To find out what's happening in the Nottingham community please contact the shul office who will give you details on how you can receive our weekly email newsletter, giving information about Shabbat times, services, events and news of the community.
The city is also host to over 1000 Jewish students, many of whom take part in services and events organised by the community, adding to the vibrancy of orthodox Jewish life in the city.
Regular Shabbat and Sunday services are supplemented by festival and social events.
We are an independent Orthodox congregation under the auspices of the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom & Commonwealth.
A warm welcome
A warm and welcoming atmosphere exists for anyone thinking of moving to Nottingham or just visiting. Our services are a mix of traditional and modern and are enhanced by the regular participation of the students. Whatever your level of observance you will be warmly welcomed.
OUR SHUL
NHC moved into Hatikvah Synagogue in 2017. It was decided to move the aron hakodesh (holy ark) from the former synagogue and this forms the centrepiece of the shul. The building was formerly used as a church and seats around 60 people. For the High Holy days NHC puts up a marquee in the carpark to accommodate a higher capacity.
MEMBERSHIP
NHC offer individual membership as well as a Friends membership which allows people to access services and events. Membership rate are amongst the cheapest in the country (and there are reduced rates for the under 30’s).
Contact the shul office for further details of how to apply for Membership and current rates of subscription.
OUR RABBINIC COUPLE
Rabbi Mendy Lent was born in Manchester where from a young age he enjoyed communal work. During his teens he spent Shabbats at many communities helping out with davening and leyening. Following his A Levels he studied at yeshivas in the UK, Canada and USA and in Australia for Semicha.
Rabbi Mendy married Brocha Lewis from New York in 2006. Brocha had experience running a Cheder and community programmes in Florida, and in 2008 they moved to Nottingham to establish Notts Chabad, which has become a hub of Jewish life in Nottingham serving students and the resident Jewish community. Interestingly, Brocha’s paternal grandparents Michael and Sadie Lewis lived in Nottingham where her father was born and raised. So, it was a real homecoming when Brocha moved to Nottingham! The Lents have 6 children ranging from 17 to 3 years old.
As well as being the Rabbi of NHC, Rabbi Mendy is the chaplain to local hospitals and represents the congregation in the wider community.
Rabbi Mendy and Brocha’s hospitality is legendary and they offer a warm, welcome environment to anyone regardless of levels of knowledge or observance.
OUR HISTORY
Records show that there has been a Jewish presence in Nottingham for over 800 years.
In the 13th century, the Jewish community of Nottingham was one of the 27 recognized by the Kingdom. From the resettlement of the Jews in England in the middle of the 17th century until the beginning of the 19th few Jews lived in Nottingham.
In 1805, the Jewish community organised in the city and acquired a cemetery in 1822. Nottingham had 50 Jews in 1880, who set out to build a synagogue ten years later, located on Chaucer Street.
Over the last century
The community built a synagogue on Chaucer Street in the city centre (now part of Nottingham Trent University) in 1890. The synagogue had around 300 seats and was suitable for the community until 1954 when, due to a sizeable amount of people moving from London and an influx of refugees from Europe prior to the Second World War, the community moved into a former Wesleyan chapel in nearby Shakespeare Street which over doubled the capacity of its former home.
The community reached its peak in the lates 1960’s and 1970’s with over a thousand members. Like most provincial communities, Nottingham saw its numbers slowly drop due to people moving to the bigger Jewish centres like London and Manchester whilst a few left for Israel.
TODAY'S SYNAGOGUE
In 2017, the synagogue on Shakespeare Street was deemed too large for the community and so a smaller synagogue was purchased, away from the city centre. The Shakespeare Street property was sold to Nottingham Trent University, who now use the building for graduation ceremonies.
The magnificent Aron Hakodesh (Holy Ark) first erected at the Chaucer Street synagogue in 1890, has followed the congregation first to Shakespeare Street and now into the new Hatikvah synagogue.
Nottingham has become one of the largest centres for Jewish students in the UK with well over a 1000 in the city over the past 15 years. This has led to Chabad establishing a successful centre in the city which works in unison with the Hebrew Congregation to lead and promote Jewish life in Nottingham as well as looking after the Jewish student population. The resident community and the students celebrate the festivals and chagim together as well as sharing in many social and educational events through the year.
Chaucer Street Synagogue
