About

Od Avinu Hai was established almost 25 years ago and has continued to provide and care for the youth of our community throughout these years. We run a weekly Shabbat minyan teaching the boys how to daven, lein and lead the service according to our Sephardi traditions. We also have regular midweek learning sessions, teaching the fundamental halachot and customs to the future of our community, inspiring them to grow and achieve their potential, all in a fun and warm environment.

Over the last five years the group has been led by Jordan Moses who himself is a product of Od Avinu Hai. He has developed a personal relationship with each individual boy, offering them a safe place to turn to if they are ever in need of advice, help or even just a friendly chat. The youth group also has their own dedicated chill room in the shul where the boys can relax and play playstation, encouraging them to spend more time in the shul, but more importantly, less time on the streets.

The calendar is filled with events at the end of every school term, which has helped create deeper bonds between the guys in different, fun atmospheres. These events are used as incentives to encourage the boys to attend the weekly minyanim on time and consistently. In the last few years, we have carried out two youth takeovers where the youth ran the main service of the shul, football zorbing in the park, Lag Ba’omer BBQ’s, paintballing, go karting and even driving a supercar, all of which are subsidised as an incentive for the avid minyan goers.

During covid, the teens proudly produced three newsletters with over 20 pages in each, including Divrei Torah on Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Pesach. These newsletters were printed and posted out to all community members, providing them with reading material for these important festivals which many of us had to spend alone in lockdown, with less preparation and involvement than usual. There were also copies distributed to the local shops for people to take at no cost.

As many of the boys are now approaching their late teens, we are working on preparing them for the next stage in their life. Whether this means helping some boys find the best yeshiva for them to attend, or helping others to line up work experience to strengthen their future career options, our aim is to cater for each individual’s needs.

Now Od Avinu Hai is asking for your help to allow us to continue with our crucial work. There are regular costs involved in the running of our minyan, including the weekly hot Kiddush, dinners during the midweek learning, activities to incentivise the boys, and more.

We are not asking for much, but with your help we can continue to inspire and teach our youth over the upcoming years, shaping the future of our community for a lifetime.