state-of-the-art building  has worked “extremely well”, despite a few raised eyebrows at the possibility of three different strands of Judaism living harmoniously under the same roof.

David Leibling, chairman of MJC, described the project as “a unique partnership”.

Speaking to the JC, he said: We first moved in in 2022, but [the building] it wasn’t completed until recently. We had a few minor teething problems, but it works extremely well, and all three movements have seen membership increase because of it.”

The Mosaic Jewish community building (Photo: Mosaic Jewish Community)

According to Leibling, it has become a vibrant hub for the local community in Harrow, Bushey and beyond, hosting concerts, films, lectures, exhibitions and election hustings.

Harry Grant, chairman of Mosaic Reform Synagogue, said: “We have reached a major milestone, but we are far from the end of the road. Facing the challenges of assimilation and the mushrooming of Jewish day schools, synagogues need to up their game to reinvigorate their role within the community.”

He said the building had shown it was “possible to grow something fundamentally different, unique in Anglo-Jewry”.

With space for each synagogue to hold its own services concurrently, a religion school, which also accommodates the community from nearby Kol Chai Synagogue, the building has been designed for maximum flexibility.

There is also a hub with a children’s soft play area and a café, making it an attractive option for young families.

Some 200 people attended the official dedication, including the leaders of the Reform and Masorti movements, Rabbi Josh Levy, and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg respectively.

Mosaic Jewish Community inauguration (Photo: Mosaic Jewish Community)

Also in attendance were the Bishop of Willesden, the Rt Revd Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy and the Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Salim Chowdhury.

The service included the parading of the Torah scrolls, as well as prayers, songs and poetry readings.