This week, Rabbi Miriam has been representing Kehillat Nashira bringing Chanukah light into many different spaces. Earlier this week, Rabbi Miriam visited Meadow Hill Care Home, a newly opened care home in Castleford Close, Borehamwood. She lit Chanukah candles with residents and staff, sharing songs, blessings, and a moment of warmth and connection. It has also been a painful week for the Jewish community. News from Sydney, Australia has reminded us that even when events tak

Written by Gaye Daniels - November 2025 To explain what having a Bat Mitzvah meant to me at my tender age of 71, I should explain something about my life.   I grew up in an anglicised family, but we always celebrated the major Jewish festivals. I have always been passionate about being Jewish and a strong supporter of Israel.   My married years were observant, and when divorced, I tried to continue with as much as I could living by myself. However, I gradually developed an i

Rabbi Miriam's sermon - delivered Kabbalat Shabbat 7th November 2025 I’m not sure about you, but I’m still waiting for the nice, quiet time beyond the two years of feeling tense. Don’t get me wrong, the news cycle seems better than the awfulness of even a few weeks ago. But that’s not a particularly high bar.  I expect that some people here, along with some of my American colleagues, are feeling anxious about Mamdani’s appointment. Others among my colleagues voted for him, s

As we begin the Torah anew with Bereishit, Rabbi Miriam invites us to reflect on the timeless lessons of our first parasha. She says: ”This first parasha of the Torah contains so many heartbreaking truths about humanity - our innate competitiveness, our need to possess and have power over others, our capacity for violence... but I believe also our incredible capacity for self-reflection and progress.”

The following reflections were made by Rabbi Miriam during the different parts of the Simchat Torah service this week. They offer further explanation, context, and moments of reflection, helping us hold the complex emotions of this time: gratitude, relief, awe, and tenderness. The return of the hostages has brought with it both tears and song, sorrow and celebration. Before Hallel Being Jewish is saying Kaddish and Hallel in the same breath. For now, Hallel feels the predomin

This week, Rabbi Miriam Lorie invites us into her succah to reflect on vulnerability in a 90-second video sermon. Torah: "You shall dwell...

Whether you’ll be busy in the kitchen preparing festive meals, or on the road traveling to loved ones, music has a way of setting the...

This week, Rabbi Miriam Lorie joined BBC Radio 2's Pause for Thought. Listen here This week, I’m going to open a vault that has been...

Kehillat Nashira has been on an incredible journey over the last decade. Starting in living rooms and borrowed spaces, the community has...

This morning, Rabbi Miriam Lorie joined BBC Radio 2's Pause for Thought. Listen here BBC Pause For Thought One of my best, weirdly...

This morning, Rabbi Miriam Lorie joined BBC Radio 2's Pause for Thought. Listen here . Last week I conducted my first wedding as a...

This week, we were honoured to welcome Soferet Avielah Barclay, who visited to inspect our newly arrived Sefer Torah. With quiet care,...

In this week's Jewish News, Rabbi Miriam  reflects on progress towards inclusion in Orthodox spaces but finds there's still some way to...

To the very dear Kehillat Nashira community, Once again, we're watching from afar as worrying news unfolds with Israel's strikes on Iran...

This year, Rabbi Miriam is one of 5 rabbis and Jewish educators writing the Jewish Chronicle’s parasha column. “Miriam spoke, and Aaron,...

This week marks the penultimate step in our seven-week journey through the Omer and its brachot. Rabbi Miriam introduces this week with:...

This week marks the fifth step in our seven-week journey through the Omer and its brachot. "Reflections from 5/7 of the sheva brachot for...

This morning, Rabbi Miriam Lorie joined BBC Radio 2's Pause for Thought. Listen here . My heart has been bursting with maternal...

At Kehillat Nashira, we are proud to have a diverse membership with all kinds of backgrounds and practices. This is something we...

This morning, Rabbi Miriam Lorie joined BBC Radio 2's Pause for thought. Listen here . I’ll spare you all the gory details, but over the...