Finchley Reform runs Covid-friendly ‘drive-in’ Rosh Hashanah service
The community took to the car park of Saracens’ rugby stadium for Yom tov sessions, complete with shofar-blowing and a sterilised speaker for each vehicle
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
Putting together an innovative service for Rosh Hashana which will keep the attention of adults and children alike is always a challenge — but this year, the difficulties of doing that in the face of new coronavirus rules seemed overwhelming.
But not to Rabbi Miriam Berger and the team at Finchley Reform Synagogue, who produced a drive-in Rosh Hashana service set to go down in the congregation’s history.
Instead of, as in previous years, the whole congregation going inside the Saracens’ rugby stadium for its High Holy Day services, the community took to the car park for three gloriously noisy Yom tov sessions, complete with shofar-blowing. (The congregation of Mill Hill United Synagogue used the indoor facilities instead, this year).
Rabbi Berger told Jewish News: “It was difficult at first for people to get their heads around the idea of a drive-in service, and to understand that they wouldn’t be marooned in their car on their own”.
Instead, and operating under strict coronavirus conditions, each car driver was directed to a place in the car park — to be joined by 80 cars at the first service and 120 at the second — handed a sterilised speaker for the car, plus a honey stick and an apple. Hazard warning lights were used if people needed to be escorted by stewards to the restrooms.
Car drivers were the only ones permitted to have their window open, although Rabbi Berger observed drily “a creative use of your sunroof” from a number of families. Finchley Reform’s regular under fives service “Kuddle Up Shabbat” got a look-in, too, as Tevye the Torahsaurus, who makes kiddush with the children, arrived in at least one car.
The first two services, aimed at families, featured the synagogue’s regular Rhythm and Jews band and Rabbi Berger, while the third, evening service for adults, attracted 110 more cars and allowed people to participate with torches and phone lights, creating, said the rabbi, “a really lovely atmosphere”.
It had taken quite a time to put together, the rabbi admitted. “Drive-ins haven’t really been a feature in this country. We used the sound engineers whom we would normally use on the High Holy Days and we hired screens from Leeds. We’ve been having regular Zoom services and those have worked well, but I do think people were craving that sense of community that they have been without for so long, and that’s why the drive-in for Rosh Hashana was so successful”.
The big question now, of course, is what the community will do for Yom Kippur. “It’s a different vibe at Yom Kippur”, said Rabbi Berger. “We have a moment during the Musaf service when people approach the bimah, and simply stand for as long as they need, in reflection. So we have created an opportunity for people to book a slot to do that and face the Ark during Musaf, in a service”.
And there are no plans for a car park revisit for Succot, either. Finchley Reform, at the time of writing, is planning — of course — something different: community fruit-picking. “We’re hoping that can still go ahead” said the rabbi.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
