Linda had been the Administrator at Edgware Masorti since June 2000 and now the adminstrator of SHEMA since the merger. She feels lucky to be working with such a great community.

“Good morning. SHEMA. How can I help you?“

It is Linda’s voice you hear when you call the office and she loves answering queries – no question is too small or silly. Linda is the author of most of the emails and newsletters and enjoys tweeting and posting on the Facebook page. When not at work Linda enjoys spending time with her family and walking amongst trees and tulips.

Niki joined us from NNLS in September 2023 as our Community Development Manager.

She has worked in Jewish Communities and Education for the past 30 years in Israel and the UK.

More recently she worked as a teacher and senior leader at Clore Shalom and Director of Education at NNLS.

She has 2 grown up children Zak and Tali and she loves adventurous volunteering holidays and is an aspiring farmer !

Having served as Co-Chair at EMS and having seen through the proposal and implementation of a merger with EBMC, I believe I know and understand the community’s needs and expectations and will endeavour to ensure those expectations are met.

I’ve served over the years as Co-Chair (twice), Treasurer, Warden and Council member of EMS. I believe I can ensure the future for all SHEMA members in a new and vibrant community based in Borehamwood.

As the Co-Chair of EBMC and having worked closely with EMS and MJ to bring the merger together I wanted to stand as Co-Chair so that there is some continuity from the previous communities carried over into the new one that is formed.

I have 25 years of Community Volunteering experience gained through the JLGB (previously Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade) running weekly units, weekend camps, national camps and a host of other communal events throughout my time as an Adult Leader within the organization. For the last 10 years (pre-pandemic) I was also actively involved with Gay Jews in London as one of their committee members organizing events across London for our members around Chaggim or for general socializing

My family were original members of EMS and we saw it grow from the days at Brady Maccabi to the building it has homed for over 30 years.

I think that being second generation from EMS to EBMC and then the merged community is a natural progression.

Having been heavily involved with EBMC for well over ten years I am thrilled to help the SHEMA community to thrive.

I love being part of the SHEMA family and very much look forward to working with and meeting all our new friends.

Laura and I had been members of EMS for over 30 years and watched our two children grow up in what was a community with an active youth.

I was heavily involved in investigating and agreeing details of the merger with EBMC.

My “day job” is as owner-MD of my family dental company that has been around since 1908. With these roles I have acquired experience in management at board level of both charities and businesses which serves me well on the Synagogue Council.

My spare time finds me involved with amateur dramatics, walking with my family, gardening or skiing.

I am honoured to be on the SHEMA council and help us move to our new location.

I had been an active member of EMS for many years, having been involved in arranging social events and celebrations for festivals, as well as doing the kiddushim for many years. I was Co-Chair for 4 years and worked strategically to help guide the shul through some challenging times, when membership both at EMS and in other communities has been struggling.

I worked tirelessly with others to support and encourage the merger of EMS and EBMC and I am extremely enthusiastic about the opportunities that we have to build a sustainable community for many years to come. I am excited that I have opportunity of a position on the SHEMA Council and continue with the work we have started.

I have been on Executive and Council for more years than I can remember and am more than familiar with the requirements to ensure that Shabbat and the Festivals services are maintained to a high standard, and I wish to continue with this for as long as I am wanted.

I had been Senior Warden at EMS for several years. I have been involved in arranging services, arranging, and chairing services committee meetings and ensuring that the traditions and practices of Masorti are followed.

I have been on Executive and Council for more years than I can remember and am more than familiar with the requirements to ensure that Shabbat and the Festivals services are maintained to a high standard, and I wish to continue with this for as long as I am wanted.

I am committed to the future of the new synagogue and wish for it to be a thriving, new community, in which to raise my children.

I want to dedicate the necessary time to participate on the council helping to progress it to the future and I have demonstrated commitment towards this by working on one of the steering community groups.

In my everyday life, I am a teacher at a well-known Jewish Primary school, a wife and a Mummy. I believe these roles have given me strong experience in creativity, vision, clarity, listening, fairness and being able to work in a team, brainstorm and ideate for a greater outcome and for a higher purpose for everyone.

I have often spoken in the past, in shul meetings, in person and on zoom about the need to look to the future of the community and what will take us there in a gathered and sustained way so that we build the appropriate foundations not just for us, but for all of our children, our children's children and for generations long after we are no longer here. I have a strong desire to be part of the committee that makes this flourish and happen.

I have been a member of the synagogue all my life and grew up when EMS had a thriving community of all ages.

I work as a product Development Manager at a magnetic part manufacturing company called SG Technologies. Project management and communication is a key part of this role.

I became more engaged when merger opportunity was put on the table. This gave hope that the shul can have a bright future and move forward in ever changing times. I wanted to be part of this change and help shape the community during this period. I have done the Masorti community organising program and believe with this training and experience from my job I have a set of skills that can benefit the council and wider community.

I had been a member of the EMS Council for nearly two years and I felt very enthusiastic about the future of the shul following the merger with EBMC. The merger presents both communities with an exciting opportunity to have a new and fresh start.

As a Council member I was part of the team which was actively involved in talking to individual members of the EMS community in order to encourage them to vote in favour of the merger.

I have also edited articles for the shul magazine Or Hadash and have organised food collections donated by the community for several local food banks.

I would very much like to continue to contribute by being a member of the Council and do as much as I can to take a vibrant new community forward to a successful future.

Having been away from the Jewish community for over 20 years, I rediscovered my faith at the Cave of Machpellah whilst filming for the BBC. That was over 5 years ago and I am now happy whatever I can to serve the Community.

I am probably the oldest Dad you know, being 63 years old and Dad to a precious little one year old miracle called Sophia and looking forward to marrying the other lady in my life, the wonderful Natasha in July 24.

I am a proud Zionist and also a massive football fan, having served on the Board of Directors of a team and suffering a lifetime of hurt as a supporter of Tottenham.

To those that don’t know me, I am 66 years old. I grew up in Liverpool and left at the age of 21 to seek my fortune and London is as far as I got. I have been married to Debbie for over 42 years and now have two amazing children, Daniel and Ruth plus four wonderful grandchildren. I’m a semi-retired Electronics engineer. We had been members of EMS for about 35 years, dating back to when services were held at Brady Maccabi, Edgware. We were told when we joined, by the then Rabbi, Chaim Weiner, that we would be made very welcome by him and all the congregation and this has proved to be true.

For the last 10 plus years I have been a member of EBMC now known as SHEMA.

Since I joined the shul after my mum’s conversion and my parents wedding, I got involved in the security aspect of the shul. I was fascinated by it and wanted to explore it. When I was 16 years old I became a member of the Hertsmere Volunteer Police Cadets and used the skills and discipline I learnt there to enhance my skills

At 18 I went to college to study - 2 years doing a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Uniformed Public Services and 2 years studying for my BTEC Level 5 Extended Diploma in the same course getting distinctions in both.

It was around that time in 2016 that I trained and became a Level 1 security support officer continuing to enhance my skills as the Deputy Security Officer at the shul. I then spent just over 7 years from 2016 until November 2023 trying to improve in every aspect of security.

In November 2023 after 7 years of showing what I could do, I completed my Level 2 CST security course to become the Security Officer for the shul.

My role then changed to Security Coordinator with responsibilities including dealing with the rotas for both our locations when we have 2 separate services and when we have an event on. I have also taken on more responsibility with helping to run services as an honorary Warden, helping to take torah service and doing the aliyot call ups to the torah too.

For anyone wondering why security is needed especially in this difficult time, I would tell you once you start you won’t want to stop.