On Sunday, members of Welwyn Garden City Hebrew Congregation voted unanimously in favour of the appointment of Rabbi Yakov and Rebbetzen Eliana Tatz as their new rabbinic couple. The Tatzs who, with their three young children, have just moved back to the UK from Israel, expect to take up the position in June.
The appointment has been made in partnership with the United Synagogue’s Communities of Potential Board. In addition to serving the US community in Welwyn Garden City the role has a focus on developing the growing Jewish community in Hatfield and the surrounding areas.
Rabbi Tatz has most recently been an educator and mentor for young people from challenging backgrounds and Eliana brings skills at building networks and interest groups for people of all ages.
Stephen Lopes Dias, Chair of WGC said: “I am delighted to welcome Rabbi Yakov and Rebbetzen Eliana as our new rabbinic couple and we look forward to working closely with them to further develop our growing community.”
Rabbi and Rebbetzen Tatz added: “We are both very excited at being given the opportunity to take up these exciting roles within the United Synagogue family and we are looking forward to helping to grow the Welwyn Garden City community and at the same time bring more Jewish life to the surrounding area including Hatfield.”
Vice President of The US and Chair of the Communities of Potential Board (COP), Leonie Lewis, said: “We are delighted to appoint our first rabbinic couple as part of the COP project. The appointment was the outcome of over 18 months work in the area. Starting with several word of mouth comments regarding people moving and living in the area, the COP then conducted research and held meetings to prove the growth of the Jewish community. The US proactively worked to support the development of the community, this a completely new way of operating. We have ensured that the existing community of Welwyn were engaged from the outset and this exciting appointment will seek to enhance existing provision and reach out to others in the area.”
