Shabbat Services

Friday evening services will be held at the Synagogue each week at 18:00 during the summer (GMT). Occasionally on the third Friday of each month the service will held at a member’s house at 19:30 followed by a Kiddush. Future dates will be advised on the This Month page

We also hold a monthly Family Service at the Synagogue on the first Saturday of each calendar month at 10:00. Our parents’ and children’s group, now to be known as “Atid” (future) meets in the Centenary Hall from 10:45 onwards.

Although “Atid” is aimed at younger children, older children and teenagers are especially welcome to attend and to participate in the service.

There is a Kiddush provided by the Guild after the service.

Dates for the next few months are:-

Saturday 7 June
Saturday 5 July

In addition to published services there is an informal Shabbat morning service at 10am on most intermediate Saturdays in the month.  Please inform the Secretary if you wish to be notified on occasions when this will not take place.

Service for learners

As a further way of assisting those members who are not totally familiar with the Chatham liturgy, we now hold an “explanatory service” when there is a demand for this. Please check the “This Month” page for details.

We have produced a transliterated siddur (prayer book) to assist any congregants who are not fluent at reading Hebrew. For further details visit our Transliteration page.

Chanukah

Chanukah is always a colourful occasion at Chatham Memorial Synagogue. It is a tradition at Chatham that families bring their own chanukiot. This means that all the children can light candles and it makes a very colourful display while everyone is having tea.

Thanks to Jerry Karlin for the excellent photos he took at the 2003 Chanukah party.

Holocaust Memorial Day

A Consecration service for a new Holocaust Memorial Window was held in the Synagogue in January 2003.

From 2004, the Holocaust Memorial Day event has been organised by apartnership of four organisations; Chatham Memorial Synagogue, Medway Council, Rochester Cathedral and teh Meway Interfaith Action Forum.

The synagogue participated in a Holocaust Memorial Event in Rochester Cathedral on 27 January 2004 and in an event to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on 27 January 2005 in the Corn Exchange, Rochester.  There was also a service at the synagogue on Friday 27 January 2006.

An event was held at the Chapter School, Strood on Saturday 27 January 2007, with a very moving programme of poetry, readings drama and dance by the students. On Sunday 27 January 2007 an  event in Rochester Cathedral involved sudents from anumber of local schools. For further details click here.

Tisha B’Av

For the first time at Chatham, we held a service in 2003 for the eve of Tisha B’Av where we read from the book of Lamentations. This has now become a regular part of the Chatham religious calendar. For more information click here.

Service of Rembrance and Renewal

We held a Service of Remembrance and Renewal on Sunday 14 April 2002. The service was conducted jointly by representatives of Chatham Memorial Synagogue, Bromley Reform Synagogue and Kent Liberal Jewish Community.  Further details and photos can be obtained by clicking here.

Kent Liberal Jewish Community

We are pleased to advise that our friends in the Kent Liberal Jewish Community hold regular sevices at a location in central Maidstone and that anyone interested in attending a KLJC service should contact them on their enquiry number 07952 242432 or via email at bulletin.kljc@liberaljudaism.org.

They also have a website at www.jewishkent.org.uk/Communities/KLJC/kljc.html