JW3 unveils new online platform amid pandemic

As the pandemic threatens to bring much of London to a standstill, JW3 has unveiled a new online video platform on Wednesday.

The Jewish community centre in Finchley Road was forced to shut down until further notice this week amid new social distancing guidelines released by the government on Monday.

The platform, called JW3 TV, launched on Wednesday, will feature daily videos of previous events held at the centre, available to watch remotely for free.

The centre has plans to transform upcoming programming, including talks and classes, into online content.

Among the two videos currently on the platform is a talk by the former chief rabbi Lord Jonathan Sack on his new book Morality, with the author Elizabeth Oldfield.

“We’ve never been the type of people to just sit around and let the grass grow under our feet, and we feel it is more important than ever to keep offering high-quality Jewish arts, culture, learning and life to keep people engaged, inspired and entertained,” the JW3 chief executive Raymond Simonson wrote in a message to supporters.

Announcing the temporary closure on Monday, the chief executive said: “We might be closing down the building to the public but we are not closing down what JW3 does and what it stands for”.