Liberal Judaism Biennial Weekend - the highlights

The future of Progressive Judaism - Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy

In the wake of Liberal Judaism and Reform Judaism’s historic joint announcement, join Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy, the CEOs of the respective movements, as they discuss their thoughts for the future of Progressive Judaism.

God, how do we move on from here? Thinking through the contradiction that is Liberal Judaism - Rabbi Dr Judith Rosen-Berry and Rabbi Lea Mühlstein (pictured right) Rabbi Dr Judith Rosen-Berry teaches modern Jewish thought/theology at Leo Baeck College, London, and in Oxford where she lives. Rabbi Lea Mühlstein is a Senior Rabbi at The Ark Synagogue and International Chair of Arzenu UK. Join these two prominent rabbis as they explore how, although being Liberal and Jewish is often seen as a contradiction, it is in fact the source of Liberal Judaism’s ongoing dynamic and unique identity.

The Board of Deputies and Liberal Judaism - Michael Wegier, Board of Deputies CEO Michael Wegier has worked as a Jewish educator, strategic planner and CEO for Jewish organisations in the UK, Israel and the United States. He has been the Chief Executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews since 2021. Join him to discuss the relationship between Liberal Judaism and the Board, and how his organisation approaches balancing a multiplicity of voices under one ‘roof’.

Re-imagining Ruth (and Naomi and Boaz) - Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris

What’s the difference between polyamory and polygamy and why might either of those terms be relevant to reading the Book of Ruth? Just ahead of Shavuot, come along to study together a wholly new, 21st century approach to reading this story with Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris - Principal of Leo Baeck College, where she has taught Hebrew Bible, particularly the Megillot, for more than 15 years.

Remembering the Holocaust in the modern day - panel discussion

We are getting ever closer to losing the last of our eyewitnesses to the Holocaust. Join a panel featuring representatives from Kick It Out, the Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) and Kingston Liberal Synagogue’s Sandra Webber - organiser of her area’s Holocaust Memorial Day educational activities - as they discuss the challenges of remembering the Holocaust in a meaningful way in the modern world.

Building a broad yet effective movement for social change - Amos Schonfield, Deputy Director of HIAS+JCORE

HIAS and JCORE, two Jewish organisations with long histories of supporting refugees and asylum seekers, have recently merged to form one organisation with greater capacity to support their existing programmes and more. Join the new organisation’s first Deputy Director, Amos Schonfield, to discuss how we build an effective movement for change, bringing people together for maximum impact.

More than keynotes!

Rabbi Dr Lawrence Hoffman (pictured left) and Dr Joel Hoffman will not only be delivering rousing keynotes for us… they’ll actually be with us for the whole weekend. You will be able to catch them in any of our four session slots on the following topics.

Rabbi Dr Lawrence Hoffman:

- Not ‘who is a Jew’ but ‘when is a Jew’: Judaism as a conversation

- ‘Here I Stand’: Developing a personal ‘Shema statement’; what matters to me most

- Haggadah to High Holy Days: particularism and universalism, the ultimate messages of our holiday cycle

- How Jewish prayer began, what it became, and where it is going today

Dr Joel Hoffman’s sessions:

- The Bible doesn’t say that!

- Ancient answers to good and evil that were cut from the Bible

- 3,000 years of Jewish continuity as seen through 3,000 years of Hebrew

- Prioritising a meaningful Judaism: Hidden gems from the prayerbook