Spark ignites London’s Jewish young professionals scene

London’s young Jews are flocking to a new grassroots initiative that mixes sushi nights at Nobu with Friday night dinners and explanatory Rosh Hashanah services – and it’s already drawing queues out the door.

Spark, born out of Brondesbury Park Synagogue’s Young Professionals group, has quickly become what its founders call “London’s premier network of young Jewish professionals”. Its events now attract hundreds, with waiting lists filling days in advance.

“We completely sold out our last Nobu event a week early,” said organiser Johnny Rosen. “I spent the last few days politely telling people there were no tickets left. We could easily have had over 200 if we’d had the space.”

Rabbi Meir Levin explained that the rebrand was about opening doors. “Brondesbury Park is our parent body and hugely supportive, but people were asking if they had to belong to the shul to come along,” he said. “Spark makes it clear this is for everyone.”

The new name was coined during a Kilimanjaro expedition with 18 young professionals. “Spark represents energy, connection, and the initial spark of inspiration,” Levin said. “We’re sparking friendship, spirituality, community.”

Both Levin and Rosen say the Hamas attacks in Israel were a turning point. “After 7 October everyone wanted to be more involved,” said Rosen. “London needed that Israeli spirit of openness – Friday night dinners where everyone’s welcome, even if you’re a friend of a friend. When no one else created it, we decided we would.”

For many, that atmosphere is transformative. “Someone told me after our last event: ‘I don’t feel like I’m in London right now – it feels like New York or Tel Aviv.’ That was the biggest compliment we could get,” Rosen said.

Spark’s model is a “funnel”: big socials at the top, with space for people to move into smaller, more intimate Jewish experiences at their own pace. “You might come to Nobu having never been to shul,” said Levin. “Then you decide you want to try a Friday night dinner or join a learning event. It’s self-paced, no pressure.”

Events range from business networking and paddle tennis to explanatory prayer services. At last year’s Kol Nidrei, 200 young professionals filled a hall for a service led by Levin.

The project is proudly youth-led, with a growing team including co-organiser Jonah Blackburn, who handles much of the marketing and brings his wide social network to the table. “We wouldn’t be anything without the team,” Levin stressed. “It’s grassroots, not top-down.”

Spark’s rapid growth has been fuelled largely by word of mouth. “We’ve gone from zero to nearly 1,000 young Jewish professionals on our database in just over a year,” said Rosen. “When was the last time Jewish events sold out three days early?”

Challenges remain – especially funding. ‘We’ve been bootstrapped until recently,” said Rosen. “One donor supports us monthly, but to scale we need more backing.”

Yet the ambition is clear. “I want Spark to be a place where people feel they belong and can connect with their Judaism in a cool way,” Levin said. “It’s about relationships that last, not just big numbers.”

The founders are already dreaming of Chanukah at Nobu, a Poland trip, even another expedition.

“This is who we are,” said Rosen. “We’re not afraid. “We’re proud.”