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Watery Depths and Hebrew Pride: Designing Makor Hayim’s New Logo
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A hardboiled egg. A dish of fresh green herbs. A piece of dry cracker. To an outside eye, the seder plate may look like a hodge-podge…
Welcome
We’re so glad you found us!
We are an egalitarian Jewish community: a life-giving space of healing, meaning and hope.
Jewish Community the Makor Hayim Way
Jew or Ally, believer or skeptic, synagogue regular or first-time visitor, we welcome you exactly as you are.
Our values:
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Kavanah
Community prayer to inspire meaning and connection in the 21st century
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Torah
Engaging with ancient wisdom that moves, informs and challenges us
❤️
Chesed
Building a community of kindness, care and friendship, here for each other’s joys and struggles
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Tsedek
Striving towards the creation of a more loving world
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Hineni
Every one of us brings something unique to the table
What’s on offer for:
🧑🎓 Young adults
Friday Night Lates
A service geared towards young people held in a trendy venue, followed by a meal/drinks and social. Launch TBC
📆 First Shabbat of the month*, service 6:30pm, kiddush and social 7:30pm
* In months starting on a Saturday, this will be the last day (Friday) of the preceding month
Shabbat BaBayit
An informal, intimate Kabbalat Shabbat home-hosted by one of our Builders, followed by a bring-and-share meal. Themes and formats vary widely between hosts, so keep an eye on upcoming events for more information.
📆 Third Shabbat of the month, arrive from 6pm, service 6:30pm
👨👩👧👦 Families & Teens
Makor Hayim has welcomed over two dozen babies into our community over the past two years, so you and your little ones will feel right at home!
Intergenerational Services
Our monthly service specially designed to be inclusive of our youngest members (aged 1 day upwards!) but open to and attended by all ages. Followed by kiddush and a children’s activity, and preceded by a study session for parents.
📆 Second Saturday of the month, study session 10am, service 10:30am
Cheder & Youth Programmes
As of 2025 we are currently developing a youth and education programme, which we hope to launch by the end of the year, so watch this space!
Have a young person (aged zero-18) who wants to get involved in any capacity? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please get in touch!
🧑🏻🧑🏿 Interfaith & diverse heritages
Ally Buildership
We are proud to welcome non-Jewish Ally Builders as fully-fledged members of our community. Allies come in all sorts of flavours: some have Jewish spouses or partners, while others simply find themselves at home in our community; some are candidates for conversion while others have no plans to convert. Whatever your situation, you are welcome.
As a Reform community, we take an inclusive view of Jewish status. If you have a connection or relationship to Judaism – whatever form it takes – we can help you find the best way for you to participate in our community.
Interfaith events
We regularly run events open to the wider community, such as interfaith Shabbats where Builders invite representatives of other and no faith to sing, meditate, pray, discuss and be in community together, and partnerships with the Brent Multifaith Forum.
Jewish education
We run Navigating Judaism classes covering the basics of all aspects of Jewish tradition, culture and life. They are aimed at those encountering Judaism for the first time, returning to Judaism after a period of non-engagement, or with some knowledge of Judaism who want to deepen their understanding of the religion.
Conversion
If you’re ready to take the plunge and convert to Judaism, we can support you on your journey.
🌈 LGBTQ+ Jews & Allies
Our membership is fantastically diverse in genders, sexual orientations and family arrangements. However you identify, you will be in good company!
Pride Shabbat
This annual event during Pride Month is a joyous celebration of all Makor Hayim’s fantastic diversity.
📆 Sat 28th June, 10:30-12:30
💻️ Remote participants
Online and hybrid services
As befits a community founded just before Covid, we take online participation seriously.
Every service and event (unless completely impractical) is livestreamed over Zoom, and open to participation by remote attendees. Our Zoom community is a thriving space, with its very own minhag, and its regulars range from frequent in-person attendees to Builders living many hundreds of miles away. We’ve even had readings and prayers in our Rosh Hashanah services led by online participants.
We also have online-only services led by regulars within the online community.
Out of the Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday evening) and Shacharit (Saturday morning) services, usually one will be in-person/hybrid and one will be online-only, alternating weekly.