Hello. My name is Tanya Sakhnovich, and I became the Rabbi of Nottingham Progressive Jewish Congregation in 2009.

I was ordained a Rabbi in 2009 by the Leo Baeck College in London after 5 years' study there. I had already studied and taught for 8 years at Belarusian State Pedagogical University in Minsk, where I was born, as well as being involved in Jewish education in Moscow for two years. Of course as a Student Rabbi I had served other communities, both by conducting Services and teaching.

I have really settled down in Nottingham and very much appreciate the warm support that has always been given to me by Congregants.

Music has been the main passion in my life, having studied it from the age of 6. My subjects at University were music and the history of art, and I have played the piano for nearly my whole life.

But I have also become an avid reader of books covering a wide range of subjects. I enjoy travel, the theatre and, of course, concerts, as well as martial arts in an attempt - not always successful! - to keep fit. I also enjoy meeting people, preferably speaking in Belarusian or English, although I do also speak Ivrit.

My responsibilities as the Rabbi of a thriving and enthusiastic Congregation are very demanding, but I do enjoy the challenges I meet throughout my work. They are so varied, I never know from one week to the next what duties are going to be required of me. That makes life exciting!

One of my dreams for the Congregation is to see the Synagogue full of people young and old, all working together to bring a greater awareness of our Jewishness to each other, each bringing their own individual strengths and characteristics for the benefit of the Community.

As we say when we finish reading each of the Five Books of our Torah - Hazak, hazak, v'nit hazak - Be strong, be strong, let us strengthen one another.