Having had many childhood family holidays in Leeds and having studied here for my undergraduate degree, I have been privileged over the past three years to have had the opportunity to return to Leeds as the University Jewish Chaplain for the Yorkshire region. It was the excitement of working with a dynamic student community that really appealed to my wife Tanya and myself. We were the first chaplaincy family in Leeds to live on the university campus, which enabled us to more easily connect with the students.

Fun-filled festivals, historic attractions and exquisite boutiques; Harrogate is a haven for day trippers.

The spa town of Harrogate, with its vibrant floral displays, quaint tea rooms and grand arcades, provides the perfect day out for visitors. Whether taking a stroll through lush green gardens or enjoying a day in the restored Turkish Baths, there is a multitude of exciting attractions and events to be found along its picturesque streets.

Harrogate’s spa heritage was established in the late 16th century when the first mineral spring was discovered. Since then, visitors have been able to enjoy the spa heritage in the restored Turkish Baths and Health Spa, which include a Victorian steam room and plunge pool, plus a variety of treatments.

The Baths offer a relaxing end to a day spent shopping in the town’s boutiques and stores, many of which can be found along Parliament Street and within the Montpellier Quarter, a picturesque paradise for shoppers featuring 80 exclusive shops and boutiques. The Montpellier Quarter is set within stylish surroundings, incorporating gardens and floral hanging baskets, and is also the perfect place for art lovers, with an array of antique shops and art galleries dotted along the cobbled streets.

JLife chats to Sheila Saunders, the Chief Executive of Leeds Jewish Housing Association who is retiring this month, about past success and future plans.

For over two decades, Sheila Saunders oversaw two organisations that are vital to the Jewish community in Leeds – the Leeds Jewish Welfare Board (LJWB) and the Leeds Jewish Housing Association (LJHA). She retired from the position of Chief Executive of LJWB in 2005, and this month she retires from her role as Chief Executive of the LJHA.

“While working as the Day Centre Organiser at the old Queenshill Centre, the forerunner to the MAZCC, I was headhunted in 1987 to take up two separate job roles as the Chief Executive of the LJWB and the LJHA,” explains Sheila. “They were new roles that were created to oversee the two organisations. It was amazing to be able to help so many people in the Jewish community who relied on us so much for the services we provide.”

Jonathan Huglin, General Manager at one of the city’s top hotels, speaks to JLife’s Katherine Howard about his South African upbringing, new life in Leeds and who he would like to see in the World Cup final.

Liverpool born and South Africa raised, Jonathan Huglin feels right at home in Leeds, having moved to the city in December 2008 to take up the role of General Manager at the city’s Radisson BLU Hotel: “Although I follow Liverpool Football Club I think that it’s fantastic Leeds FC got promoted. I think it’s great for the city, and from my point of view as a hotel manager, it’s great for business,” says the self-acclaimed football fanatic and assistant coach for Leeds Maccabi under 10s. He’s keeping an eager eye on the World Cup, more than slightly envious of his Cape Town-based family and friends’ experiences: “I’m getting quite nostalgic what with all the TV coverage and I’m pretty sorry to be missing the tournament but I would have loved to see England V South Africa in the final.”