March/April 2006
VOL. XXXIII No. 2
ljtoday
Michael Grade gives support and ‘heartfelt’ thanks at the annual Patrons dinner More than 90 guests at Liberal Judaism’s second annual dinner for its Patrons heard Michael Grade, chairman of the BBC, express his deep love for our movement. During the stunning evening at the House of Commons last month, Michael, who chaired the committee that initiated the concept of the Council of Patrons, demonstrated his talents as an entertainer with a speech displaying quick-fire wit. But he also surprised many present when, in an outpouring of emotion, he told his audience that he felt ‘from the heart’ so happy to have found Liberal Judaism, which was ‘such a comfortable place to be’. As a boy, he had been brought up by his orthodox, Yiddish-speaking grandmother. Though her efforts to get the young Michael to put on weight had led her to serve him bacon – carefully cooked in kosher margarine – she also instilled in him a sense of the importance of his Judaism, and passed on her Yiddish. I still speak a bit of Yiddish,’ Michael told his audience, adding: ‘Though there’s no one to speak to at the BBC in Yiddish.’ He raised more laughs when he recalled a series of holidays spent at the various kosher hotels in Bournemouth. ‘I learned there that if you miss a meal you die.’ But Michael said it was Rabbi John
Rayner who had nurtured and secured his Jewish identity. John, who died last September, and who conducted Michael’s marriage at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, was ‘a man for whom I have everlasting gratitude. He brought my whole family back into Judaism.’ Among those at the gathering who deserved thanks was Stanley Fink, chairman of the Council of Patrons, whom Michael praised for his ‘unstinting dedication’. Earlier, Brooks Newmark, the Conservative member for Braintree who hosted the dinner, held in the opulent Members’ Dining Room, welcomed those present. The American-born MP, who is a member of Westminster Synagogue, described the evening as a ’very important cause’. At the inaugural dinner the previous year, held at the House of Lords, the guest of honour, Lord Rothschild, had thanked the founding Patrons for their support. This year it was heartening to see an enlarged number of Patrons, as
From expulsion to emancipation Pages 4-5
Michael Grade, at the House of Commons dinner, spoke of his gratitude to the Liberal movement
more of our movement’s supporters come forward to offer financial backing to its expansion. In a short speech, Nigel Cole, chairman of Liberal Judaism, expressed his belief that our movement provides a ‘meaningful Jewish future for all who wish to preserve their Judaism’. Stanley Fink, chairman of investment group Man plc, thanked Brooks for hosting the • continues on page 6
Page 2 LJ Today
March/April 2006
Building on Rabbi Rayner’s legacy
Education in Liberal Judaism Find out more – online We now have a web page with information about events and courses in 2006. Visit www.liberaljudaism.org and click on Education. We will update the page regularly and hope to offer interesting and helpful information and ideas. The Liberal Judaism Forum is one year old. Have you used it yet? Visit www.liberaljudaism.org and click on Liberal Judaism Forum. It’s useful for all members of communities, and particularly those involved in education within religion schools, adult education and family. The forum is the place to swap ideas and ask for lesson plans, materials and resources. Coming soon on the forum – a chance to share ideas about the 350th anniversary of the Resettlement of Jews in England. How is your community celebrating?
From left: Dr Brian Klug, Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah, Willie Kessler, Jane Rayner, Rabbi Danny Rich and Rabbi Alexandra Wright at the launch at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue of Rabbi John Rayner’s Signposts to the Messianic Age. At the launch, in January, Rabbi Sarah urged those present to ‘continue the work of extending the influence of liberal religion, and building on the legacy Rabbi Rayner has bequeathed to us’. • Leo Baeck College-Centre for Jewish Education is to give Rabbi Rayner’s name to its lectureship in liturgy, and has established the Rabbi John Rayner annual student prize for high achievement in Jewish Studies.
On the move Rabbi Rebecca Qassim Birk has left Woodford Progressive Synagogue to take up a new post as rabbi educator at Westminster Synagogue, where she will be developing education, family services and interfaith work. She looks forward to staying involved with Liberal Judaism.
Confessions of a Radio 2 rabbi Or how Pete Tobias was pursued by a role in public service broadcasting Complaining can sometimes be good for one’s career – and sometimes not. My radio experiences began 10 years ago following a letter of complaint I wrote after an hourlong programme on BBC Radio Scotland about Glasgow’s Jewish community, which made no reference to the Reform synagogue of which I was rabbi. The result of this was that I was invited to offer a Thought for the Day on the station’s Good Morning Scotland programme and became a regular contributor. Moving south in 2002 severed my links with this broadcasting opportunity, though I was offered occasional opportunities to broadcast to my Scottish audience from a little studio in Luton. One such occasion was 1st April last year, for which I was asked to prepare a piece suitable for that date. It was
the year when Pesach was very late, so I wrote something about Jewish festivals being moved to the closest weekend in order to improve school attendance of Jewish children. On arrival at the studio at 7.10am (I was due to broadcast live at 7.25am) I was told that the producer was trying to get hold of me to tell me I would have to change my script. Bearing in mind the date, I was suspicious but he confirmed that as the Pope was on his deathbed, a jokey thought from a rabbi would bring a swathe of complaints. Thought for the Day would be delayed until 7.40am…and in the meantime would I try to put something suitable together. So I scribbled a new script and read it to the good people of Scotland from the cupboard in Luton. There was no time for me to run it past the producer before it went out, so – in honour of 1st April – I sent him a text just as I was about to go live on air to say I hadn’t managed to come up with anything and was going with the original April Fools’ script.
But what goes around, as they say. Radio Scotland offloaded me to Radio 2 and got me a Pause for Thought slot on Wake up to Wogan, which I have done some two dozen times. My brief is to present a two-minute thought which is primarily amusing but also thought-provoking. On Boxing Day, I presented the Pause for Thought with Mark Goodier, as Terry Wogan was on holiday. It was the first day of Chanukkah so, after challenging the ‘miracle’ of the oil, I suggested that the presents of the previous day might not have been delivered by a man in a red suit with a white beard. When Terry Wogan returned two weeks later, his producer Paul Walters asked ‘What did you say?’ because he had returned to an e-mail inbox full of protests. Time will tell if a radio career that began with a complaint will be ended in similar vein.
Rabbi Pete Tobias is minister at The Liberal Synagogue Elstree
March/April 2006
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The Seder table is a place where we’re made sensitive to the pain of others
New rabbi for Finchley
A Pesach message from Rachel Benjamin and Margaret Jacobi, who took over as joint chairs of Liberal Judaism’s Rabbinic Conference in January There is a unique and heavy responsibility on the shoulders of our young people today. They are the last generation to be able to witness first hand the stories of Holocaust survivors. As such, they have a special role and responsibility – to pass on what they have learned to the current and the next generations, in a proper and responsible manner. When we witness someone else’s story, something of that person’s experience becomes a part of us, and it then becomes our task to remember and transmit to others the lessons it teaches. In April, we will be celebrating Pesach, and also marking Yom Ha’Shoah, our day for remembering the Holocaust. Witnessing the events that transpired that first Pesach, through the Seder ritual and the Haggadah (the telling of the story), takes a specific form, encapsulated in the phrase, ‘In every generation, each person should feel as though he or she had actually gone forth from Egypt.’ Indeed, more than being witnesses, one essential purpose of the festival is to encourage us to see ourselves, each one of us, as though we personally had been redeemed from slavery, and were journeying towards freedom. At our Seder table, we are meant to remember and feel the crack of the whip on our backs, taste the bitterness and degradation of oppression, in order to make us sensitive to the pain of others. We, who were slaves and strangers, should understand despair, fear and insecurity. The Torah persistently exhorts us to take care of the poor, the orphan, the widow and the stranger. Why? ‘Because you were slaves [or strangers] in the land of Egypt.’ (See Deut. 24:22, Ex. 23:9, Lev. 19:33-34, for example.) We, who were liberated from slavery, know the sweetness of freedom, and should be committed to fight for it for all people. Included in this powerful identification with the past, therefore, is the acceptance of responsibility for the present. Our historical memory of the Israelites leaving Egypt to go to their
own land, and our memory, or experience, of the Holocaust last century – both should deeply affect our reaction to any injustice we see happening around us. One of the accusations made back in 1942-45 was that no one intervened; no one came to help the millions being horribly degraded, humiliated and slaughtered. What is the purpose of history and memory if we allow the same horrors to occur, over and over again? An important message of Passover is that where people are oppressed, we have a duty to help. We must all work towards a world in which slavery and oppression no longer exist. The Passover story serves as a model for any struggle for freedom. And it serves as a reminder to us that the world cannot be redeemed until all are free. When we take a drop of wine out of our cups, at the mention of each plague, we are consciously diminishing our happiness at the fact that we are free, in acknowledgement of those who still are not. Dreams and visions of a better future give us hope and purpose, but they are not enough. They need to be followed up by our actions. Rabbi Harold Schulweis, in Los Angeles, suggests that, at the beginning of the Seder, we should fill Elijah’s cup, representing future redemption, by passing it around the table for everyone to pour some wine into it from his or her own glass. In this way, we symbolically demonstrate that all of us must join together to bring about that redemption. As Jews all over the world observe the festival of Passover, may we be inspired to act in such a way as to bring about the fulfilment of the vision of a world at peace. We wish you an enjoyable Seder and a happy Pesach.
Rabbi Rachel Benjamin is minister at Woodford Progressive Synagogue and Rabbi Margaret Jacobi is minister at Birmingham Progressive Synagogue
Neil Janes: about to finish his training
Finchley Progressive Synagogue has appointed Neil Janes as rabbi in succession to Mark Goldsmith. He will take up the post in July. Neil, 29, who will shortly complete his rabbinic training at Leo Baeck CollegeCentre for Jewish Education, has previously worked at Middlesex New Synagogue, Westminster Synagogue, The Liberal Synagogue Elstree and as a volunteer at Kol Haneshama Synagogue, Jerusalem. He said: ‘It is an honour and a privilege to be offered the role of Rabbi at Finchley Progressive Synagogue and to build on Rabbi Goldsmith’s achievements. FPS has a reputation for warmth, caring and responsiveness to the Jewish needs of individuals and I look forward to upholding and strengthening this reputation in all aspects of community life.’ After seven years at Finchley Progressive Synagogue, Mark Goldsmith is moving to North Western Reform Synagogue as principal rabbi.
Liberal Judaism Biennial Weekend ‘Judaism Without Borders?’ Cheltenham Park Hotel, Cheltenham 5th-7th May 2006. Crèche and children’s activities for the up to 8s. Parallel LJY-Netzer Event at The Wilderness Centre, near Cheltenham for 8s-16s. Information from: www.liberaljudaism.org/biennial After dinner guest speakers: Dr Edward Kessler and Roger Lyons. Imam Shahid Hussain, interfaith adviser at the Central London Mosque, will be leading a workshop with Rabbi Danny Rich.
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From expulsion to emancipation Henry Cohn presents a brief history of British Jewry Over 1,000 years ago William the Conqueror brought Jews from Rouen to London, but this first settlement did not prove permanent. For 200 years Jews experienced mixed fortunes, now rising to numbers as high as 5,000 – and through moneylending to wealth as fabulous as that of Aaron of Lincoln – and now subject to various personal restrictions, to charges of ritual murder, and to massacres like that at York in 1190. In 1290, Edward I finally expelled them, since their value as financial milch cows had declined. The rare Jews who visited thereafter were followed from Tudor times by small numbers of Iberian Sephardi Marranos, who lived here for short periods as Christians. Elizabeth I’s physician, Dr Roderigo Lopes, was even suspected of being a Spanish spy. Under James I, Jewish services were held secretly in Bristol houses, and at mid-century a newly-arrived colony of Spanish cryptoJewish merchants were residing in London as Catholics. The 17th-century resettlement was a slow process rather than the result of any single event worthy of commemoration 350 years later. The attempt under Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate to secure formal readmission was made by a rabbi and printer from Amsterdam, Manasseh ben Israel, at a time when Jews throughout Europe and the Americas were migrating to improve their lot. Manasseh’s prominent Sephardi backers in the Netherlands were anxious at the arrival of Jews from central Europe and Mediterranean ports where the political and economic climate had turned against them. The Dutch Sephardi merchants were seeking both a share in England’s lucrative trade and to offload immigrant refugees becoming a burden on Jewish welfare services.
Manasseh’s book Hope of Israel (1650) gave first public expression of Jewish Messianic aspirations to the wider learned world. From 1651, he presented to Cromwell several petitions seeking refuge in England for those fleeing Spanish persecution. In the contemporary English pamphlet war, Puritan radicals were by no means all in favour of readmission, and even those who supported it were often pursuing their own agendas, not any principle of toleration. Cromwell may have been partly persuaded by the religious argument that the Jews had to be settled throughout the world and converted before the Messiah would come, but for him more pressing strategic and economic considerations prevailed. Nevertheless, he could not win over the Whitehall Conference specially summoned in December 1655 to discuss the matter. Its lawyer members pronounced that Jews could live in England, but the English merchants and clergy were opposed. Manasseh returned home rightly convinced of his failure. Indeed, the Marranos living in London had resented his stirring up potential trouble for them. Instead, the outbreak of war with Spain brought matters to a head.
The goods and property of Antonio Robles were seized. While the remainder of the community petitioned in March 1656 for permission to worship in their own houses without let – a far more modest concession than the readmission of Jews in general which Manasseh had originally advanced – Robles and others merely sought restitution of their goods on the grounds that they were Jews, not Spanish. Whereas the Council of State seems not to have pronounced on the Petition, it ordered the property of Robles to be returned. In true English fashion a private lawsuit succeeded where public legislation could not be secured. At this time there were only some 150 Jews in Britain. With support from the restored Stuarts, Sephardi Jews were able to settle, buy property, and build synagogues and communal institutions. Not until after 1690 did Ashkenazi synagogues follow, as well as schools, the Jewish hospital, and in 1768 the Board of Deputies. In 1695 England still had only about 800 Jews, but by 1800 the community numbered over 20,000, mostly Ashkenazi. Only thereafter did the now large and flourishing community gain gradual emancipation from the political restrictions under which they had been treated as virtual aliens. Resettlement in the broadest sense later extended to the waves of eastern European, German, and Egyptian Jews, and we may even see it as still unfinished, as Americans, Israelis and others choose to fulfil their aspirations by living in Britain.
Dr Henry Cohn is emeritus reader in history at the University of Warwick, former chairman of Birmingham Progressive Synagogue, and vice-chairman of the Leo Baeck College–Centre for Jewish Education
March/April 2006
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We have embodied a dual sense of belonging David Goldberg hopes others might follow the Liberal Jewish path of adhering to religious tradition while taking a full part in British cultural and civic life Trying to find a Liberal Jewish connection with the readmission of Jews to this country put me in mind of Spike Milligan’s book Hitler: My Part in his Downfall. In both cases it would require a fanciful flight of imagination. According to LJS member and genealogist extraordinaire George Rigal, the earliest record of Liberal Judaism’s founders in England is from 1710, when the forebears of Lily Montagu emigrated from Alsace. The UK tree of the Montefiores does not begin until the middle of the 18th century; Israel Abrahams was born in London in 1858, and Israel Mattuck did not arrive, via Lithuania and New York, until 1912. When it comes to boasting of ancient British lineage, we Liberal Jews are, I am afraid, parvenus. But if we can’t claim to have been among the pioneers who followed Manasseh ben Israel from Holland, we can make a persuasive case that Liberal Jews and our branch of Judaism have had an influence on communal and national life out of all proportion to our numbers. I strongly dislike books with titles like The Jewish Contribution to Civilisation and their tone of apologetic special pleading. By now we should be well enough established, and self-confident enough, not to need to justify ourselves by making lists. Nevertheless, it is salutary to see what a prominent role Liberal Jews have played, and continue to play, in wider society. Our detractors would say that is because Liberal Jews are more English than Jewish. We would retort that, on the contrary, it is because Liberal Judaism, of all the branches of British Jewry, has been the one most at ease about combining Jewish tradition and identification with the
national culture, thereby fulfilling the rabbinic injunction of Tikkun Olam – helping to make the world a better place. Lily Montagu was a shining example. As a JP (magistrate) and social worker, she spent a lot of her time, along with other privileged Liberal Jews, in London’s East End. The clubs they established enabled generations of disadvantaged youngsters to make something of their lives, long before there was a welfare state to offer opportunity. Lily’s disciples continued her work. But in recent years the ideal of the Haskalah (the Jewish enlightenment active in the 18th and 19th century) of being at ease in two cultures – for which the 19th century Orthodox scholar Samson Raphael Hirsch coined the term Jissroel-Mensch (‘Israel Man’) to describe a Jew who is both faithful to tradition and at home in contemporary society – has come under increasing pressure. It has to do in part with the single most important issue facing this country and Europe: that of multiculturalism and national identity. How, in any society with a large percentage of ethnic and religious minorities among its population, does
one create a sense of shared belonging and patriotism? The debate is usually couched in terms of contrasting the ‘Anglo-Saxon’ multicultural model with the French unitary model, where irrespective of ethnic or religious differences everyone is classified as a citizen of the secular republic. Given our historic antipathy to France, we looked on smugly when Muslim riots engulfed many of its cities last autumn. But we have no cause for complacency. Far from being a melting pot, the US is a society of white, black and Hispanic ghettos, and the same is happening here. The most telling phrase in the official report after the Burnley race disturbances of four summers ago was that the white and Muslim communities led ‘parallel lives’. The only significant response of the government was to advocate more faith schools, a call enthusiastically endorsed, naturally enough, by Muslims and Orthodox Jews, but also, surprisingly, by many in the Reform and Liberal community. However many contributions Liberal Judaism has made in the past to the UK, perhaps its greatest in the future will be to reassure fellow Jews and immigrant faiths by personal example that it is possible to adhere to one’s religion while fully contributing to our country’s cultural and civic heritage.
David J Goldberg is rabbi emeritus at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue. His new book, The Divided Self: Israel and the Diaspora Today, will be launched at The LJS on Tuesday 25th April; a review will appear in the next edition of LJ Today
My favourite people: Andrew Goldstein on the women and men who’ve had the biggest impact on him, and on Liberal Judaism Lily Montagu I met only once: she interviewed me for entry into the rabbinate, and that meeting left a lasting impression. I know she inspired a generation through her clubs, social work and spirituality. Bernard Hooker was the rabbi of my youth in Birmingham and taught me a down-to-earth approach to Judaism and the ministry, though in rabbinical terms he had much more impact in Jamaica where he was rabbi for 13 years. John Rayner was my teacher in so many
ways and was the intellectual and ethical bedrock of our movement. His work in liturgy had immense impact on Progressive Judaism in this country and among the two million Reform Jews in America. His humility meant that he did not receive the recognition he deserved within British Jewry and his critical views on Israeli political actions did not endear him to many in the wider community. The same could not be said of Sidney Brichto, who, during his directorship of the ULPS, helped
to change the face of Liberal Judaism. We became more traditional in many ways and Sidney’s involvement in the Joint Israel Appeal led him and the ULPS to have a far more prominent position with the AngloJewish establishment. He presided over a period of rapid expansion of our movement: new congregations were formed, new educational and youth initiatives and a sense of self-belief. During my time many lay people have loyally served our movement. Greta Hyman
and Rosita Rosenberg spring particularly to mind. And many Liberal Jews have become well-known figures, aside from their Liberal Judaism or involvement in it. Perhaps the most prominent Liberal Jew of late is Baroness Julia Neuberger, rabbi, social activist and media pundit. The Liberal Jew I would most like to have known, and who I believe contributed the most to the success of Jewish life in this country, is Israel Abrahams. One of the founders of our movement, he was
Orthodox scholar turned Liberal Jew, lecturer in rabbinics at the United Synagogue’s Jews’ College then at Cambridge University, writer of countless articles in the Jewish Chronicle, often of a humorous nature, and many scholarly books. He was a true English gentleman, lover of cricket, was loved by his students and respected throughout the world of Jewish scholarship. A co-founder of the Jewish Historical Society of England and first editor of the Jewish Quarterly Review,
he wrote the notes to the Orthodox prayerbook named after his father-inlaw, Simon Singer, yet he was a frequent lay preacher at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue. I pay homage at his grave every time I visit the LJS cemetery in Pound Lane.
Dr Andrew Goldstein, of Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, is our movement’s longest-serving full-time rabbi
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March/April 2006
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Our Patrons have enabled us to make great strides forward As the Council of Patrons enters its second year, its achievements are going from strength to strength. At its launch in 2005, the 23 initial Patrons had pledged in excess of £100,000. During the year, a further nine Patrons joined the Council and current pledges already indicate donations in access of £130,000 for 2006. Financial success was matched by social engagement as the Patrons enjoyed the Council’s first annual dinner at the House of Lords and its first mid-term cocktail reception at the Sugar Quay headquarters of Man plc, hosted by Man plc’s chief executive, Stanley Fink, who chairs the Council of Patrons and is a member of Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue. Let us look at what has been done with the resources provided by the Patrons: Raising our profile: Only a hermit could have failed to notice the increased Liberal Judaism presence, both on the radio and in newspapers whether it be the Times, the Guardian or the Times Educational Supplement, or their Jewish counterparts, the Jewish Chronicle and the Jewish News. New initiatives: The appointments of the first Liberal Judaism Chaplain, Rabbi Melinda Michelson-Carr, and the placement of the first non-London based
Rabbi Danny Rich, left, greets Rabbi Aaron Goldstein at the Patrons dinner, as Stanley Fink looks on; Joan Shopper, vice-chairman of Liberal Judaism, addresses the guests
staff member, young adults worker Anna Gerrard, have led to an explosion in activities with students and young professionals (ages 18-35). Communities in St John’s Wood, Birmingham and Nottingham have been major beneficiaries as younger faces have begun to appear in their buildings. Outreach developments: Researchers have concluded that there are some 20,000
Jews in the North West of England, a majority of whom have no affiliation to any Jewish community. The Council of Patrons’ funded project, “Liberal Judaism goes North West.” will see the first ever establishment of a Liberal Jewish presence in Manchester. It is expected to attract Jews from Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire who wish to benefit from belonging to a Jewish community which
Stunning evening at the Commons
Clockwise from top right: Brooks Newmark MP, who hosted the evening; Rabbis Janet Burden (left) and Rachel Benjamin; Rabbi Harry Jacobi; Michael Romain and Michael Gerson, two of Liberal Judaism’s Patrons
Pictures: John Bernard
Beatrice Sayers
Measuring the Patrons’ success I would also like to look at how we can measure the impact of the Council of Patrons. This can be done by looking at some recent successes of Liberal Judaism: numbers of people attending courses and shiurim, numbers of days booked in the new
Montagu Centre training suite, numbers of ‘hits’ in the media, and a stable Liberal Jewish community in Manchester are just some of the indicators of our growing achievements. There is anecdotal evidence too, as the number of enquiries and requests for Liberal Jewish views and speakers by government departments, charities, other religious organisations, educational establishments (including teacher training institutes and university Jewish societies) and individuals, is growing at such a fast rate that it is not always possible to respond as quickly and effectively as I might desire. Above all, and perhaps most difficult to measure scientifically, is how many of the Liberal Jews resident in the United Kingdom and Ireland are proud to be Liberal Jews, and more importantly are willing to declare so and share that enthusiasm with their families, friends, neighbours and colleagues – indeed with any person for whom Liberal Judaism could provide a spiritual life in a modern context.
Liberal Judaism’s newly launched scheme to develop a community in the North West of England is off to a strong start. The scheme allows households to associate directly with the movement while the infrastructure for a viable community is established. Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, outreach director, who is developing the project, said that within a week of the scheme’s launch, 10 households had applied for association to Liberal Judaism. It is hoped that the Manchester Liberal Jewish Community (MLJC), with a base in
PLATINUM
Stanley & Barbara Fink
GOLD
Michael & Shirley Gerson Dr Frank Lucas Sir Evelyn & Lady de Rothschild Anonymous
SILVER
Stuart & Marla Coutts Michael & Claire Francies Andrew & Janet Hart The Lord & Lady Haskel Paul & Ann Levinson Stephen Nathan
Rabbi Danny Rich Chief executive
Reaching out in Manchester
continued from page 1
event, and Howard Leigh for persuading him to act as host. Rabbi Danny Rich delivered an upbeat address, in which he said it was possible to sense a renewed appreciation of Liberal Judaism as a philosophy. He also paid tribute to the outreach work being done by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein and his team, saying this was now having a real impact, particularly in Manchester and the North West – where until recently there was no Liberal Jewish presence and where this year it was hoped that a Liberal baby blessing and a batmitzvah would be held in the region’s developing community. At the end of a hugely enjoyable evening, there was much pride in what has already been achieved, as well as an acknowledgement that much of the task that Liberal Judaism has set itself lies ahead.
will facilitate active involvement in a modern (Liberal) Jewish life. More modest advances have occurred in Ipswich and elsewhere. The Montagu Centre has begun to be transformed from an administrative headquarters to the centre of a religious movement. On entering, one feels a vibrant spirit with a series of educational programmes being implemented, including a monthly shiur for Liberal rabbis, the first of which was led by Dr Diana Lipton, Reader in Bible at Newnham College, Cambridge. As this article is being written, 20 people have just started the Torah L’Am course, the intention of which is to train a corps of adult educators to take Jewish learning into Liberal Judaism communities. Further opportunities will include a seminar for students during the Pesach break, workshops for ‘mixed faith’ couples, and training for congregational officers in a newly provided, modern training suite.
Liberal Judaism’s Council of Patrons
central Manchester, will attract those from across the North West. The hope is eventually to create a Centre for Liberal Judaism in Manchester – a full affiliate to Liberal Judaism - with smaller chavurah (friendship) groups in other cities and areas. MLJC holds a monthly Erev Shabbat service and chavurah group. There is also an adult learning opportunity led by Aaron and a Bagel Brunch held in people’s homes. If you are interested in Liberal Judaism’s activities in the North West, contact Aaron: a.goldstein@liberaljudaism.org
I became a Patron because I feel Liberal Judaism is a thinking person’s religion, capable of dealing with 21st century issues in a fair and balanced fashion, yet also moving with the times we live in. I also particularly like the efforts we have made to reach out, and embrace our fellow citizens of other faiths. I have little sympathy with fundamentalists of any religion, and I fear that too many good people have fallen into the hands of those who only divide our society, rather than unite it. By spreading the moderating influence of Liberal Judaism throughout the British Isles, I firmly believe that only good can emerge, and I am happy to support the movement in any way I can.
BRONZE
Mikko & Erika Arevuo Alan & Trish Banes Peter & Leanda Englander David & Vivien Ereira Walter & Rosemary Goldsmith Lucian Hudson Dr Leo Hepner Hilton & Elaine Israelsohn Edward & Trish Kessler Willie & Jo Kessler David & Jennie Kirk Howard & Jennifer Leigh Shirley Livingstone Frank Maxwell Michael & Effie Romain Leonard & Myrna Samson Andrew & Anjela Somper Gerald & Roberta Solomons Sir Sigmund & Lady Sternberg Ronald & Judy Thwaites Michael & Susie Ullman Peter & Alicia White
Peter S White
If you would like more information about the Council of Patrons please contact Rabbi Danny Rich at d.rich@liberaljudaism.org or on 020 7631 9835
Liberal Judaism thanks all Patrons for their generous support
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Social justice is the very essence of Judaism, believes Samantha Cole, as she describes her volunteering work in an Indian village and in the slums of Calcutta Tzedek (tzedek: justice) is a charity run by Jews for Jews to take part in the pursuit of social global justice, or the Jewish idea of Tikkun Olam. This is achieved through a variety of means, including placing and supporting volunteers each summer for two months as they work on some kind of sustainable development project in Africa or India. In the past, volunteers have taught sex education in slums in Nairobi, helped in orphanages in Tamale in Ghana, worked with Kenya’s Masai tribe teaching basic education and started a youth club in Calcutta. I heard about Tzedek from a cousin a couple of years ago and finally got permission to extended leave from work to take the plunge last summer. I had a fascinating, memorable and poignant two months. Travelling to India or Africa with Tzedek rather than another charity appealed to me because it draws on the concept from Isaiah, that the Jewish people shall be ‘a light unto the nations’. This involves Jews reaching into our collective experience to connect with and support all peoples, whether or not they share our faith. It also means a lot to me that Tzedek enables Liberal Jews to work alongside Orthodox Jews, sharing our experiences and knowledge. I was sent to Calcutta, West Bengal, India. The first four of my weeks in India were spent with Sabuj Sanga, a charity in Nandakumarpur, a village in the remote jungle-like Sunderbans delta region, a two-hour train journey south of Calcutta. The charity concentrates on rural sustainable development projects for the local people. Projects include provision of clean water, lavatories, healthcare, health education, schooling and micro-credit schemes. I was lucky enough to see all the projects ‘in action’ because my job was to create a brochure that reflected the work of the rural projects for the Indian public, Indian MPs, and international donors. It is a truism that ‘India lives in its villages’. The overwhelming portion of its land area is rural and so are the majority of its people. Notwithstanding
the rapid strides that India has made in fields like IT and space engineering, most of its population depends directly on agriculture and allied activities. The real story of rural India is that more than 300 million people live in poverty, with an income of less than 50p a day for a family of four. During many candle-lit cockroachridden nights sharing a mosquito net with my companion Natalie – Tzedek always pairs volunteers – we discussed our reasons for volunteering with Tzedek. We concluded that our motives were in part selfish, because the images we have and the lessons we have learnt will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Understanding our actions while we were in India made more sense to us too when we put them into the context of some of the stories of the Torah, which make social justice the essence of Judaism. In the Garden of Eden, humans forsake immortality to live instead by a moral code. Abel’s blood cries out from the ground proclaiming the immeasurable worth of every human soul. The story of Noah teaches us that human violence and corruption lead to the destruction of worlds. I spent my second month in Calcutta’s slums, interviewing children at their homes, schools and on the streets, to establish what factors lead these children to child labour and opting out of education, when it is clearly important to so many Indians. This research was carried out on behalf of a charity running the West Bengal Secretariat for the Campaign Against Child Labour, to be presented in a paper at its annual conference. Calcutta is full of vitality: of adults, children, families, goats, cows. And, like all of India, of migration. Everyone, everything is on the move. This is part of the reason why Calcutta is so overpopulated; the rural to urban migration has meant that the slums have been increasing in size for a number of decades. This contrasts with the lives of other children we met, ‘railway children’ and ‘children of nowhere’, as they have become known locally, for whom I couldn’t hold back my tears. Some were as young as five and had no one –
no family – and were just trying to survive on their own. My Judaism helped me to survive my time in India. By sharing in the struggle of others, we Jews are not confusing our identity but strengthening it. If you are interested in sponsoring a student in Nandakumarpur or want more information on Sabuj Sanga, please contact me: saminbroomroad@hotmail.com
Samantha Cole is a member of Kingston Liberal Synagogue.
March/April 2006
Page 9 LJ Today
Spotlight on East Anglia How did the community develop? The Progressive Jewish Community of East Anglia was seeded over the course of 1989. At this time, the ULPS Outward Development Committee, chaired by Gerry Dickson (z”l), quickly established the demand for a Progressive Jewish congregation in the area. The congregation formally affiliated to the Liberal movement in 1991. When and where are services held? At the Old Meeting House in Norwich, once a month. Festivals are celebrated either at the Old Meeting House, at other venues or in members’ homes. There is usually an excellent turnout for services. The Old Meeting House is one of the oldest non-conformist places of worship in England, built in 1693 and still used by the Congregational Church.
including a number of Friends – nonJewish partners, prospective converts and others who simply wish to demonstrate their support for the congregation. Who is the minister? Rabbi Rachel Benjamin took over as minister at the beginning of 2005, following a succession of rabbis, student rabbis and lay readers. Rabbi Benjamin spent time in Norwich herself whilst a rabbinic student at Leo Baeck College. What else is on offer? Rabbi Benjamin runs ‘Engaging with Judaism’ adult education sessions as well as singing practice. The congregational newsletter is published monthly. It is distributed free to members and Friends; others may subscribe for a nominal sum. What about children? A small cheder group meets on Saturday mornings before either singing practice or a service. This arrangement encourages
Liberal Judaism’s Community Tour to Israel
How many members are there? There are today 60 individual members, drawn from a wide geographical area,
in partnership with the LJS and Tent
…and Lincoln
tent
place eting e m the
26th May to 4th June 2006
Join Rabbis Danny Rich, Mark Solomon and Aaron Goldstein and Liberal Judaism’s shlicha, Gili Tzidkiyahu Ten days in Israel including the annual Hugo Gryn conference at the award winning Leo Baeck Education Centre in Haifa, Shavuot, in and around Tel Aviv, Shabbat in Jerusalem, and a choice of ‘The Arts and Culture Extravaganza’ or ‘The Desert Experience’. Cost £1,100 For details, please contact Gili: shlicha@liberaljudaism.org, or 020 7631 9823 or Monique Blake on 020 7631 9826
The baby blessing of Rochaya Lees, in April last year
the children to stay on for the singing and, when followed by a service, for that also. What plans are there for the future? Recent bridge-building exercises with the (more established) Norwich Hebrew Congregation have resulted in a number of joint initiatives and point the way to a possible sharing of resources. While neither community wants to relinquish its Liberal/Orthodox identity, the two already share the dream of a centre for the benefit of all Jews in the region. How can I find out more? Visit www.pjcea.org.uk.
How was the congregation formed? Lincolnshire Jewish Community came into being following the inspired and energetic initiative of Ray Sylvester and other members of Nottingham Progressive Jewish Congregation. In 1992, many local Jews met for the first time when the Anne Frank exhibition came to Lincoln Cathedral. People were circulated to see what interest there was in forming a synagogue. Some 60 people attended a meeting and from this the community was born. When and where are services held? At Jews’ Court on Steep Hill on the first and third Saturday of each month. It is thought that Jews’ Court was a synagogue in the middle ages, and there is a recess in the east wall where it is believed that the Torah was kept. Its former use has been restored. Who leads services? Services are led by members of our community, by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, outreach director of Liberal Judaism, by visiting rabbis, from Leicester, Nottingham and further afield, and by student rabbis. What firsts have their been for the congregation? It is the first Jewish Community in Lincoln for over 700 years so far as we know. There was a Jewish community in Lincoln in the Middle Ages, until the expulsion from England in 1290. Among the notable ‘firsts since 1290’ has been the sound of the shofar being blown the notes drifting out of the open window led pedestrians on Steep Hill to stop and listen. The Bishop of Lincoln being greeted by the sound of the shofar as he entered the synagogue on his way to be installed as the new bishop. Two Christian members of the congregation later converted to Judaism. The wedding of congregants Dianne and Bernard Adler in 2004 was the first Jewish wedding in Lincoln for over 700 years, and last October three children from the community were given
The family of baby Rhiannah (in his mother’s arms), Mathew, three (also being held) and Jodie, six (standing in front of her brother), all grandchildren of Sally and Allan Levene (far left and second left) received Hebrew names at a service conducted by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein (holding the scroll)
Hebrew names in the first such ceremony since 1290. Rabbi Aaron Goldstein conducted the service at Jews’ Court. Recently, a shabbat meal was held at the cathedral lead by Rabbi Danny Rich - the first shabbat meal at the cathedral in its 900-year history. What hopes are there for the future? The community has a growing membership; attendance at services is increasing - and there are more social events: a summer garden party and a Chanukkah party each attracted around 40 members. Now that the University of Lincoln has become established, it is hoped that more students and staff will attend services and swell membership further.
March/April 2006
Page 10 LJ Today
Liberally Speaking Louis Jacobs was once destined to become Chief Rabbi, the leader of traditional Jewry in Britain. Yet the differences between his views and those of Liberal Judaism are not as great as we might think, argues Cyril Fletcher According to a recent poll by the Jewish Chronicle, Rabbi Dr Louis Jacobs was the ‘greatest British Jew of all time’. The best reaction came from Rabbi Jacobs himself, who is reported as saying that he felt both ‘embarrassed and daft’. Jacobs was the cause of the greatest rift in British Jewry since the Second World War. His nonfundamentalist views on Torah, set out in his books We have Reason to Believe and Jewish Values, were considered heretical by the Orthodox establishment and led to the rift. In the early 1960s, it was expected that Jacobs would be appointed principal of Jews’ College. Dr Israel Brodie, Chief Rabbi at the time, vetoed his appointment even though he was the obvious choice. Jacobs had no alternative but to resign. In 1964, the Chief Rabbi again vetoed his appointment as minister of the (Orthodox) New West End Synagogue, against the wishes of the honorary officers and a majority of its members. This led to the establishment of the independent (Orthodox) New London Synagogue, with Jacobs in the pulpit, and subsequently the founding of the Masorti movement, which split the Orthodox community. Jacobs could not accept the Orthodox establishment’s dogma that ‘Torah min hashamayim’ (‘Torah from the heavens’) meant that Torah had been literally dictated by God as a one-time event. He claimed that revelation is a continuous engagement by the House of Israel with God and Torah. The commandments were made by God through Godseekers, influenced by popular consensus, which was itself under the guidance of God. This replaces revelation with inspiration and providence. His problem, he is reported as saying, is not with ‘Torah’ or ‘hashamayim’ but with the meaning of the small word ‘min’. In effect, how was Torah conveyed? Jacobs aims to reconcile Torah with reason. According to him, if Liberals
Cyril Fletcher: ‘Louis Jacobs took a bold step’
believe that Torah is just a man-made human document, it loses its authority. He says that both Liberal and Orthodox Judaism commit the same ‘genetic fallacy’, that the merit of an idea or institution is to be judged by its origin and must accordingly be either accepted totally or rejected totally. Jacobs offers the modern Jew a reason to choose a third course that maintains traditional observances. However, he argues – for example – that because two people love each other it cannot make homosexual relations ‘kosher’. He says that if Jewish standards depend on what is considered to be ethical in each particular age, this can only mean that there are no fixed Jewish ethical standards. However, Jacobs’ view of the source of revelation, his attitude (albeit qualified) to the involvement of women in services, his objections to the rigidity of Orthodox conversion, his more relaxed attitude about the minutiae of Jewish observance all tend to reduce the gap between himself and Progressive Judaism. Isn’t the difference between Rabbi Jacobs and Liberal Judaism really a question of degree and not of substance? Jacobs took a bold step. His opponents say it is a step too far. We can say it is a step in the right direction.
The author is a member of Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue.
Liberally Speaking is an opportunity for a Liberal Jew to air a view or take a stand, or share ideas about one or more aspects of Jewish life. If you are interested in writing for this column, please email the editor: ljtodayeditor@liberaljudaism.org
March/April 2006
Page 11 LJ Today
Birmingham on the move Birmingham Progressive Synagogue is in the process of relocating from its home of 67 years in Sheepcote Street. It will spend some months in temporary accommodation before moving to a new purpose-built synagogue in nearby Bishopsgate Street. The final event was a Chanukkah party and specially written Havdalah service, which marked the transition from the old synagogue to a new home. The previous weekend, special services had marked the community’s departure. On Friday night, the guest preacher was Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein, who recalled the time he had grown up in the congregation with his wife, Sharon, in the 1950s. On Shabbat morning, Rabbi Dr Michael Shire, whose father, Heinz, was a president of the synagogue, took part in the service. Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi in her sermon said: ‘Now we are beginning a journey... We can make it a time of joy and friendship and spiritual growth.’ The congregation has a full programme of activities planned in the interim, and services will be held in the Friends Meeting House near the site of the old building.
Liberal teachers… Liberal Judaism was well represented at the 25th Limmud Jewish learning extravaganza in Nottingham in December, and many delegates visited our stand. Liberals teaching included: Rabbis David Goldberg, Mark Goldsmith, Aaron Goldstein, Dr Margaret Jacobi, Danny Rich and Mark Solomon, as well as Judy Thwaites, education consultant, Gili Tzidkiyahu, our shlicha, and David Jacobi (rabbinic student at LBC-CJE). Laura Lassman (Finchley) and Daniel Vulkan (Harrow & Wembley) were on the main organising committee. A number of LJY-Netzer madrichim (leaders) assisted at the youth programme, including the Welford twins (Birmingham) and Richard Rees (Northwood).
… and learners Liberal rabbis have been treated to the first of a series of shiurim (study sessions) being organised for them by Danny Rich. Dr Diana Lipton, a divinity lecturer at Newnham College, Cambridge, led a session at the end of January on the Temple priesthood and charismatic leadership.
A mum writes Something fishy is going on
Shoshanna Rees and Daisy Bogod on the fish and chip outing held after Shabbat morning service, and Sam Kingsley Fried (right) as an imaginary dancing sea creature at the oneg Shabbat
On Friday 13th January, I was one of four youth leaders who threw caution to the wind and took nine children ranging from 8 to 11 years of age on a journey to Hove. On arrival at Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue, we were united with our roshim (team leaders) Greg Shire and Louise Rea and the rest of the chanichim, 17 in all, and
began our weekend of fun and learning. The theme was ‘water’ (thanks to the seaside setting) and ‘miracles’. I feel that the weekend was a great success as both chanichim and madrichim (leaders) managed to learn a lot, laugh a lot – and eat a lot! Alex de Lange
Together in Jerusalem LJY-Netzer is part of a worldwide youth movement called Netzer (this is an acronym for Noar Tzioney Reformey – Reform Zionist Youth), which exists in 14 different countries, writes Jess Herman. Once a year it has a veidah (conference), where delegates from the Netzer sniffim (branches) around the world discuss issues and make decisions. This all took place in Jerusalem, and both Jenny and I attended. We spent a week exploring the issue of Hagshama (‘fulfilment’ or ‘realisation’). We engaged in cultural and educational activities, as well as praying together in the varied styles of the different sniffim. It was amazing to be around 33
like-minded people with similar beliefs and values but different languages. In the evenings, when the Russian and Argentine translators went home, we could still all communicate in song, dance, body language and Hebrew. • LJY-Netzer’s annual five-day veidah for the older members of the youth movement (15+) was held in Bristol in December, writes Josie Price. At the asephot (meetings), we debated taking part in the Coca-Cola boycott, and whether it matters that Ariel Sharon chose to call his political party Kadimah (we got the name first!). We also voted in the new theme for the year, which is Torah.
When I told Hollie (eight) and Jack (seven) there was a sleepover at our synagogue (The Liberal Synagogue Elstree), they weren’t sure what to expect but they were still keen. I was also keen for them to take part, but neurotic thoughts soon entered my head. What will they eat? Will they be able to sleep? Will they be looked after? Is there an emergency number? So, somewhat hesitantly, I packed them off to shul with a lot more than a couple of sleeping bags, which was all they really needed. On arrival, we were greeted by a wonderful, reassuring smile from Jess and all the other warm and capable youth workers. My kids were excitedly ushered away into a friendship circle where there was singing and guitar playing, learning new songs by the dozen to greet Shabbat. They had spaghetti bolognaise and ice-cream for dinner, and even hot chocolate and biscuits at bedtime…and of course a pillow fight to end the day. I arrived an hour early on Saturday evening to pick up my kids, and found them sitting in a big circle for Havdalah, surrounded by candles flickering in the dark. It was a delightful sight. All the children said they had had so much fun learning and making new friends. Now Hollie and Jack are looking forward to the next event, in April…and I think I’ve beaten my neurosis.
Abi Walton
Up and coming… • Spring Camp: School Years 3-10, at Norman Court Preparatory School, near Salisbury, 7-11 April • Israel Tour: School Year 11, 18 July to 16 August Kadimah Summer Camp: School Year 3-10, in Nottinghamshire, 31 July to 13 August • Kayitz Netzer: Two-week tour around Eastern Europe, School Year 12, 16-30 August
For more information about any of these activities, please contact LJY-Netzer
LJY-NETZER
The youth movement of Liberal Judaism Contact Jess Herman or Jenny Walton at LJY-NETZER, The Montagu Centre 21 Maple Street, London W1T 4BE T: 020 7631 0584 F: 020 7631 9838 E: j.herman@liberaljudaism.org or j.walton@liberaljudaism.org
March/April 2006
Page 12 LJ Today
Liberal Judaism congregations Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue, (Rodef Shalom), 01234-218387, bedsps@liberaljudaism.org, www.bedfordshire-ps.org.uk Beit Klal Yisrael, P.O.Box 1828, London W10 5RT 020-8960 5760, bky@liberaljudaism.org www.beit-klal-yisrael.or g.uk Bet Tikvah Synagogue, 129 Perrymans Farm Road, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex IG2 7LX, 020-8554 9682, barps@liberaljudaism.org, www.bettikvah.org.uk Birmingham Progressive Synagogue Jericho House, 196-198 Edward Road, Birmingham B12 9LX, 0121-643 5640 bps@liberaljudaism.org, www.bps-pro-syn.c o.uk Branch: Leamington Spa, 01926-421300 Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue 6 Lansdowne Road, Hove BN3 1FF 01273-737223, bhps@liberaljudaism.org www.brightonandhoveprosynagogue.org.uk Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation, Hon. Sec. 0117-954 1937 bpjc@liberaljudaism.org, www.bwpjc.org Crawley Jewish Community 01293-534294 Dublin Jewish Progressive Synagogue P.O. Box 3059, Dublin 6, Enquires Hon. Sec. 00-3531 2856241, djpc@liberaljudaism.org Ealing Liberal Synagogue Lynton Avenue, Drayton Green, W13 0EB 020-8997 0528, els@liberaljudaism.org www.ealingliberalsynagogue.org.uk East Anglia Progressive Jewish Community (based in Norwich), 01502-731116 pjcea@liberaljudaism.org, www.pjcea.org.uk Eastbourne Progressive Jewish Congregation 01323 725650 fax: 01323 417645 epjc@liberaljudaism.org, www.epjcong.org.uk Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community, 07891 439646, www.eljc.org Finchley Progressive Synagogue Hutton Grove, N12 8DR 020-8446 4063, fps@liberaljudaism.org, www.fps.org Harrow and Wembley Progressive Synagogue 326 Preston Road, Harrow, Middx HA3 0QH 020-8904 8581, www.hwps.org Kent Liberal Jewish Community, 07952 242432 bulletin.kljc@liberaljudaism.org, www.jewishkent.org.uk/communities/KLJC/kljc.html Kingston Liberal Synagogue Rushett Road, Long Ditton, Surbiton, Surrey KT7 0UX, 020-8398 7400, kls@liberaljudaism.org Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation The Synagogue, 24 Avenue Road, Leicester, LE2 3EA, 07875 123744
Liberal Judaism The Montagu Centre, 21 Maple Street, London W1T 4BE, 020-7580 1663 Fax: 020-7631 9838 montagu@liberaljudaism.org, www.liberaljudaism.org Youth Department: 020-7631 0584 Fax: 020-7631 9838 Chairman Nigel Cole Chief Executive Rabbi Danny Rich Vice Chairman Joan Shopper Treasurer Tony Kerron Hon. Officers Mikko Arevuo (LJ Zika - Israel Action Group); Simon Benscher (community development); Penny Beral (communications); Roz Bott; Amanda Grant (youth); Paul Infield; Elsbeth Mendes da Costa (social action); Michael Romain (regions) Senior Vice-President Rabbi Dr Sidney Brichto Vice-Presidents Jeromé Freedman, Louise Freedman, Rabbi Dr David Goldberg, David Lipman, Rosita Rosenberg, Tony Sacker Hon. Vice-Presidents David Amstell, Geoffrey Davis, Rabbi Harry Jacobi, Corinne Oppenheimer, David Pick, Harold Sanderson, Clive Winston Joint Chairs of the Rabbinic Conference Rabbi Rachel Benjamin and Rabbi Margaret Jacobi Outreach Director Rabbi Aaron Goldstein Chaplain Rabbi Melinda Michelson-Carr Shlicha Gili Tzidkiyahu Mazkira, LJY-Netzer Jess Herman Social Action Officer, LJY-Netzer Jenny Walton Liberal Judaism promotes the religious and cultural traditions of our faith within the framework of progressive thinking and ethics. Donations to support our work are always welcome. Liberal Judaism is a registered charity, number 256390 LJ Today is edited by Beatrice Sayers. The deadline for the May/June 2006 issue is Monday 3 April. Send articles or letters for publication to: ljtodayeditor@liberaljudaism.org Typeset by JJ Copyprint and printed by Freedman Bros.
The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, 28 St John’s Wood Road, London NW8 7HA, 020-7286 5181, ljs@liberaljudaism.org, www.ljs.org The Liberal Synagogue Elstree, Elstree High Street, Elstree, Herts WD6 3BY, 020-8953 8889 tlse@liberaljudaism.org, www.tlse.org.uk Lincolnshire Jewish Community 01427-628958 ljc@liberaljudaism.org North London Progressive Jewish Community Enquiries: 020-8340 5513 nlpjc@liberaljudaism.org, www.nlpjc.org.uk Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue Oaklands Gate, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 3AA 01923-822592, npls@liberaljudaism.org www.npls.org.uk Nottingham Progressive Jewish Congregation Lloyd Street, Sherwood, Nottingham NG5 4BP 0115-9624761, npjc@liberaljudaism.org www.npjc.org.uk Or Chadash Liberal Jewish Community of Luxembourg 00 352 31 65 94 lljc@liberaljudaism.org Peterborough Liberal Jewish Community 01733-358605 Reading Liberal Jewish Community www.rljc.org 0118-375 3422, rljc_mail@yahoo.co.uk South Bucks Jewish Community 01494-431885 sbjc@liberaljudaism.org, www.sbjc.org.uk South London Liberal Synagogue, PO Box 14475, London SW16 1ZW, 020-8769 4787 slls@liberaljudaism.org, www.southlondon.org Southgate Progressive Synagogue, 75 Chase Road, London N14 4QY, 020-8886 0977 sps@liberaljudaism.org, www.sps.uk.com West Central Liberal Synagogue, 21 Maple Street, London W1T 4BE, 020-7636 7627 wcls@liberaljudaism.org, www.wcls.org.uk Woodford Progressive Synagogue Marlborough Road, George Lane, London E18 1AR 020-8989 7619, wps@liberaljudaism.org www.woodfordprogressive.org.uk Associated Congregations: Herefordshire Jewish Community Enquiries: 07789 218823 Oxford, for details of Liberal Jewish Services: 01865-515584 or 01865-765197 www.oxford-synagogue.org.uk We also have groups in Manchester and Ipswich, which meet informally. Contact Rabbi Aaron Goldstein: a.goldstein@liberaljudaism.org or 020 7631 9821
DIARY DATES........... 18th March (Tuesday) British Friends of Peace Now will be showing live coverage of the Israeli election at the Montagu Centre, 6pm-midnight 2nd April (Sunday) Launch of the British Friends of the Leo Baeck Education Centre, Haifa, at the LJS, 5-7pm 7th-11th April (Friday to Tuesday) LJY-Netzer Machaneh Aviv (Spring Camp): years 3-10 25th April (Tuesday) Launch of Rabbi David Goldberg’s book, The Divided Self, at the LJS 5th to 7th May (Friday to Sunday) Biennial Weekend, in Cheltenham ‘Judaism without borders?’ For further information, or to join the organising committee, contact Penny Beral on 01923 855367 or p.beral@liberaljudaism.org, or Rabbi Kathleen Middleton: k.middleton@ljs.org. 11th June (Sunday) Liberal Judaism Inter-synagogue Quiz at Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue, 3:30pm 31st July – 13th August LJY-Netzer Machaneh Kadmiah (two-week summer camp): years 3-10
Sacker tribute Tony Sacker, a vicepresident and past chairman of Liberal Judaism, had the honour Fellow of the College bestowed on him at a graduation ceremony at Leo Baeck College-Centre for Jewish Education in January. Asked how he felt about the award, Tony said: ‘I’m really chuffed about it. I wasn’t expecting it at all.’ Tony, a solicitor by profession, has been involved with the CJE since its inception. He took part in negotiations to merge with LBC, and was vice-chairman of the college from 2002 until his retirement last year.
Beit ha’simcha Leicester Progressive Synagogue held a party in December to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the congregation buying its synagogue premises at Avenue Road. Prof Alex Keller led expressions of thanks to Gerry Solomons, chairman at the time of purchase, and Ben Ivell, who turned 80 during the week of the celebrations and was treasurer when the building was purchased. Claire Jackson
Dublin dame Dr Marianne Neuman was invested as Dame of the Order of St John on 26th November, days before her 92nd birthday. The honour is in recognition of Dr Neuman’s exceptionally long years of dedicated service to the St John Ambulance Brigade. With her husband, the late Dr Rudi Neuman, Dr Marianne was one of the founding members of the Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation in 1946, and for many years they both gave devoted service to the congregation and to the Burial Society.
Letter to the editor I’m writing to say how much I appreciated the brilliant interfaith aspect of the last edition of LJ Today. Perhaps readers would be interested in an interfaith website, The Interfaith Encounter Association, from Jerusalem, run by Yehuda Stoloff, who’s just been awarded the 2006 prize for Humanity. It’s a very active association and sends out reports of all the meetings, often giving Jewish, Muslim and Christian perspectives on issues such as ‘forgiveness’. It also compares religious practice and/or meaning between the three faiths. It’s at www.interfaith-encounter.org Berta Freistadt Beit Klal Yisrael