A St Albans-based synagogue has appointed a new Rabbi as the community grows in strength and membership.

Herts Advertiser: Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet with Mikayla and Azi.Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet with Mikayla and Azi. (Image: Archant)

St Albans Masorti Synagogue (SAMS) in Campfield Road appointed Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet, who is currently a rabbinical student at the Jewish Theology Seminary.

Rabbi Adam graduated from Hamline University in Minnesota in 2011, and is joining SAMS from the Oceanside Jewish Centre in Oceanside, New York, where he was the student rabbi. He will be moving to St Albans with his wife Mikayla and their son Azi.

SAMS has a community of more than 450 adults and children from across Hertfordshire. Rabbi Adam will take over from Rabbi Rafi Kaiserblueth who was at the synagogue for eight years and moved to Australia last year with his wife, Rachel, and two sons. Rabbi Rafi helped search for his replacement, along with his own predecessor Rabbi Jeremy Gordon.

Rabbi Adam said: “Mikayla and I are thrilled to be joining SAMS as members and leaders of the community.

“From the start of our search, we have fallen in love with the warm, welcoming and energetic community in St Albans and I couldn’t be more honoured or blessed to have been asked to take the position of rabbi there beginning this summer.

“We look forward to learning, serving and growing with SAMS into the future.”

Rabbi Adam, who will take up his post in July, is pursuing an MA at the Jewish Theology Seminary in Jewish thought, concentrating on Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah.

Moira Hart, co-chair of SAMS, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the outcome of the search for our new rabbi. It has been a long and thorough process and one in which we encouraged the whole community to actively participate.

“We were all impressed with Rabbi Adam’s energy, enthusiasm and intellectual track record from the start and are now looking forward to welcoming him and his family to SAMS and flourishing together over the coming years.

“Rabbi Adam will also be a tremendous asset to the Masorti Judaism movement in the UK and across Europe.”