Levy as minister of Shenley United Jewish Community saw members looking back with sadness, as they recalled the tragic and premature death two years ago of their previous minister, Rabbi Shmuli Kass, and forwards with hope to the 135-family strong community gaining a permanent home of its own.

Shenley was an unconventional community — “what other congregation would get its ark from IKEA?” — with an unconventional rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sacks, told the congregation at the service, held in the Old Chapel, the building which the community rents. This was “the marriage of one of the United Synagogue’s newest communities to one of its newest rabbis,” he said, reminding his audience that American-born Rabbi Levy was passionately concerned with the environment — he had already become his spokesman on environmental issues.

Currently a consultant for the London School of Jewish Studies’ Jewish Responsibility Unit, Rabbi Levy was formerly the Bristol-based Jewish university chaplain for the West of England before being appointed to the part-time Shenley post last autumn.