About BNJC
The Hub for Jewish life in Brighton & Hove: a hub for all, with the doors open to everyone.
About BNJC
The Hub for Jewish life in Brighton & Hove
BNJC is the Hub for Jewish life in Brighton & Hove: a charity and a place. At the Hub, on New Church Road in Hove, there is a synagogue, a nursery, a restaurant, a gym and studio, homes to stay in, and a calendar of things to come to.
It is a hub for all. The doors are open to everyone: Jewish or not, local or just visiting, here every day or only once.
More than half of what happens at the Hub is run by other organisations, Brighton & Hove Hebrew Congregation and the charities in the Community Office among them.
Key facts
2023
The Hub opened
Registered charity
England and Wales, no. 1195729
BNJC Trading Ltd
Trading company, no. 14174228
29-31 New Church Road
Address, Hove, BN3 4AD
Phone
Email
The people
Who runs it
BNJC is run by a team led by its chief executive, and overseen by a board of trustees who give their time as volunteers.
Every part of the Hub
What happens at BNJC
On a normal day: nursery drop-off at Shoresh, coffee at Yofi, a class at Cove, and in the evening youth club, a talk or a simcha. Every part of the Hub has its own page.
Life at the Hub
StayFlats and town houses at the Hub, booked direct.
Eat at YofiThe kosher restaurant, the Deli and Shabbat meals.
ShoreshA Jewish-values nursery for everyone.
CoveHealth and fitness, a gym and a studio for everyone, from beginner to experienced gym goers.
VisitComing for the first time, and how to find the Hub.
Partners on siteThe organisations based at the Hub.
Community
What guides the Hub
Values
Lifting each other up.
A hand up for anyone who needs one.
Making space.
Room at the table for one more.
Staying curious.
Questions are welcome, and so are new ideas.
Celebrating, together.
Every simcha and festival is better shared.
Caring for each other.
Looking out for neighbours, young and old.
Building for the future.
A Hub made to last for the generations to come.
Why the Hub exists
Mission, vision and purpose
The mission
The mission is to strengthen Jewish life in Brighton & Hove by offering the spaces, services and experiences needed to support and foster a thriving Jewish community.
It happens through a community hub that brings people together: outstanding kosher food, purposeful programming, and welcoming places to gather, learn and celebrate. From the nursery, workspace and restaurant to the homes at the Hub, it creates spaces where Jewish life can flourish.
The vision
The vision is for Brighton & Hove to be a city where Jewish life is vibrant, accessible and embraced by a connected community. Anchored by the Hub, individuals are empowered to engage with their Jewish identity, celebrate Jewish culture and heritage, and build meaningful connections within and beyond the Jewish community.
BNJC aspires to be a place of belonging for Jewish people locally, nationally and internationally, and a cultural and educational resource for the wider community, so that Jewish life in Brighton & Hove can thrive for generations to come.
How the Hub came to be
The story so far
The story begins on New Church Road in Hove, where a synagogue was built for a Jewish community that was moving west across the city. The site was rebuilt as the Hub, which opened in 2023.
- 1958December: the foundation stone is laid for a new synagogue on New Church Road.
- 19619 July: Chief Rabbi Sir Israel Brodie consecrates the synagogue.
- 2017The project to rebuild the site is launched, with support from The Bloom Foundation and in partnership with Brighton & Hove Hebrew Congregation.
- 2020January: the old synagogue closes, and the congregation worships elsewhere in Hove while the site is rebuilt.
- 20234 March: the Hub opens, and the congregation holds its first Shabbat back on New Church Road.
Beyond BNJC
The history of Jewish Brighton & Hove
That is the story of the Hub. The wider history, of Jewish life in Brighton & Hove since the first Jewish resident was recorded in 1766, is told on its own page: more than 250 years, year by year.