Rabbi who discovered he was Jewish aged 13
ON HER first Shabbat morning as minister of Kehillah North London, Rabbi Leah Jordan laid out her commitment to social justice with a heartfelt and uncompromising sermon in relation to Black Lives Matter.
Before joining Kehillah — which started life as North London Progressive Jewish Community — Rabbi Jordan served as a Progressive university chaplain and as minister of the Norwich Liberal community.
Hailing from the “deepest, darkest” American Midwest, she is a founding member of Na’amod, British Jews Against Occupation, and lives in Kentish Town with her partner, Rabbi Benji Stanley.
Discussing her new role, Rabbi Jordan said: “Every community and rabbi pairing is a shidduch, a complex matchmaking. This feels like the start of an especially fruitful match.
“Having spent the past two years studying and organising in Jerusalem, coming back to start work in London as the spiritual leader of such a dynamic community is very exciting.”
Kehillah chair Robin Samson felt the appointment “couldn’t be a better fit. Rabbi Jordan’s passion for Torah
learning, social change, pushing the boundaries of progressive community Judaism, and for offering a warm welcome to everyone, makes her the perfect person to be setting out with us on this next leg of our journey.”
The congregation was led and built up for 15 years by Rabbi Shulamit Ambalu. Cantor Tamara Wolfson, who took over two years ago, has moved on to a cantorial post at Alyth Reform.