November/December 2018
VOL. XLV No. 6
Liberal Judaism is a constituent of the World Union for Progressive Judaism
www.liberaljudaism.org
ljtoday
Celebrate and support our youth movement
L
IBERAL JUDAISM will be looking to the past in order to build for the future at our movement’s first ever fundraising dinner. We will share stories and memories from throughout the history of our youth movement – whether you knew it as LJYNetzer, ULPSNYC-Netzer or FLPJYG. And we are delighted to announce that Julia Middleton (pictured) will be the keynote speaker. Julia is the founder and CEO of Common Purpose, one of the world’s biggest leadership development organisations. Julia is passionate about helping people to develop as leaders and she campaigns to encourage leaders from all backgrounds to make an active and tangible contribution to their communities and to wider society. With her commitment to enabling the next generation to stand up, cross boundaries and tackle the complex challenges they and the world face, Julia is a perfect fit to speak at a dinner in honour of our peer-led youth movement. The event takes place from 6pm on Tuesday 27 November at Goldsmiths’ Hall, London, EC2V 6BN (dress code: lounge suit). It is a fantastic chance to reunite with your peers – from your time as youth participants, leaders and/ or parents – and to support the youth movement which creates our future. LJY-Netzer has become a home for so many young people who have not found a place elsewhere. It is hard to explain exactly why this is but most would agree that it is due (at least in part) to the movement’s truly inclusive nature, the trust it builds between its members and the resulting community that it builds.
The dinner will raise much-needed funds for the LJY-Netzer Bursary Fund. This will ensure that, in future, a far larger number of children can attend the fantastic LJY-Netzer events throughout the year. It will also mean that the movement can offer the individual support that many participants need. Throughout the years the impact that LJY-Netzer has had on its graduates is obvious and has been felt far outside the Liberal Jewish world. Alumni of our youth movement have gone on to embody the values of social justice and responsibility by working in politics and the charity sector, creating businesses and charities and becoming
teachers, social workers, doctors and so much more. The graduates of our youth movement truly represent the principles of our movement put into practice. In addition to the LJY-Netzer Bursary Fund, we are also raising money for a brand new education department. Creating an education department, and increasing what Liberal Judaism can offer its members, will enable us to engage more people and provide educational and training opportunities to all our members wherever they are. Buy your tickets (£75) or tables of 10 (£750) today at www.tinyurl.com/ LJDinner and help LJY-Netzer to continue doing what it does best.
A rabbi, an imam and a priest walk into a sukkah...
...and leave with a promise from the council to take 50 refugees from war-torn countries. Read about the Sanctuary Sukkot campaign on pages 2-3.