LJ Today September/October 2016

September/October 2016 VOL. XLIII No. 5

Liberal Judaism is a constituent of the World Union for Progressive Judaism

www.liberaljudaism.org

ljtoday

Biennial goes beyond the Book LIBERAL JUDAISM’S Biennial Weekend had more communities, more rabbis and more first-timers attending than ever before – as delegates looked to the future with confidence and communal spirit.

Speaking at the conference, Liberal Judaism’s chief executive and senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, said: “The breadth and depth of this Biennial Weekend shows both Liberal Judaism’s belief in itself and its willingness to explore uncharted seas and focus on keeping pace with modernity.

“I remain proud to serve as the professional head of a confident movement oozing with talent – rabbis, leaders and members – who may demand rights but speak and act more of responsibilities to each other, to their neighbourhoods, to the Jewish people and, above all, to humanity.”

Liberal Judaism’s flagship event included themed services covering the main eras of Jewish history, panel discussions on Brexit and antisemitism, a musical tribute celebrating the 60th anniversary of Leo Baeck College, the graduation of a new class of lay leaders and guest speakers including awardwinning author Cole Moreton, Imam Sayed Razawi and Hebrew Union College scholar Rabbi Dr Dalia Marx.

Responding to the conference’s theme of ‘Thinking Outside The Book’, the Biennial also saw 300 delegates join with 30 rabbis and six student rabbis to discuss a potential new siddur for Liberal Judaism and share creative ideas for musical and multimedia services.

Rabbi Sandra Kviat writes...

THE UPCOMING High Holy Days are a unique opportunity to reflect

Rabbi Lea Mühlstein leads a session looking at Liberal Jewish liturgy (top), Rabbis Pete Tobias, Charley Baginsky and Andrew Goldstein read from the Torah and the moving closing ceremony

Each community designed a unique tallit, all of which were displayed throughout the conference and used as part of a special closing ceremony – led

by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein. The tallitot were each community’s response to the end of the Hashkiveinu prayer – “Blessed are You Eternal God, spreading the shelter of peace over us.”

Rabbi Charley Baginsky – who chaired the Biennial organising committee – said: “This conference marked a step change in Liberal Judaism’s standing.

on our lives, our priorities and our relationships. But it can be hard to find the head space for it when the world around us is so confusing and tense.

“The Biennial’s radical speakers and programme did not shy away from addressing challenging issues and looking at how they tie into Liberal Jewish liturgy and prayer, now and in the future.

“But the Biennial is not just for the weekend… it is for life. USB sticks, containing resources and videos, have been sent to communities, as we lead into next year’s Day of Celebration, which will take place on Sunday June 11.”

• Biennial Special, pages 2-4 and 6-7

That’s why, this year, each day from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, you will find an inspirational thought or text at www.liberaljudaism.org

Page 2 LJ Today

Biennial

September/October 2016

The past, present and future of our prayer Two senior Liberal rabbis explored the way we pray in their Biennial sermons Rabbi Pete Tobias: LIBERAL JUDAISM Biennial Conferences have a reputation of being rather exciting, but I think the opportunity we gave people today – to encounter more than 2,000 years’ worth of how Jews have prayed by taking part in different prayer experiences, each representing a key period – added a new dimension.

The purpose was, of course, to offer a glimpse into the manner in which our people have sought to express a connection to God in the many times and places that they have sought to do so.

A thought occurred to me during the creation of the event. How would our ancestors from those different eras and geographical locations feel were they to have the opportunity to be here with us?

Would the Judahite peasant understand that the words we read are the verbal equivalent of his offering in the Temple?

Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah: What makes a siddur ‘Liberal’? Having published several prayer books for over 100 years, Liberal Judaism in Britain can readily provide answers to this question.

One of our classical Liberal forebears, Lily Montagu, gets to the heart of the matter. In 1899, three years before the establishment of the Jewish Religious Union – the original name for Liberal Judaism – she declared: “Together we must sift, with all reverence, the pure from the impure in the laws which our ancestors formulated in order to satisfy the needs of the age.”

Our movement always responds to the needs of the age and, by definition, these change. And so, we have our first answer.

Another can be discerned in a speech made by the second of the ‘three Ms’ who founded Liberal Judaism, Claude Montefiore. He argued: “Religion needs the mind; it needs thought and study, as well as ardour and love. Where Jewish students, or rather Jewish teachers, so often fail is that they learn the answers of past ages to past problems, but hide their ears and envelop their minds from the questions and problems of today.”

Of course, we cannot quote from two ‘Ms’ without the third, Rabbi Dr Israel Mattuck, who said: “Judaism cannot for all time be confined in a form given it in the past. It must develop as life changes and human thought grows. Liberal Judaism is its latest development.”

Would the dancing Chasidim of the 17th century, listening to our singing of familiar words, be able to find any glimpse of the joy with which they were encouraged to celebrate their Judaism?

And the rabbis – they who carried Judaism from the ruins of a smouldering Jerusalem and formed it into the practices and prayers that have sustained it for almost two millennia – would they recognise and acknowledge what Liberal Judaism, our movement, has done to develop, refine and transmit their vision?

Because that is what we have done.

It began when the Jews of Europe first emerged from the ghettoes and tried to meet the challenge to shape a Judaism that could find a home in the modern world. The emergence of new kinds of synagogues in 19th century Germany, at the dawn of Liberal Judaism, saw another development in the Jewish yearning to communicate with the Almighty.

Since then, musical accompaniment has expanded, God has ceased to be addressed as a man and many of our ancestors’ beliefs – like the desire for a return to the Temple or the arrival of the Messiah – have been removed.

Now Judaism faces a challenge once more. How, in our technological, scientific, sophisticated, materialistic and even cynical world can we find ways to continue, renew and develop what our ancestors sought to do?

We live, I think, in an age that struggles to pray, that has difficulty in expressing its connection with its God and finds it hard to understand its place in a challenging and troubled world.

As Liberal Jews we are fortunate to have a proud heritage that has always sought to do just that. This morning we have encountered some of its different manifestations through the ages.

What will be our contribution?

The needs of the age have changed many times since the Jewish Religious Union was founded in 1902. At that moment, the continuing progress of human civilisation seemed assured, and Liberal Judaism reflected that confidence. And so, from the outset, the major priorities were making services shorter, more manageable and modern.

The first Liberal prayer books included much more English than Hebrew, departed completely from the structure of traditional Jewish prayer, excluded many of the poems and songs that had been added to the liturgy over the centuries, cut out the ‘additional’ musaf service and omitted all references to Temple worship.

As it turned out, that spirit of optimism and hopefulness soon exploded in the trenches of the First World War, and subsequent cataclysmic events – the economic crash and the great depression, the rise of Nazism, the Second World War and the Holocaust – transformed forever the landscape of our assumptions about the inevitability of human progress, as well as our own sense of responsibility as Liberal Jews.

Then, the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948 injected Liberal Judaism, originally sceptical about Zionism, with a new sense of pride and hopefulness. And so, Service of the Heart, published in 1967, included much more Hebrew, drawing extensively on traditional liturgy, and was also very creative in its use of new material.

Twenty-one years ago, the needs of the age changed again and, in 1995, Siddur Lev Chadash was published. It represented a radical departure.

Reflecting Jewish tradition, Siddur Lev Chadash was the first Liberal prayer book to be given a Hebrew name, to be printed from right to left, and to follow the structure of traditional Jewish prayer. It engaged with the new era of gender equality, using inclusive language throughout. At the same time, there is a wonderful 248-page study anthology, based on the weekly Torah portions.

Siddur Lev Chadash was a monumental achievement of scholarship, brilliantly combining reverence for tradition with contemporary engagement.

So how can we possibly be thinking of replacing it? For all the reasons eloquently expressed by the ‘three Ms’.

In recent years, Liberal Judaism has become more sensitive to the need to include and embrace LGBTQI+ Jews.

There is also greater awareness that Liberal Jews come in all shapes and sizes, backgrounds and interests, and the liturgy we produce needs to reflect that.

In addition, technological development is now advancing at a dizzying pace.

Finally, of course, there is something which has remained constant throughout the odyssey of Liberal liturgies: our core values of respect for the individual and the pursuit of justice for all.

The journey towards our new siddur has begun…

Biennial

September/October 2016

LJ Today Page 3

Tributes for Betty as Chair’s Awards announced

Chair’s Awards winners with Rabbi Danny Rich and Simon Benscher (left), Peter and Betty Benscher and a lifetime award for Rosita Rosenberg

RABBIS, leaders and members of Liberal Judaism have paid tribute to Betty Benscher, who died in July – shortly after winning a Liberal Judaism Chair’s Award. Betty was presented with the award by her son Simon, the chair of Liberal Judaism. She won the honour, alongside husband Peter Benscher, for their incredible work for Woodford Liberal Synagogue for more than half a century.

Between them, they acted as marriage secretaries for a period of 50 years, covering in excess of 350 weddings. In 2010, they were unanimously acclaimed as the joint life presidents of Woodford and were ever-present at services and national Liberal Judaism events.

The Chair’s Awards recognise those who are doing wonderful work to support the values and principles of our movement.

They are presented at the Biennial.

Other winners in 2016 included Judi and Steve Herman of Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue – who were said by the judges to “embody all the ethics, principles and dedication that Liberal Judaism represents” – and Jane Greenfield, who has served on almost every Southgate Progressive Synagogue committee in 36 years of membership.

Rita Adler, of The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, was chosen for her lifechanging work on the shul’s asylum seeker drop-in and ‘Singing for the Mind’.

The remarkable Reading tallit

By Jane Carpenter READING LIBERAL JEWISH COMMUNITY (RLJC) is just like a tallit, enfolding our members and providing opportunities to pray, meet, eat, sing and celebrate the festivals together.

Our beautiful Biennial tallit was comprised of a patchwork of panels, all created by members of the Community and some more than a decade old.

The older panels were created at a retreat in Surrey, many years ago, when young and old were invited to express what our congregation meant to them in a variety of media. I don’t know what happened to the poems and pictures, but I have had six felt panels in the bottom of my craft cupboard for at least 14 years.

The two central panels on our tallit, Noah’s Ark and the Seder plate, are new and were designed by two of our youngest members, Zara and Isla, with help from their parents. Respectively, they represent our favourite Torah mantle and a highlight of the RLJC year.

There were also awards for Birmingham Progressive Synagogue president Frank Maxwell, a man who “rolls up his sleeves, literally and metaphorically, whatever the need”, and South Bucks Jewish Community chair Amanda McFeeters, who provides everything from support for the rabbi to a portable Ark for services.

The youngest winner was Tom Francies, praised as “a beloved LJY-Netzer leader.”

Chair of judges Sharon Goldstein said: “There was such a high calibre of nominees, it was very difficult to choose.”

Rosita Rosenberg was presented with a lifetime achievement award, acknowledging her insightful mind and deep devotion to Liberal Judaism.

My first Biennial

By Ruth Selo, Eastbourne Liberal Jewish Community

Other panels depict Jewish festivals and Torah stories, while a Magen David is both a symbol of our faith and a memorial to all those who had to wear their star in the ghettos of Europe and later perished.

Together, and now collected on our tallit, the panels represent the ways in which the members of our community identify as Jews, the Torah stories that we love, the festivals that we enjoy together and the ways in which we celebrate.

Together they show the shelter of peace that Reading Liberal Jewish Community provides for us, our families, our friends and visitors.

OVER THE YEARS, my husband David and I have been members of various Liberal congregations – although this was our first Biennial Weekend.

There were so many sessions to attend it was hard to choose what to do. The main theme of ‘Thinking Outside The Book’ was represented by workshops on new versions of ancient prayers, turning Jewish texts into life practice, radical theology and creative community leadership.

There was something for every taste, whether you wanted history, Torah or Talmudic study, music, discussion panels, new prayer books or alternative weddings. There was also a full youth programme.

I was more impressed with the Biennial than I expected to be and would definitely recommend it to all.

Page 4 LJ Today

Communities

September/October 2016

South London honours Rabbi BHPS celebrates Janet Darley with refugee vow

Rabbi Janet Darley with the Mayor of Lambeth (left), and receiving a farewell gift from SLLS president Louise Freedman and chair Alice Alphandary, pictures by Shelley Shocolinsky-Dwyer

SOUTH LONDON LIBERAL SYNAGOGUE (SLLS) gave departing rabbi, Rabbi Janet Darley, the perfect farewell present – a vow to continue her work with refugees.

The community has promised to convert a space in the synagogue into a two bedroom flat to house a refugee family. Plans are still being finalised, but early indications suggest a budget of up to £50,000 will be required. SLLS will be undertaking a number of fundraising initiatives during the year ahead, as well as looking for donations and grants.

SLLS chair Alice Alphandary, who announced the plan at the end of a special Shabbat service in Janet’s honour, said: “We are all so proud of the work Janet has been doing – alongside Citizens UK and other local faith groups – to both encourage the Government to allow more refugees into Britain, and then welcome them when they get here.

“We knew the best present we could give Janet was to continue this amazing social justice work. I really hope that the readers of lj today can assist with this project - be it money to help fund it, time to help with decorating or experience of managing a similar development.

“Not only will we deeply miss Janet, but also her husband Vince - who has done an amazing job leading the choir and lending his voice to our services.”

Janet responded: “My eight years at SLLS have been as rewarding as any rabbi could hope. I received some lovely presents at the service, but the best one of all was the promise that the flat will be rented to a Syrian refugee family.”

WHAT HAPPENS when a tragedy occurs – be it terrorist attack or a personal trauma? How does it affect our faith? What does Judaism have to say both to those who are victims and to those who witness it from afar? And where does God fit into it all?

Dignitaries at the service included the Mayor of Lambeth, Councillor Saleha Jaffer, chief executive of Citizens UK Neil Jameson and Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, president Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein and chair Simon Benscher. There were also guests from the Board of Deputies, City Hall, Lambeth Council and the borough’s Muslim, Christian and Hindu communities.

Janet was presented with gifts including a special tallit – masterminded by cheder head teacher Jackie Ashton and made by the community’s children – a framed paper cut saying Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof (justice, justice you shall pursue), a Rainbow Seder plate and a donation to her refugee appeal. A kiddush, arranged

by Gill Walker and her team, followed.

Janet has served South London Liberal Synagogue for eight years, during which time she was part of a Citizens UK team that won the Champions of the Year prize at the Women on the Move Awards for promoting the rights of refugees.

Most recently, Janet and Citizens UK won a major legal victory for children in the refugee camps in Calais, who have relatives in the UK, which will enable these children to join their families and have their applications examined here.

To find out more about the refugee project – or to donate money or time to making it happen – please contact the synagogue via www.southlondon.org Student Rabbi Nathan Godleman will take over the South London pulpit for the next year, as part of his Leo Baeck College fourth-year placement.

In new book Terror, Trauma and Tragedy, 23 Progressive rabbis try to provide answers that acknowledge the pain, anger and confusion that can arise, but also offer ways forward.

Email Marcia.Singer@reformjudaism. org.uk to order acopy for £5 (plus P&P).

THE COMMUNITY at Brighton & Hove Progressive Synagogue (BHPS) honoured some of their longest serving members at a special service, which also celebrated the 250th anniversary of Brighton Jewry.

Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah praised the members for “being engaged in the community throughout the decades, and remaining actively involved today.”

Elli added: “Sadly, two of them were not well enough to attend the service: Diana White, an emeritus vice president, and Stanley Marks. Long-standing member, lay reader and emeritus vice president Harry Atkins led the service with me, and he was joined by Jean Jay, Renée Luper and Anne Carr for a special Mi Shebeirach (prayer for healing).”

Ba’alei benefits

LIBERAL JUDAISM administration and lifecycle manager, and Ba’alei Tefillah graduate, Alexandra Simonon took her first full Torah service at Gloucestershire Liberal Jewish Community (GLJC).

Alexandra – who graduated Liberal Judaism’s lay leadership course with 15 others at the Biennial Weekend – said: “The Ba’alei Tefillah scheme gave me the knowledge and confidence to lead a full service. It is so important that Liberal Judaism has strong lay leaders and I’m proud that we have so many graduates now leading services around the country.”

Anne Frank Day RABBI DR ANDREW GOLDSTEIN, the president of Liberal Judaism, led a special service as Herefordshire Jewish Community commemorated Anne Frank Day. Representatives of Christian and Buddhist faiths also took part.

Comment

September/October 2016

LJ Today Page 5

‘Everyone can marry in, if we welcome them’ Rabbi Aaron Goldstein on our movement’s positive attitude to intermarriage and its benefits INTERMARRIAGE in the UK is broadly stable at just over a quarter of the Jewish population, and those who marry other Jews are more likely to bring up their children as Jewish than those who marry non-Jews. These are the headline findings of the Report on Intermarriage, published earlier this month by the Institute of Jewish Policy Research.

So far, so good, but then the trouble starts. The Orthodox Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, claims it shows that “levels of Jewish attachment, religious observance and continuity, directly correlate with marrying in.” The report’s author, Dr David Graham, goes further claiming “marrying out” has a “corrosive” effect on the Jewish population.

In fact, there is no evidence to support either an implicit or explicit claim of ‘cause and effect’. And, when I look at what is happening in Liberal Judaism, I fear that the wider Jewish community is in danger of drawing diametrically the wrong conclusion from this research.

The Jewish community in Britain divides between those who choose to opt out of the wider world and those who choose to integrate with it. For those of us that choose the latter route, we regularly interact with non-Jews and from time to time will fall in love and want to marry them.

The first mistake is to conclude that this in itself diminishes our commitment to our Judaism. It may of course be evidence of a lack of interest, but in my experience it is what happens next that is more likely to determine whether the family becomes estranged from Judaism or an integral part of it.

After the report, I was interviewed along with an Orthodox rabbi, Rabbi Dovid Lewis, on BBC radio. He explained to listeners the principle of matrilineality and argued that Torah, in his Orthodox interpretation, prevented the children of mixed marriages with Jewish fathers from being regarded as Jewish. He went on to state that the Torah promoted “marriage within the [Jewish] family.”

I pointed out to him, however, that Torah provides plenty of examples of men, not least Moses and Joseph, who married outside the tribe. And Ruth, an ancestor of David, is born a Moabite. It is not Torah that determined matrilineality, but the rabbis - human beings even if divinely inspired - who interpret and maintain it, regarding who is a Jew and the laws around marriage.

Liberal Judaism, of course, recognises equilineal descent: namely that children of mixed relationships, between a Jew and a non-Jew, are to be considered Jewish if so brought up – making no distinction whether their mother or father is the Jewish parent.

Given the extensive feedback I have received on that interview and a follow-up comment article in The Jewish Chronicle, many agree with me that the attitude that we adopt to those who intermarry is much less a matter of ‘law’ than ‘lore’.

The trouble with a lore that frowns on intermarriage is that few intermarried families will then feel included.

SLS comes of age STEVENAGE LIBERAL SYNAGOGUE (SLS) celebrated its first ever barmitzvah this summer.

The service was attended by 150 people and conducted by Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich. Twins Ben and Nathan Factor-Goodchild, pictured with teacher Gillian Wolfe, read their sedra to perfection.

When children are not recognised as Jewish or, even when they are, their parents’ relationship is described in terms of “marrying out” – the message of rejection could not be clearer.

In such circumstances, it is little wonder that many intermarried couples - regardless of which of them is born Jewish - feel unwelcome, with their children treated as second-class citizens, if they are ‘citizens’ at all.

Looking deeper into the report, the true story is hidden in the detail.

Intermarriage rates are only ‘stable’ because of the phenomenal growth of the ultra-Orthodox community. Among mainstream Jewry, the same data shows that mixed faith relationships and marriages continue to climb and Mirvis’ message is not working.

For Liberal Jews, that message is not only unachievable, it is undesirable.

Our movement’s positive attitude to intermarriage is what makes Liberal Judaism the fastest growing formal denomination in the UK. By welcoming all and including all, there are now thriving Jewish communities not only in London and Manchester - but in Lincoln and Leicester, Suffolk and Stevenage, Gloucester, Hereford and York.

The real message of this research is not “thank goodness more are not marrying out”, but “everyone can be marrying in, if we welcome them with outstretched arms and an open heart.”

For if we want Jews to both participate in Jewish communal life and play a full part in the wider world, intermarriage is not only inevitable, it is a blessing, and one with strong Biblical precedent.

• Rabbi Aaron Goldstein is senior rabbi of Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue

September/October 2016

Page 6 LJ Today

Liberal Judaism Biennial W

Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, welcomes some of the Biennial’ Weekend’s youngest delegates to the conference

Rabbi Harry Jacobi - one of a record number of Liberal rabbis attending this year’s event - catches up with a friend at check-in

Rabbi Dr David Goldberg (right) hosts the keynote conversation with author Cole Moreton, discussing the role of spirituality today

While their parents are off learning, studying and debating, the Biennial’s under 6s have just as much fun in the crèche

The Ba’alei Tefillah Class of 2016 are celebrated by the whole Biennial comm self-study and research, group meetings and learning, leading parts of servi

The young Liberal Jews in LJY-Netzer (aged 6-15) run Havdallah for the entire Biennial Conference, after spending the day preparing

Professor Margaret Greenfields, Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah and SuratShaan Knan show off the pop-up Ritual Reconstructed exhibition

LJ Today Page 7

September/October 2016

Weekend 2016 in pictures

Young adults enjoy drinks on Friday night, at a special event where everyone, from first-timers to Biennial veterans, met new people

Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein leads one of six themed Shabbat services, taking delegates on a historical journey of Jewish prayer

Board of Deputies chief executive Gillian Merron meets with Imam Sayed Razawi and Rabbi Danny Rich, before their session on Islam

munity. Sixteen new lay leaders graduated after a course including a mix of ices in their home communities and plenty of peer group support

Comic Daniel Cainer leads an exploration of how Jewish connection and engagement often takes place outside of the synagogue

LIBERAL JUDAISM would like to thank Charles Davis, who took the majority of the Biennial Weekend pictures in this issue of lj today. Charles specialises in commercial and editorial imagery – capturing an artistic approach with fun and a touch of glamour.

Charles’ services include photographing weddings, simchas, people and events, as well as for corporate and commercial clients. To book Charles for your event, please visit www.professionalphotography.me.uk Additional Biennial photos in this edition were taken by Simon Rothstein, Candy Parfitt and Hannah Stephenson.

Liberal Judaism chair Simon Benscher pays tribute to the Biennial committee, including Josie Kinchin and Jane Greenfield

Page 8 LJ Today

News

September/October 2016

Uniting to fight hatred and racism LIBERAL JEWISH communities have been at the forefront of campaigns to resist the rise in racist attacks, both verbal and physical, in the wake of June’s vote for the UK to leave the European Union.

Members of Norwich Liberal Jewish Community (NLJC) played a key role in supporting a local Romanian family, whose village shop was firebombed.

NLJC chair Annie Henriques addressed a large rally held in support of the family.

A public appeal also raised more than £30,000 in three days.

Annie said: “We Jews are no strangers to being on the wrong end of racism and fascism. This year marks 80 years since the battle of Cable Street when East End Jews and their Irish neighbours defended their community against Oswald Moseley’s Black Shirts.

“I am proud of my fellow citizens of Norwich in the way they responded to the disgusting arson attack.”

Liberal and Orthodox rabbis in Birmingham came together with leaders of other faiths as part of the ‘Love your Neighbour’ initiative, while South London Liberal Synagogue held a special ‘Refugees Welcome’ Shabbat.

Members of Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue (BPS) attended the ‘Human Peace Rally’ in Bedford, pictured, to show solidarity with all the ethnic groups, people of faith and refugees of the town.

BPS vice chair, Naomi Fellerman, was one of the speakers at the rally, making a passionate case to befriend and help all those in need and condemn prejudice at every opportunity.

Writing in The Jewish Chronicle, Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, stated: “Judaism demands protection for the weakest and most vulnerable in our society. The United Kingdom has a proud history of welcoming refugees and asylum seekers – and indeed those who arrive here for economic reasons – and it will be important to maintain this reputation both in theory and in practice.

“Residents of European continental origins, and others from further afield, play a vital part in the public services and business of the country and they may well need reassurance of the Levitical Jewish principle of the love of one’s fellow citizen and of the stranger, regardless of origin.”

Shabbat Shelanu WOODFORD LIBERAL SYNAGOGUE (WLS) held its fourth Shabbat Shelanu in July, a Saturday morning service accessible for people with learning disabilities and welcoming to all.

The services provide an opportunity to celebrate Shabbat in a relaxed and friendly environment, through music, multisensory experiences and prayer.

The next Shabbat Shelanu will be held on Saturday October 22 and will explore the symbols and meanings of Sukkot. All Liberal Jews, and non-members, are very welcome. Email organiser Zara Fryer on zara@woodfordliberal.org.uk for details.

Annual Memorial Services 2016 Edgwarebury Cemetery September 25 at 11am Rabbi Frank Dabba Smith The Western Cemetery, Cheshunt September 25 at midday Rabbi Yuval Keren The LJS Cemetery, Pound Lane September 25 at 11am Rabbi Alexandra Wright Golders Green Crematorium, Hoop Lane September 18 at 3pm Rabbi Stuart Altshuler

Interviews

September/October 2016

‘It’s a real privilege to chair EJBB’s Board’ PHIL STONE of Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue is the new chair of the Edgwarebury Joint Burial Board (EJBB).

In an exclusive interview with lj today, he talks about his aims for the role, outlines his hopes for the cemetery and explains why more Liberal Jews might want to get involved:

I have been responsible for maintaining NPLS’ database and membership records, and for the collection of subscriptions, since the early 1980s.

I have been an LJ representative on EJBB since 2009, including as treasurer from 2010-2014. I have been a trustee of the NLPS Trust for Progressive Judaism since 2007, and its chair since 2015.

I qualified as an actuary in 1981 and worked in various senior management roles in financial services until 2004.

Until late 2008, I was chair of trustees at Relate North London. My hobbies include foreign travel and wildlife photography.

Can you explain the role of Edgwarebury Joint Burial Board, and who is on it?

Edgwarebury Cemetery is owned and operated jointly by four Jewish communities - the Spanish and Portuguese Jews’ Congregation, West London Synagogue, Liberal Judaism and Belsize Square Synagogue.

EJBB is the organisation that governs and oversees the cemetery. It has 12 representatives, three from each of the owning communities. The Board appoints four honorary officers - one from each community - chair, treasurer and two vice chairs. These roles are ‘rotated’ every three years amongst the communities.

My term as chair runs from September 2016 to August 2019.

The Board makes the strategic, policy and operational decisions for the cemetery. Day-to-day decisions are taken by cemetery director Lester Harris, with the support of the Operations Committee.

What will be your focus as EJBB Chair?

During my term I plan to improve EJBB’s governance arrangements – especially in the areas of risk management and succession planning across all four communities. I also plan to continue, and extend, the excellent work undertaken in recent years to improve the grounds’ appearance and to ensure that the four communities continue to invest.

What are your initial thoughts about the chair role at Edgwarebury Cemetery?

It really is a privilege to represent LJ and to lead EJBB for the next three years. I am hugely grateful that Joan Shopper has agreed to continue to be one of LJ’s representatives, and to chair the Operations Committee, and also that Rabbi Danny Rich has been, and will continue to be, so actively involved.

I would like to express my thanks to Howard Joseph who has been an LJ representative for the last two years and who has decided to stand down.

What is your personal background?

My wife and I have been members of Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue (NPLS) since 1973. I have served the community in many roles, including as burial officer and vice chair.

What are the challenges you face?

The challenges include ensuring that the funds necessary to further improve the cemetery are made available, keeping employees motivated and engaged, and recruiting new Board representatives.

EJBB includes four, often very different, communities. How do you deal with this?

The four communities do have different practices – for example concerning seating in the prayer hall, woodland burials, mixed-faith burials and tahara (ritual cleansing). But EJBB works because the communities actively support each other’s differences. We have common goals for our cemetery and we develop solutions to accommodate differences. EJBB is a model of crosscommunal cooperation.

How can Liberal Jews get involved?

Being on the Board, or being a member of our Operations Committee, represents a great opportunity for Liberal Jews to become involved in the management and operation of such an important organisation within our community.

Our movement needs to recruit a new generation of representatives. If you are interested, please email me on chair@edgwareburycemetery.org.uk LJ’s representatives can, and do, make a real difference at Edgwarebury.

LJ Today Page 9

Unleashing the power of young people

LIBERAL JUDAISM national officer and former LJY-Netzer graduate, Amelia Viney, is the founder of The Advocacy Academy, a charity working to unleash the power of disadvantaged young Londoners to create a more just and equal society.

Amelia tells lj today how Liberal Jewish values inspire her work: Firstly, can you tell us a little about The Advocacy Academy?

Just like LJY-Netzer, The Advocacy Academy is a youth movement with social justice at its heart. Too many young people from marginalised backgrounds feel powerless to create meaningful change in their communities, and voiceless in the big conversations that directly affect them - like housing, crime and education. Across a transformational eight-month Fellowship programme, we give these leaders the knowledge, skills and confidence to make a real difference in their communities.

How have you been inspired by LJ? In every way! Everything I know comes from my 15 years in LJYNetzer - how to empower and trust young people, teach them how to lead and take them on a journey of personal identity. Liberal Judaism’s prophetic voice taught me never to be afraid of “speaking truth to power” that it was, in fact, my duty.

What challenges do you face?

We are always on the look out for like-minded Liberal Jews to support our work. Just like lJY-Netzer, our programme relies on the generosity of volunteers and donors. To get involved or find out more, please visit www.theadvocacyacademy.com

Page 10 LJ Today

Books

September/October 2016

Book reviews by Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein Like Ruth: Choosing to Be Chosen by Hava Fleming (ISBN: 9781532989728) and The Honey and the Sting by Rabbi Dr Walter Rothschild (ISBN: 9781910752180)

I AM PRIVILEGED to share, with Rabbi Mark Solomon, the chairing of the Beit Din of Liberal Judaism. The Beit Din is held monthly at Liberal Judaism’s London head office and its main purpose is to interview intending converts and agree their acceptance.

After every Beit Din I think: “If only we could broadcast the stories we have just heard.” We witness some incredible and moving accounts of what brought the individual to decide to convert, and the experiences they have had during the process. Some are converting in order to establish a unified family, some after years of living with a Jew, and many after an individual search for a religion that makes sense.

These stories need telling to declare that Progressive Judaism welcomes true proselytes and that the process of conversion is not taken lightly, as our detractors often claim. But I have always shied away from revealing them, lest I be considered as breaking confidentiality.

Fortunately Hava Fleming, a member of the newly established York Liberal Community, has just published such a book – Like Ruth: Choosing to be Chosen.

It contains the personal experiences of more 30 proselytes on their journey to becoming Jewish: their motivations, approach to rabbis, process of learning and final appearance at the Beit Din. The bulk of the accounts are from Britain’s Liberal and Reform movements, but Hava – who is from New Zealand – also includes stories from elsewhere in Europe, Australasia and Africa, as well as a couple of accounts of converting through an Orthodox Beit Din. Many of the reasons for converting to Judaism have similar features, and occasionally a new twist – for instance, the collection begins with a man brought up in a Swiss Protestant household who ended up becoming the president of a Liberal community – but each is a true reflection of the individual’s experiences.

The book opens with helpful short guides to a history of conversion and the approach of the various Jewish movements, and ends with their contact details as well as a useful glossary.

It also contains helpful references to websites and books used in the process.

This is a resource that every intending proselyte must have as they continue on their journey to Judaism.

And just like busses, having waited a long time for one wonderful book for proselytes, two have come along at once.

The Honey and the Sting is by Rabbi Dr Walter Rothschild, a Progressive rabbi who has served in Leeds, Aruba, Berlin and, currently, Vienna. His book is quite different to Hava’s, for it is a comprehensive textbook detailing every imaginable fact about the Jewish religion that any person might want to know.

My only criticism is that it might be far too detailed for the average proselyte and therefore a bit off-putting if they think: “I will never learn all of that.”

But it is a great source for looking up the facts about Jewish life and belief. It is easy to read, and written by a Progressive rabbi with decades of experience of teaching adults. References to prayers and other rituals are given for both the British Liberal and Reform prayer books.

Anybody who has ever met Walter will not be surprised to find that it is written with humour and frankness, and this is highlighted in the title. The Honey and the Sting is taken from a song by Naomi Shemer, and the book does point out the difficulties encountered by those attempting to join the Jewish community and also those already a member.

As a textbook introduction to Judaism it is a weighty tome (564 pages) and some of the more obscure chapters might be of interest to only the advanced student or rabbi, but it’s a useful book to have on your shelves, and such is Walter’s style that you will often wish he could be your teacher so you could argue with him over some of the points he makes.

The Jewish Community of Golders Green by Pam Fox (ISBN: 9780750965873) PAM FOX - who has previously written books on Rabbi Dr Israel Mattuck and The Liberal Jewish Synagogue - has published an incredibly wellresearched account of the history of Jewish settlement in Golders Green. It is easy to read and filled with anecdotes.

Pam starts by revealing that its name came from an early family called Godyere, though I was pleased that some later knew it as ‘Goldstein’s Green’. The book - available via www.thehistorypress.co.uk - then takes us through its development and the growth of its Jewish community.

First were East End Jews seeking a more pleasant environment, middle class pretensions with maids being an early status symbol. They didn’t find it hard to ‘fit in’, as it was not such a wellestablished suburb as those they had previously moved to.

Then, over the decades, other Jewish populations followed. German refugees gave Golders Green a very continental character and, after the War, more ‘exotic’ families from former British colonies in India, Iraq and, in time, South Africa followed. Most recent has been an influx of Israelis and French Jews. All ensured that the Jewish community may have changed, but that only increased the area’s cosmopolitan Jewish character.

A chapter on shopping records the range of Jewish shops and pictures the

Jewish shoppers. Zionist, youth and social clubs and care organisations are covered, and there is a justified emphasis on religious aspects of the community.

The more I read of the incredible Jewish atmosphere of the district, its Orthodox and Reform synagogues and large Jewish population, I thought: “Why was there never a Liberal community?” It seems that attempts were made in 1915, but they came to nothing despite the fact that our founding rabbi, Rabbi Dr Israel Mattuck, had a house in the area.

Pam Fox – assisted by the research and proof-reading of former Liberal Judaism chief executive Rosita Rosenberg – has written a substantial, fascinating book. I can thoroughly recommend it to Jews of all affiliations and, indeed, anyone trying to understand this very Jewish suburb.

Youth

September/October 2016

LJ Today Page 11

LJY-Netzer is Liberal Judaism’s Zionist youth movement. It gives young people the opportunity to develop a strong Progressive Jewish identity, make lasting friendships and have loads of fun

Ten key moments on LJY-Netzer Israel Tour

THIRTY FIVE young British Liberal Jews, two of their Israeli peers, two leaders from each country and a teddy called Matty spent July having the time of their lives on LJY-Netzer’s Israel Tour. Here, the group share their main memories: Learning about the Lebanon war: One of the benefits of having Israeli madrichim (leaders) and chanichim (participants) on Tour is the opportunity to hear their personal experiences. When we went to see the border of Lebanon, they gave an emotive insight into what it was like to live through the 2006 war.

Kayaking and hiking: What can be more fun than a day spent kayaking down the Jordan River? How about doing that and then spending the next day on a water hike through the beautiful Majrase Nature Reserve, followed by a cooling swim, pictured above left, and delicious falafel lunch.

Welcoming Shabbat: Our first Shabbat as a group was at Kibbutz Deganya – Israel’s first kibbutz, which was established in 1909. We enjoyed a Kabbalat Shabbat service, dinner and activity on Friday night, with an energising shacharit (morning service) and traditional LJYNetzer Havdallah on Saturday. Our three Shabbats on Israel Tour were definitely the most relaxing days.

Feeling inspired: Visiting Beit Uri, a home for young people with special needs in Afula, inspired us so much that many of our group are already planning a trip back to volunteer there.

Creating a better society: We saw our LJY-Netzer ideology of equality and inclusivity lived out when we met with Israel Gay Youth, pictured above right.

The organisation is dedicated to serving young LGBTQI+ Israelis, with the goal of empowering young people to be active in creating a better society.

A truly MEGA event: An annual tradition in Israel, ALL the groups on Tour got together for the ‘mega event’. Lasting late into the night, there was a concert, sing-offs, speeches and lots of food. It was so lovely to catch up with friends from other Tours and meet lots of new people from all branches of world Jewry.

Discovering a Path to Peace: Driving to Netiv Haasara, bordering Gaza, gave us a chance to visit the Path to Peace project – a joint mosaic creation, placed next the border wall that divides the Gaza Strip and Israel, where visitors write a personal wish on the back of a colourful mosaic piece. It stimulated a discussion about the value of art in a time of crisis, looking at the extent to which it can make a difference to individuals and society.

Progressive Judaism in Israel: Meeting the IRAC (Israel Religious Action Centre) – which advocates for the Israel Movement of Progressive Judaism and works to defend equality, social justice and religious pluralism in Israel – brought home the lack of rights for both Progressive Jews and non-Jewish communities there and the ongoing battle for equality at the Kotel (Western Wall) .

Remembering the Holocaust: There was lots to see and do in Jerusalem, but the most memorable, and moving, part of our time there was a morning spent at Yad Vashem: The World Holocaust Remembrance Centre. Seeing all the different exhibits brought many of us to tears; a particularly powerful memorial was for the different communities that were destroyed in the Shoah. After the tour, we heard a survivor tell their own story, an increasingly special and important opportunity.

Victory: Everyone loves a good competition and LJY-Netzer won the Israel Experience Facebook contest, with the prize of a jeep ride around Mitzpe Ramon, a beautiful town in the Negev looking over the Ramon crater. We also came third in ‘Ted on Tour’ – a UJIA contest between the different Israel Tours to see whose teddy had the most fun. We we still can’t believe Matty didn’t win!

Contact LJY-Netzer: Sam Alston (sam@liberaljudaism.org), Anna Craven (annac@liberaljudaism.org) and Hannah Stephenson (hannah@liberaljudaism.org); Director of Youth - Rebecca Fetterman (r.fetterman@liberaljudaism.org)

September/October 2016

Page 12 LJ Today

Congregations Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue T: 0845 869 7105 E: bedsps@liberaljudaism.org W: bedfordshire-ps.org.uk Beit Klal Yisrael (Notting Hill) E: bkymailing@gmail.com W: bky.org.uk Bet Tikvah Synagogue (Barkingside) T: 020 8554 9682 E: bttkv@liberaljudaism.org W: bettikvah.blogspot.co.uk Birmingham Progressive Synagogue T: 0121 634 3888 E: bps@liberaljudaism.org W: bpsjudaism.com Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue T: 01273 737 223 E: info@bhps-online.org W: bhps-online.org Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation E: bwpjc@bwpjc.org W: bwpjc.org Crawley Jewish Community T: 01293 534 294 Crouch End Chavurah E: info@crouchendchavurah.co.uk W: crouchendchavurah.co.uk Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation E: djpc@liberaljudaism.org W: djpcireland.com Ealing Liberal Synagogue T: 020 8997 0528 E: els@liberaljudaism.org W: ealingliberalsynagogue.org.uk Eastbourne Liberal Jewish Community T: 01323 725 650 E: eljc@liberaljudaism.org W: eljc.org.uk

Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community T: 0131 777 8024 E: info@eljc.org W: eljc.org

Manchester Liberal Jewish Community T: 0161 796 6210 E: mljc@liberaljudaism.org W: mljc.org.uk

Finchley Progressive Synagogue T: 020 8446 4063 E: fps@liberaljudaism.org W: fps.org

Mosaic Liberal Synagogue (Harrow) T: 020 8864 5323 E: office@mosaicliberal.org.uk W: mosaicliberal.org.uk

Gloucestershire Liberal Jewish Community T: 01242 609 311 E: shalom@gljc.org.uk W: gljc.org.uk Herefordshire Jewish Community T: 01594 530 721 E: hjc@liberaljudaism.org W: herefordshirejc.org

Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue T: 01923 822 592 E: npls@liberaljudaism.org W: npls.org.uk Norwich Liberal Jewish Community E: nljc@liberaljudaism.org W: norwichljc.org.uk

Kehillah North London T: 020 7403 3779 E: knl@liberaljudaism.org W: nlpjc.org.uk

Nottingham Liberal Synagogue T: 0115 962 4761 E: nls@liberaljudaism.org

Kent Liberal Jewish Community T: 07952 242 432 E: enquiries@kljc.org.uk W: www.kljc.org.uk

Peterborough Liberal Jewish Community T: 07561 331 390 E: info@pljc.org.uk W: pljc.org.uk

Kingston Liberal Synagogue T: 020 8398 7400 E: kls@liberaljudaism.org W: klsonline.org Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation T: 0116 271 5584 E: lpjc@liberaljudaism.org W: lpjc.org.uk The Liberal Jewish Synagogue (St John’s Wood) T: 020 7286 5181 E: ljs@liberaljudaism.org W: ljs.org The Liberal Synagogue Elstree T: 020 8953 8889 E: tlse@liberaljudaism.org W: tlse.org.uk Lincolnshire Jewish Community T: 01427 628 958 E: ljc@liberaljudaism.org W: lincolnshirejc.co.uk

The Montagu Centre 21 Maple Street London, W1T 4BE T: 020 7580 1663 E: montagu@liberaljudaism.org W: liberaljudaism.org

Liberal Judaism is the dynamic, cutting edge of modern Judaism. It reverences Jewish tradition, seeking to preserve the values of the past, while giving them contemporary force.

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Reading Liberal Jewish Community T: 0118 942 8022 E: readingliberaljewishcommunity@ gmail.com W: www.readingljc.org.uk

Shenfield & Brentwood Synagogue T: 01277 888 610 E: tikvahchadasha@gmail.com W: roshtikvah.com Shir Hatzafon (Copenhagen) T: +45 2370 9757 E: shir@shirhatzafon.dk W: shirhatzafon.dk Southgate Progressive Synagogue T: 020 8886 0977 E: sps@liberaljudaism.org W: sps.uk.com

South Bucks Jewish Community T: 0845 644 2370 E: sbjc@liberaljudaism.org W: sbjc.org.uk South London Liberal Synagogue (Streatham) T: 020 8769 4787 E: slls@liberaljudaism.org W: southlondon.org Stevenage Liberal Synagogue T: 01438 300 222 E: stevenageliberalsynagogue@gmail.com W: stevenageliberalsynagogue.org.uk Suffolk Liberal Jewish Community (Ipswich) T:01473 250 797 E: sjc@liberaljudaism.org Wessex Liberal Jewish Community (Bournemouth) T: 01202 757 590 E: info@wessexliberaljudaism.org.uk W: wessexliberaljudaism.org.uk West Central Liberal Synagogue T: 020 7636 7627 E: wcls@liberaljudaism.org W: wcls.org.uk Woodford Liberal Synagogue T: 020 8989 7619 E: info@woodfordliberal.org.uk W: woodfordliberal.org.uk York Liberal Jewish Community T: 07469 159 134 E: info@jewsinyork.org.uk W: jewsinyork.org.uk Developing communities and affiliated congregations Beit Ha’Chidush (Amsterdam) T: +31 23 524 7204 E: bhc.informatie@gmail.com W: beithachidush.nl Lancashire & Cumbria Liberal Jewish Community E: robertash1954@gmail.com Oxford Jewish Congregation T: 01865 515 584 E: progressive@ojc-online.org W: ojc-online.org

President Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein Chairman Simon Benscher Deputy Chair Lucian J Hudson Vice Chair Jackie Richards Treasurer Rosie Ward Secretary Dr Howard Cohen Israel and the Diaspora Tamara Schmidt Communications Ed Herman Social Justice Amelia Viney Youth and Education Robin Moss Music and IT Graham Carpenter National Officers David Hockman and Ruth Seager Vice Presidents Monique Blake, Henry Cohn, Nigel Cole, Geoffrey Davis, Lord Fink, Jeromé Freedman, Louise Freedman, Rabbi Dr David Goldberg, Sharon Goldstein, Rabbi Harry Jacobi, Willie Kessler, David Lipman, Corinne Oppenheimer, David Pelham, David Pick, Rosita Rosenberg, Tony Sacker, Harold Sanderson, Joan Shopper, Beverley Taylor, Ken Teacher and Clive Winston Co-Chairs of Rabbinic Conference Rabbis Richard Jacobi and Alexandra Wright Senior Rabbi and C hief Executive Rabbi Danny Rich PA to Senior Rabbi Daisy Bogod Strategy Rabbi Charley Baginsky Student & Young Adult Chaplain Rabbi Leah Jordan Education Rabbi Sandra Kviat Music Cantor Gershon Silins Interfaith Rabbi Mark Solomon Operations Director Shelley Shocolinsky-Dwyer Lifecycle Alexandra Simonon Archivist Alison Turner Communications Aaron Abraham Website Yszi Hawkings Reception Thomas Rich Director of Youth Becca Fetterman LJY-Netzer Sam Alston, Anna Craven and Hannah Stephenson