Charity offering up to £600 a-month rent payments to young people joining religious study course
The Jewish Learning Exchange, through a grant from US organisation Olami, is contributing towards the monthly rent costs of up to 15 young people who have committed to a religious study programme
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A communal charity dedicated to helping young people become more engaged Jewishly, is offering up to £600 a month to new recruits for the payment of their rent.
The Jewish Learning Exchange is actively approaching young members of the community looking for flatshares and other rental opportunities with their offer of substantial support, in exchange for a weekly commitment to study and attendance at synagogue over Shabbat.
Jewish News has learned that the programme, which is being run by Rabbi Amrom Nemeth, has already attracted around 15 young people since it was launched by JLE earlier this year.
The JLE hosts over 100 people on its Shabbat programmes each week, and with a grant given by the US organisation Olami, is enabling male and female young professionals to be subsidised to live near JLE’s Golders Green hub.
A spokesperson for the organisation confirmed that rent payments of “up to £600” were being offered to young people who needed to live “in the area of Golders Green and Hendon particularly.”
Asked what those interested in the financial support needed to do in return the spokesperson confirmed the need to commit to a six hours learning with one of the organisation’s rabbis each week, attendance at shul, along with the requirement to attend “some Friday night dinners and Shabbat lunches.”
They said payments were offered as part of a “continuous programme” although the spokesperson could not stipulate for how long the rental payments would be offered to each new recruit.
Asked how many young people had taken up the offer of help with their rent, they added; “Quite a lot. This has been going on for quite a few months.”
As with wider society, young Jewish people have been left struggling to afford rent, both in the capital and elsewhere, as a result of the escalating monthly demands and the lack of wage increases during the cost of living crisis.
Jewish News learned of one member of the community who had been searching for an affordable flatshare online on a website, who was approached by a representative from JLE offering up to £600 rental support a month.
As the main supporter of the programme Rabbi Nemeth meets with those committing to study, and delivers a series of talks along with other rabbis connected to the charity.
Olami, which describes itself as a worldwide community of organisations serving Jewish people through outreach and education programmes for university students and young professionals, bears close resemblance to the vision of the Moishe House organisation.
After studying at yeshivas in Gateshead and Jerusalem, Rabbi Nemeth, who grew up in Temple Fortune, has become a leading figure with JLE and is also the head of Jewish studies at Naima Jewish Primary School in Maida Vale north west London, and regularly lectures on the Montefiore Semichah course.
JLE’s chief executive is Rabbi Benjy Morgan, who oversees 35 dedicated staff at the charity and dozens of weekly programs that service over 1,000 individuals each week.
In November the JLE’s gala dinner in London was addressed by former US Senator Joe Lieberman, and raised over £3million to a campaign named “Next Level” which aimed to commit £5 million towards upgrading services for young Jews, and included an upgrade of the charity’s Golders Green headquarters.
Rabbi Morgan Morgan told supporters that the aim of the campaign was to ensure “that today’s young people recognise the relevance and beauty of Judaism in this modern, professional 21st century”.
Jewish News has approached Rabbi Nemeth for further details of his programme for young renters.
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