Hampstead Garden Suburb United Synagogue has found a route to involvement for congregants unwilling or unable to attend its festival services. They are being visited by its rabbinic team on the shul’s Rosh Hashanah bus.
HGSS’s two rabbinic couples have been stopping at locations around the area to blow the shofar, distribute honey cake and extend Yomtov greetings to members who are isolating or at home with young families.
Senior rabbi Daniel Friedman explained that “if people can’t come to shul, we have to come to the people”. He wanted congregants who would not be participating in physical services to know that “we love them and care about them more than ever”.
Community rabbi Ephraim Guttentag added the bus was “our way of reaching out”.
