A Google street-view camera documenting streets in the UK captured members of the growing Haredi community in Canvey Island dressed in traditional Shabbat attire this past June, as they were walking back from the synagogue.
Among those caught on camera was Rabbi Yoel Friedman, a prominent figure in the community. His was one of the first Hasidic family to move to the area, located an hour’s drive from London. Friedman, who has lived in Canvey Island for eight years, helped establish and grow the Jewish presence there. What began with just six families has blossomed into a thriving community of around 135.
"I got a message from Eliezer Zusia Grass, a friend who recognized me on Street View," the rabbi said. "So, I took a closer look at the surrounding streets," he said. "I actually remember seeing the Google car pass by and thought about waving, but I didn’t because it was Shabbat."
The images captured by the Google car provide a unique and unexpected snapshot of the Haredi community in Canvey Island. The juxtaposition of modern technology capturing a moment steeped in tradition did not go unnoticed by community members.
"It reminds me of old photos from shtetls in Poland and Hungary," Rabbi Friedman said. "There are famous clips of film shot in Munkács, where my grandparents lived, showing Hasidic men, in very similar clothing, leaving home on a Shabbat morning. It's heartening to see the Hasidic traditions of the past continuing in Britain, and now in Canvey."
Rabbi Friedman, a former public affairs director for the Pinter Trust, an organization that connects Haredi communities with British media, and a key community leader in the UK, reflected on the event: "It’s quite amusing that such a modern tool like Google Street View managed to capture a moment of deep tradition. For us, Shabbat is a time to disconnect from the digital world, so it’s ironic to see it preserved online in this way."