Lifecycle

Journeying through life’s sacred moments

Highgate Synagogue offers a place to celebrate and reflect on the profound moments that shape our community’s journey through life. From the joyous occasions of births and baby naming; to the special celebrations of Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs and weddings; to the solemn reflections of funerals and shivas.

Births

For information relating to the Bris Milah please visit The Initiation Society’s website, where you can find a list of Mohelim and details about the Bris Milah. If you would like to host a Simchat Bat please contact the Shul office.

Bar / Bat Mitzvahs

At Highgate Synagogue, we love to celebrate the important milestones in our members’ lives together. Reaching the age of Bar and Bat Mitzvah is an exciting time for our young members and we help them prepare for this with father and son Bar Mitzvah (years 7 & 8) and mother and daughter Bat Mitzvah (Years 5 & 6) groups each month, ahead of their special birthdays.

It is a wonderful opportunity for you and your children to meet friends in the community and also a lovely “quality” time, away from home, for you to focus on your son / daughter. Then at the end of the year, we have a Friday night dinner for the families of our pre-Bar and Bat Mitzvah groups.

Weddings

If you are a member of the community who is getting married, or looking to marry in our Shul, please contact the office, who will be delighted to explain the religious and civil process.

Bereavements

We are very sorry for your loss and the Shul is here to support you. Following the death of a member of the community:

  1. Please notify the United Synagogue burial office on 020 8950 7767 IMMEDIATELY. If the office is closed, leave your name, the name of the deceased and a contact phone number.

    If the burial office is closed and you need to speak to someone for urgent advice, please call 07957 119 119 (this service is not available on Shabbat or Jewish Festivals, however your call will be returned after nightfall).

    If your loved one has passed away in a hospital, their Health and Safety protocols will require the deceased to be taken to the safety of their mortuary

    If your loved one has passed away on a Shabbat/Jewish Festival or out of office hours at home or in a private nursing home without mortuary facilities, you may wish or be requested to have them removed from there before the Burial Society are able to collect them. There are various independent companies we would recommend who can help facilitate this request:
    Carmel Funeral Services: 020 8880 1655 and 07860 395 420.
    Macleans Funeral Services: 01923 894 116.
    T Cribb and Sons: 020 7476 1855

    If you wished to keep your loved one at home until the Burial Society can collect them, please cover the deceased lightly with a sheet and ensure that you turn the heating off and open the windows.

  2. Notify the Rabbi on 020 8341 1714. This is optional as the Burial office will do this.
  3. Obtain a medical cause of death certificate from the doctor or hospital, stating the cause of death.
  4. Call the Registrar for Births and Deaths in the vicinity where the death occurred, who will make an appointment with you to register the death.
  5. Advise the burial office once you have been issued with the relevant documentation.
  6. Once funeral arrangements have been made the burial office will contact the Synagogue Administrator and liaise with the Rabbi about the funeral.