Centre for Community Excellence
Empowering communities to reach their potential.
What is CCE?
Formerly known as Centre for Rabbinic Excellence (CRE), Centre for Community Excellence (CCE) is one of the most significant innovations undertaken by the Chief Rabbi since his installation in September 2013, when he laid out his vision for the Jewish community. His priorities for the Jewish communities under his auspices (the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth) include excellence in Jewish education and building stronger communities, and it is these that inform the primary focus of CCE.
CCE began operating as a new department of the Office of the Chief Rabbi in September 2014 and from its inception, adopted a multi-pronged approach to realising a more empowered and more energised UK Jewry. It is overseeing the transformation of synagogues into powerhouses of Jewish religious, educational, social and cultural excellence by supporting communities in expanding their programming. In this way CCE has become a go-to hub for community leaders seeking to enthuse and engage their congregants.
In addition to assisting individual communities in creating quality programming and events for their members, CCE also runs several flagship projects – The Etz Chaim Project, Investing in Rebbetzens, Community Twinning and Rabbis for Communities, each aiming to strengthen community life, invest in leadership and foster relations between synagogues.
Hadley Wood Synagogue’s Purim celebrations included a children’s drumming workshop
How can CCE help?
Some of our communities are battling to maintain financial viability and are not in a position to finance even modest costs to cover the community programming at the heart of the Chief Rabbi’s transformative agenda. Other communities have the financial wherewithal but not the creative programming ideas. As a result, many communities remain on the launch pad with little hope of lift off. CCE exists to remedy this.
CCE provides practical advice and seed funding to aid the creation of new projects. It has developed a network of renowned educators and speakers, connects with communities and provides access to outstanding examples of best practice. Please see the CCE Case Studies library, which showcases a selection of the most innovative, inspiring and community-oriented programmes that CCE has funded.
To find out how you can maximise your chances of a successful application for funding, read our handy Guide to Applications & Awards.
To submit an application for funding to CCE, please click here.
Children enjoy a post-Shabbat study session with their parents and grandparents at Childwall Hebrew Congregation, Liverpool
Contact
Please email Katie Axelrod-Harash or call 020 8343 5675 for more information.
A snapshot of CCE-funded events
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- Enfield members enjoyed a private megillah reading in the British Museum
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- A brass quintet plays for Ealing members
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- Members of Luton United mingle at a ‘Klezmer, Coffee and Cream Cakes’ afternoon
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- Fun and games at BHH Leed’s Pre-Purim Carnival
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- The Grand Bat Mitzvah Ceremony in action in Whitefield
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- Paricipants of the Grand Bat Mitzvah Ceremony in Whitefield
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- Participants in Cardiff’s 2-part learning course explore Jewish interpretations of contemporary issues
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- A snapshot of ShabbatUK in Solihull
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- The ‘Singers Hill Sightseers’ travel up north on three-day visit to Scottish Jewish communities and the Lake District
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- Members of Singers Hill in Blackpool
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- A Pre-Rosh Hashana cooking workshop in Bristol
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- North Manchester communities came together for a huge ShabbatUK Havdalah Finale
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- Everyone embraced the Bollywood theme at Watford’s Purim party
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- Children of the Singer’s Hill community enjoyed a ‘Sukkah Crawl Bus Hop’
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- Challah Bake for Shabbat UK at Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation
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- Members of Singers Hill by the sea on their trip to Blackpool
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- Purim tea party and magic show at Northwood United
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- Everyone embraced the Bollywood theme at Watford’s Purim party
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- Children of the Allerton congregation enjoy a learning session with their parents and grandparents after Shabbat
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- A pre Shavuot wine and cheese tasting event in Bristol
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- A musical Chanukah party gets underway at Meade Hill
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- Inspecting KLBD’s wares at Yeshurun’s ‘Strictly Kosher’ event
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- Drinking to the ‘Strictly Kosher’ education day at Yeshurun HC
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- St John’s Wood Youth planned their own Sukkot party
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- Participants from Yeshurun’s Bar and Bat Mitzvah shabbaton
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- North Manchester communities came together for a huge ShabbatUK Havdalah Finale
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- A festive Melava Malka rounded off ShabbatUK at Pinner
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- Dr Raphi Zarum tours Enfield members around ancient Persian artefacts at the British Museum on Purim
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- St John’s Wood Youth planned their own Sukkot party
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- Hendon US held a Young Masterchef event for ShabbatUK
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- Yeshurun’s Yom Haazmaut party set up
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- A group photo of Enfield members at the British Museum
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- Fun and games at BHH Leed’s Pre-Purim Carnival
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- Purim Celebrations included a children’s drumming workshop at Hadley Wood United Synagogue
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- A Pre-Rosh Hashana Shabbaton for Jews from across the regions
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- Everyone embraced the Bollywood theme at Watford’s Purim party
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- Rabbi Kaminetsky leads musical proceedings at Birmingham Central’s Lag b’Omer Concert
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- Yeshurun HC welcomed the South Manchester community to their Yom HaZikaron ceremony and Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations
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- The Chief Rabbi popped into Chigwell & Hainault United’s ShabbatUK
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- Lighting up the room with Havdalah at Brondesbury Park’s ShabbatUK
