CHILDREN & YOUTH
Welcome to the Children’s and Youth page!
Welcome to SJWS Youth, led by Toby & Bracha Weiniger. We are Central London’s fastest-growing community. We pride ourselves on our high-quality, innovative, and popular programmes. Most importantly, our community is a warm, welcoming, and vibrant environment for children & youth. It is a true “home away from home.” For more information about our programmes and to get involved, please reach out to youth@shulinthewood.com
Children’s Services
SJWS are proud to offer dynamic and engaging children’s services. Our services combine tefilla (prayers) with games & activities to create an enjoyable atmosphere. Our children services aim to equip our children with the passion and the skills to be engaged in community life from a young age. It is a testament to the success of the services that our own children service graduates now have the skills to lead these services! Each children’s service is followed by a delicious kiddush.
The Tot’s Shabbat Party (0-3) – Join us for an exciting & musical morning of Shabbat songs, playtime and Kiddy Kiddush. Led by professional music teacher Hayley Weisz and Maya Crystal. Every Shabbat and festival morning at 10:45am during term time in the Bride’s Room.
The service for Reception – Year 2 (ages 4-7) is held in the Kindergarten classrooms on the second floor.
The service for Years 3-6 (ages 8-11) is held in Rabbi Lord Sacks’ z”l office.
The children’s services run on every Shabbat morning during school term time.
Shabbat Morning Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club is Central London’s leading programme on a Shabbat morning for secondary school youth. With the opportunity to Learn2Lead Mussaf and deliver a D’var Torah to your friends, Breakfast Club provides our youth with a vibrant and warm environment to play an active role within the community and the chance to grow, learn and lead. The Carter Club boasts a table tennis table, board games and much more to keep you entertained while you tuck into our world class kiddushim and catch up with friends. In the words of our youth “it is vibey”. Over the past year, Breakfast Club has hosted outstanding guest speakers, including Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, to lead stimulating and interactive discussions about Judaism. To book a Breakfast Club Kiddush to mark a birthday or special occasion please email youth@shulinthewood.com
Anim Zemirot Club
Whether you are a complete beginner or would like to add another tune to your expanding repertoire, Anim Zemirot Club is the place for you to learn how to sing Anim Zemirot confidently and tunefully. Led by enthusiastic and experienced teachers, Anim Zemirot Club will prepare you to join our Anim Zemirot rota where you can sing Anim Zemirot at the end of the service in front of a supportive audience.
Youth Choir
The Youth Choir performs alongside the renowned Neimah Choir and Chazan Avremi Kirshenbaum on the High Holy Days every year. The High Holy Days services would not be the same without our talented and enthusiastic Youth Choir enhancing the prayers and the atmosphere. Rehearsals are professionally run and begin in the late Spring to prepare the choir for the big day. The Youth Choir is an amazing opportunity to learn Jewish music, connect with friends, and learn how to lead services.
BMP (Bar/Bat Mitzvah Programme)
Now entering its 5th year, our popular BMP combines meaningful education with enjoyable social events to provide our Bar/Bat Mitzvah teenagers with the best possible preparation for this milestone. We offer interactive sessions in which participants deepen their knowledge of what it means to become a Jewish adult, make relationships with others their age in the community and have a great time! For more information and to sign up please follow the link https://myus.theus.org.uk/events/71630/bat-bar-mitzvah-programme-2022-23/
To book in for next years programme 2023-2024 please follow the link https://myus.theus.org.uk/events/71630/bat-bar-mitzvah-programme-2023-24/
Club 78
Club 78 offers post Bar Bat Mitzvah teenagers the opportunity to take the next step on their Jewish Journey. Partnering with Project Impact, we encourage Club 78 participants to learn about Jewish social responsibility and be inspired to make a difference for others less fortunate. Participants work with a variety of amazing charities on a variety of social action projects. Club 78 offers leading social and education events too. This includes workshops on Judaism & Mental Health, Purim & Chanukah Parties, Shabbat lunches and the chance to hear leading speakers from within the Jewish community. https://myus.theus.org.uk/events/71633/club-78/
GCSE RS
Our GCSE AQA Jewish Studies syllabus offers an understanding of all aspects of Jewish learning as well as the chance to explore debates in theological and contemporary issues. The two year course runs for Year 9 and 10 students and teaching begins at the start of the academic year. Taught by Shira Joseph, students also acquire skills in essay writing and exam technique. To register for the course please contact hs@shulinthewood.com
Shabbat Lunches
Toby and Bracha’s Shabbat lunches have a reputation for being delicious, lively and a relaxed place to interact with friends in the community on the weekend. Toby and Bracha delighted to welcome you to the Youth Flat (Flat A, St. John’s Wood Synagogue) for year group Shabbat lunches held termly. For more information about when your year is invited round please contact youth@shulinthewood.com
Primary School Events
We passionately believe that providing a lively, inspiring, and enjoyable calendar for primary school children is key to the vibrancy of our community. As well as the weekly children services and the trend-setting Mimi Dweck Hebrew School, we offer a varied programme of exciting events around Jewish festivals; including the Rosh Hashanah Fun Day, Sukkah Decorating Party, Simchat Torah family Hakafa, the community Chanukah party, Purim Seudah and much more! 
Start of the Week
Start the Week is an engaging, informative, and interactive Parasha Shiur for children on Sunday mornings at 9am-9:30am. The shiur provides each child with a written Dvar Torah to share at the following week’s Shabbat table based on what was studied. Breakfast will be provided. All are welcome. At the same time, there will be a parallel Shiur for adults given by Dayan Binstock on the Sefer HaChinuch – 613 Mitzvot.
SJWS One Off Social Events
We are proud to offer a variety of social events throughout the year. Recent highlights have included going to Lions Lions v Hapoel Tel Aviv at the OVO Arena Wembley and a Sushi Making workshop with a fascinating talk delivered by the podcast host of CAA.
Upcoming events:
End of Winter Social Curling Event at Coal Drops Yard on Saturday, 25th February. https://myus.theus.org.uk/events/72997/end-of-winter-social/
Social Media
Follow our active Instagram page @youthsjw to keep up to date with the wonderful activities of SJWS Youth!!!
Toby and Bracha
Toby & Bracha started as Youth Directors at St. John’s Wood Synagogue in July 2021, offering popular educational programmes, social events, summer camps, school J-soc sessions, shiurim, services and more to engage and inspire the community’s 0-18 age range and their families. Toby is studying for Rabbinic ordination and teaches at the JLE in Golders Green alongside his work at St. John’s Wood Synagogue.
