London's oldest Ashkenazi Synagogue, Sandys Row, was hailed as "spectacular" by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis as it celebrated its 160th anniversary in style on Tuesday night.

Addressing an audience of 150 at the East End shul, Rabbi Mirvis said: "The mark of Sandys Row has been love. For 16 glorious decades, people have been welcomed into this synagogue with consideration and generosity.

"Through the ages, Jewish life has been maintained in spectacular form."

He also inducted Sandys Row's part-time minister of three years, Rabbi Mendy Korer, who will now be able to conduct weddings. The synagogue is seeking to build on a recent growth in attendance at weekday services, attributed to the presence of City workers.

To widespread applause, the Chief Rabbi told Rabbi Korer, who also runs a Chabad house in Islington: "I want to repeat what everyone else says. They say you're wonderful. You came here to revive Yiddishkeit and keep traditions alive. And, yes, your jokes are appreciated, because you see that humour is an essential part of life."

Before the ceremony, Rabbi Korer discussed the "exciting times" for the Spitalfields-based synagogue, which was founded by 50 Dutch immigrant families. "It's a new chapter for the shul. There was the original community, then its growth in the East End, then survival. And now it's the next step, of growing the community again."

One of the newest of the 200 members, Louisa Nicole Rose, 32, married there a month ago. Before organising her wedding, the north Londoner had never heard of the shul. She now volunteers for Sandys Row, running its social media outlets.

"My husband and I were looking for somewhere a bit different, because we're a tad unconventional," she said. "We fell in love with Sandys Row the moment we walked through the door - the history, the building, everything.

"I felt like I was at home. There's something magical about it and all the people are special because they're so passionate about the synagogue. It's a hidden gem."