A Cheder Student

I have been attending the crèche and cheder at Kehillah North London with my elder sister Esther since I was a baby. I look forward to going to synagogue every fortnight. I have got to know many of the adult members of the community and have made a lot of good friends.We start with a Hebrew lesson, and this is followed by cheder.

When I was younger we did a lot of craft activities, cooking and acted out stories, but now that I am older we have discussions about Jewish history, what being Jewish means, and the different kinds of Judaism. We also discuss daily life and how we would act in certain situations. And of course I always look forward to cheder snack time, particularly the hummus or cream cheese bagels.

My favourite memories are of marching up Stoke Newington Church Street at night behind musicians playing klezma at Simchat Torah; eating under the sukkah draped in palm leaves; playing in the synagogue band; cheder expeditions to Bevis Marks and Walford Road synagogues; and camping trips with our families.

I have now started preparing for my Batmitzvah and am really enjoying studying the Torah and learning my Parshah with my tutor Levi.