America's community kollel trend takes root in Europe
The wooden sign swinging gently in the wind is about as out of place as the building it’s attached to — a pub-turned-shtibel in the middle of a London suburb called Elstree.
The owner, Mr. Mendy Tajtelbaum, moved from the chareidi stronghold of Golders Green to the neighborhood of many unaffiliated Jews 11 years ago. When renovating the building, he replaced the swinging cat and fiddle with the image of a man wrapped in a tallis.
In the years since, the shul has created a quiet revolution in the local community, providing a non-judgmental place for people to daven and learn. Many locals, even those nominally connected to an area shul, opt to mark lifecycle events at the shtibel.
Reb Mendy thinks that the secret ingredient on offer is the community kollel that he hosts morning and night.
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