The Woodford Forest United Synagogue, formed by the merger of the Wanstead and Woodford and Waltham Forest congregations, has held its first Shabbat services. The merged congregation is worshipping in the Churchfields building that was home to Wanstead and Woodford and has a membership of over 1,200. Rabbi Yaakov Singer is its interim minister.
On the preceding Shabbat, final services of the separate congregations attracted more than 150 people to Wanstead and Woodford and around 200 to Waltham Forest.