Shabbat UK had been "the most incredible weekend", Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis told an audience of 350 at a communal lunch at Belmont Synagogue, north London. When the idea had been proposed, he "never dreamt the initiative would be such an amazing success".

Harrow East MP Bob Blackman and Harrow Mayor Councillor Ajay Maru were among others at the lunch, the highlight of a programme of activities culminating in the ceremonial first haircut of Belmont rabbi Elchonon Feldman's three-year-old son, Yehuda.

Earlier, the Chief Rabbi was among the 700 at the Shabbat morning service at neighbouring Stanmore, one of the United Synagogue's largest congregations. The service included the official dedication of Stanmore's purpose-built daily davening and learning facility that opened earlier this year.

Rabbi Mirvis reminisced about his childhood in South Africa and his visit to the hotel owned by Mordechai Kerzner, in whose memory the beit midrash is dedicated.

Highlighting the importance of community, he praised the 25-hour programme Stanmore had devised for Shabbat UK, which kicked-off with the shul's biggest-ever communal Friday night dinner, which drew a turnout of 350.

When the Chief Rabbi and his wife adjourned to Belmont for lunch, the Stanmore programme continued with activities for every age group and interest, from whisky and wine tasting to a question-and-answer session with the rabbis and a "Shabbat Olympics" session for the whole family.