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Barnet Shul inducts Rabbi Moshe and Rebbetzin Miri Lister
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis hails 'marriage made in heaven of rabbinic couple and a very special community'
More than 200 members of Barnet United synagogue, as well as guests including the Mayor of Barnet, Dan Tomlinson MP, Saul Taylor, president of the United Synagogue and other local dignitaries filled the shul on Sunday 15 March for the official induction of Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lister and Rebbetzin Miri Lister.
Welcoming the community, Tony Cohen, chair of Barnet Shul, said “the huge turnout was a wonderful reflection of the high esteem in which the rabbinic couple are held by our membership and the wider community”.
Gabbie Greenberg, a member of the selection committee (and a Jewish News employee) said: “When we met Rabbi and Rebbetzin Lister, something clicked almost immediately. We sensed the qualities we had been searching for: deep scholarship, warmth, humility, and a genuine commitment to Jewish life and community. It became clear that they could connect with our congregation, nurture our traditions, and help us grow in meaningful ways.” The couple have been in post since January 2025.
Rabbinical attendees included previous Rabbi of Barnet Shul; Rabbi Barry Lerer, now of Central Shul and Rabbi Lister’s mentor, Rabbi Elchonon Feldman of Bushey United Synagogue.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said: “This is a marriage made in heaven of rabbinic couple and a very special community. Rabbi Lister and Rebbetzin Miri are one of the most outstanding rabbinical couples in the United Synagogue.”
Responding, Rabbi Lister said Barnet Shul’s strength and success was built on “quiet acts of self-sacrifice, where no one gets left behind” adding that their vision for the future is to make shul “a place for everyone, and contain something for everyone, regardless of their age or religious level” before paying tribute to Rebbetzin Miri for all her hard work and “for being a tower of strength”.
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