Shul attendance requirement will return for new Jewish school pupils

Rabbis and teachers are considering a return to the pre-pandemic practice of verifying synagogue attendance to get a pupil’s Certificate of Religious Practice (CRP) to enable them to attend Jewish schools from September 2022.

Shul attendance was ruled out as a means of getting CRP points for the most recent academic year because synagogue closed during both the nationally and locally implemented coronavirus lockdowns.

Schools under the Chief Rabbi’s aegis are understood to be maintaining flexibility whilst the challenges of the pandemic remain ongoing.

By way of example, there will still be a section on the CRP form that enables “self-declared attendance at online services… in order to provide an option in the eventuality that places of worship are closed again as a result of the pandemic”.

In wording sent to schools from the Office of the Chief Rabbi, leaders suggested “removing the exemption that applied… to the sibling of an older applicant to the school who had previously demonstrated faith eligibility”.

While siblings will soon need to complete a CRP form themselves, rabbis said they would extend the window during which CRP points can be obtained.