A London council will build housing with features specifically aimed at the Orthodox Jewish community including lifts that don't require manual operating for the sabbath and separate kitchens to accommodate kosher rules.
Hackney council's Tower Court development in Stamford Hill, north-east London, where there is a large Jewish community, will include several larger than normal flats with four or five bedrooms to accommodate Orthodox Jewish families who often have seven or eight children.
The redevelopment is thought to the first of its kind, according to the Guardian, after some of Stamford Hill's 30,000 Haredi, or Orthodox, Jews were forced to form a new community in Essex because of a lack of housing.
A spokesman for Hackney council insisted the flats had not been designed exclusively for Haredi families and they would not be prioritised but the contractors were told to pay special attention to the housing requirements of the Haredi community.
'All homes for rent will be allocated according to housing needs,' the spokesman said.
Adam Khan Architects, which is responsible for designing the buildings, told the Guardian it held consultation session with Haredi representatives beforehand.
'We showed models and drawings, and we had people grabbing the pencils out of our hands to show us what they wanted,' said Khan. 'They were very generous in sharing intimate details of family life to give us a better understanding.'
The block will include both a lift system and a door entry system that fits with the strict rules of Shabbat – the Jewish sabbath – that prevent Jews from operating electrical equipment.
Some of the flats will also have balconies that allow for a 'sukkah' to be erected. The temporary enclosure is where Haredi Jews eat and sleep during the holiday of Sukkot. And they will also include enough storage space for separate meat and dairy kitchen equipment, according to Jewish kosher rules.
Rabbi Abraham Pinter, from the Stamford Hill Haredi community, said the development was 'really exciting'.
He told the Guardian: 'The council is putting a lot of effort into recognising the community's needs, which is quite difficult in an area of inner London where there are a lot of competing needs.
'This is a major development the council has initiated. It is appreciated, and hopefully it will lead to other developments.'
