September/October 2009
VOL. XXXVI No. 5
Liberal Judaism is a constituent of the World Union for Progressive Judaism
ljtoday
Embracing the duty to ‘combat intolerance’ Rabbi Mark Solomon, Liberal Judaism’s new interfaith consultant, says dialogue between religious communities is a more pressing duty than ever. Rabbi Solomon, pictured, who has wide interfaith experience, says: ‘As Liberal Jews we have a special duty to create and strengthen ties between liberal-minded religious people, to combat intolerance and increase understanding. For me personally, learning to appreciate others’ views about God and the world is an exciting and rewarding journey that deepens spiritual life.’ He takes up his appointment at Liberal Judaism this month. Jewish co-chairman of the London Society of Jews and Christians, Rabbi
Solomon, 46, is also a trustee of the Interfaith Alliance UK; a governor of the Ammerdown Centre in Somerset, which hosts many interfaith events; and a trustee of the London Ecumenical AIDS Trust. He served Watford United and West Central Liberal synagogues before taking up the post of rabbi at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue (St John’s Wood) in 2000, a post he left at the end of the summer. He also lectures in Talmud at Leo Baeck College. Rabbi Danny Rich said: ‘I am delighted that Mark, with his lengthy and impressive record in interfaith dialogue, has chosen to work for Liberal Judaism in this special field. ‘I am sure Mark will help Liberal Judaism create a centre of interfaith excellence.’
Harry becomes emeritus rabbi Harry Jacobi was given the title of emeritus rabbi for Southgate Progressive Synagogue during an Erev Shabbat service in July. The congregation ‘so revered’ Rabbi Jacobi that it wanted to give him this honour, even though it was many years since he had left the community, said synagogue vice-president Tony Halle. Rabbi Jacobi’s children, Margaret (rabbi in Birmingham), Richard (rabbi in Woodford) and David all took part in the service, led by Rabbi Stephen Howard. The new emeritus rabbi, 83, had maintained numerous friendships within the community. ‘Now I feel most happy meeting members I blessed as babes or on their bar- or bat-mitzvah, or married or converted,’ he said. He was
‘pleased and proud’ to receive the honour. It was as a student rabbi in 1956 that he first led services at Southgate, when it had about 200 members, remaining after his ordination and helping it to grow fourfold by the time he resigned in 1975.
Harry Jacobi after the service with daughter Margaret and son Richard, both rabbis for Liberal communities
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Jewish child, Jewish school With the opening of JCoSS, the first non-Orthodox state secondary, just a year away, we ask whether Jewish pupils belong in Jewish schools or in non-Jewish schools. Some say Jewish knowledge and life are best learnt and experienced in the synagogue and the home rather than in a state-sector or private school, and that Jewish schools foster a narrow view of society. In the view of others, Jewish schools are hugely enriching, and the Hebrew and Jewish studies lessons give pupils a deeper feeling for and understanding of communal life. Two rabbis offer different viewpoints, and parents have their say. With admissions criteria to Orthodox schools in disarray following a court ruling in June, we also look at what effect the legal cases might have. Pages 6-8
In this edition: News, 2-3; High Holy Day message, 5; Spotlight on Brighton and Hove, 10; LJY-Netzer, 11
Page 2 LJ Today
September/October 2009
Eight rabbis are placed for the High Holy Days Student rabbis, new graduates and veteran rabbis are being placed with communities to lead High Holy Day services. Each year those Liberal synagogues that do not employ a rabbi receive one through the Montagu Centre. This year, Kate Briggs, a third-year rabbinic student at Leo Baeck College, will lead services at the East Anglia community, fourth-year students Anna Gerrard and Sandra Kviat will travel to Gloucestershire and Lincolnshire, third-year Peter Radvanszki will travel to Luxembourg, and second-year students Benji Stanley and Jessica Lenza will travel to Peterborough and Manchester. Rabbi Alan Mann, a former rabbi in Elstree, will lead services in Stevenage and Ipswich, Rabbi Mark Solomon will lead services in Edinburgh, Rabbi Dr Michael Shire will return to Oxford and Rabbi Monique Mayer, ordained in July, will travel to Eastbourne. Anna Gerrard is being seconded to
Gloucestershire Liberal community this year. The congregation, which meets regularly in Cheltenham, recently held an Erev Shabbat service in Stroud.
Apply for a young adult Passport Liberal Judaism’s Passport scheme enables young adults to explore the spiritual and social opportunities the movement offers. If you are a Liberal Jew aged 20-35 who is not a member of a Liberal synagogue but would like, for a modest fee, discounts at the movement’s and ‘tent’ events, access to all communities and tickets to High Holy Day services, please contact Shelley Shocolinsky-Dwyer, internal services manager, on 020 7631 9835 or shelley@ liberaljudaism.org. Or sign up online: www.liberaljudaism.org/passport.htm.
Thanks to Officer stalwarts Three of Liberal Judaism’s Officers, Joan Shopper, Paula Scott and Bill Glassman, stepped down during the summer, writes Nigel Cole. Joan has undertaken more jobs than many: reorganising the administration at the Montagu Centre; co-ordinating and running Patrons’ events; sitting on the committees that manage Edgwarebury and Cheshunt cemeteries, and as vice chair of the Officers. Best of all, Joan has exhibited consistent common sense. Paula joined us to head a group focused on better articulating the message of Liberal Judaism. As often happens, a busy person is one to ask if a job needs
doing. But Paula almost simultaneously became chairman of East Midlands Jewish Representative Council and decided that the demands on her time were too great to continue as an Officer. Bill certainly went out on a high. With a team drawn from London and Midlands’ communities, he was responsible for the hugely successful Day of Celebration held in May at Birmingham’s wonderful new building, attended by 300 Liberal Jews. Bill, Paula and Joan have given loyal service to the Liberal movement. While they may be best remembered for what they did, their wisdom and commitment are particularly appreciated. Kol hakavod.
Around the Communities Northwood The synagogue’s first Singing Weekend in July attracted participants from several other Liberal communities, including Cheltenham, Herefordshire, Leicester and Manchester, and from Kol Chai Reform in Pinner. Bristol The community hosted a concert by Dawud Wharnsby, a US-Canadian singer songwriter based in Pakistan. Recorded by Radio Salaam Shalom, the concert was one of a number Wharnsby gave during a visit organised by the city council and the Bristol Interfaith Group. Edinburgh The community has set up its own support line for its members or their families who are ‘stuck in a hole or are in a bad place’, perhaps dealing with illness and needing a bit of Jewish support.
Kingston is tiles more colourful These stunning pieces of stonework are part of a new, handcrafted mosaic, created entirely by members of Kingston Liberal Synagogue. The three metre-long work, which includes depictions of the synagogue’s shooting-star logo and one of its scrolls, has recently been mounted on a wall in the entrance to the building’s extension. When Sandra Webber saw the ‘big white walls’ of the recently completed extension, the idea was born. All the drawings and ideas come from other synagogue members, following a request put on seats at Rosh Hashanah services last year. Mosaic artist Kim Porrelli was then drafted in to see through the design and construction process. ‘Everybody was so enthusiastic,’ says Sandra. ‘Some of the founder members requested that we incorporate the shul’s original
Kingston The community has elected Judy Thwaites as its president. Judy, a former education consultant for Liberal Judaism, was involved in KLS’s Religion School for 22 years, first teaching, and for eight years as joint head of school. East Anglia A new Friday Night Supper Club, which meets in members’ homes, is proving popular, as is Southgate Progressive’s Rabbi Stephen Howard, who has been travelling to Norwich to serve the community once a month. Southgate Hilda Schindler, pictured, the synagogue’s honorary life president, held a kiddush to celebrate her 70th year in England. Hilda escaped from Nazi Germany six weeks before the start of the Second World War. Among her former pupils from her many years as a religion school teacher are at least three rabbis, including Southgate’s Rabbi Stephen Howard. Finchley The community held a summer fair in aid of Keshet, its twin community in Mogilev, Belarus. Organised by three young people at Finchley – Jessica Sofizade, Natasha and Ruth Collett – the fair raised £1,000 for the kindergarten at Mogilev.
LJ Today Page 3
September/October 2009
movable ark,’ she adds. ‘We have – and it’s a perfect reproduction.’ Members were invited to workshops at the synagogue, cutting and gluing tiny tiles or pieces of glass on to a mesh: in total 115 people – aged three to 89 – took part. The mosaic was then cut into manageable sections, the wall cemented and the section attached, with grouting to finish. It has taken six months to complete. A dove flying against the sun, designed and mosaicked by 14-year-old Liane Aviram, hovers above the whole work. Liane is also one of four participants – from four generations – whose hands were drawn around and incorporated into the design. A Tree of Life (right, being installed by Kim) is made of 613 mirrored leaves. As Sandra put it: ‘Each one reflects the community.’ Norman Fletcher Jones, 90, contributed the Hebrew calligraphy beneath. It reads ‘Ivdu et adonai b’simcha’ (Worship the Eternal in joy), from Psalm 100. Kingston’s rabbi, Charley Baginsky, sums up the project: ‘For me the mosaic goes beyond a beautiful work of art and represents the power of community, how each little piece plays its part in forming a whole.’ A dedication service is to take place on 5 September.
Reaching into Hertfordshire Following an Open Shabbat in Stevenage, Liberal Judaism is looking at the development of a community in the area. Some 30 people attended the first Shabbat, in June. This was followed by a lunch and discussion, with Rabbis Danny Rich and Pete Tobias, and a social
meeting was held the following month. The idea of a new community was prompted by an enquiry from Terry Wolfe, who with his wife Gillian moved to Stevenage from Borehamwood two years ago and misses the strong connection and proximity to The Liberal Synagogue Elstree.
Montagu Centre staff changes During the summer, Liberal Judaism said goodbye to its education consultant, Elana Sondel, who is continuing her rabbinic studies in the United States, to Noa Marom, its shlicha (Israeli emissary), to Sophie Stern, Midlands development
worker, and Benjy Aarons-Richardson and Victor Kaufman, LJY-Netzer workers. We warmly welcome student rabbi Sandra Kviat, new education consultant, and Alex Wakely, who is covering for Yael Shotts while she takes maternity leave.
In memory of gun victims About 120 people attended a memorial ceremony at the Montagu Centre for the victims of shootings at a gay and lesbian centre in Tel-Aviv. Nir Katz, 24, and Liz Trubeshi, 17, were killed by a masked gunman who opened fire in a room where teenagers were holding a support group. At least 15 people were wounded during the attack, on 1 August, thought by police to be a homophobic crime. Rabbi Athias-Robles, assistant rabbi at Northwood, who led the evening, said: ‘We wanted to remember those who had left us, share our grief, pray for those in need of healing, and raise the cry of protest.’
September/October 2009
Page 4 LJ Today
Microfinance ‘has a role to play in many areas of the world’ Paul Nathan is inspired by Faith Matters – and the small business fund being set up by its director A few weeks ago, I received an unsolicited email inviting me to a launch dinner for a new microfinance initiative. This was serendipitous; I’d been reflecting on microfinance as an area I might get more involved in, where my professional experience might converge with our responsibilities for social change. Microfinance – a system to lift people out of poverty by giving them access to financial services – was pioneered in Bangladesh by Grameen Bank in the 1970s. At the time, the idea of extending credit to the poor was ridiculed. But Mohammed Yunis, the founder of Grameen, found that by extending credit to groups of women, they were able to set up small businesses that could provide for their families; default rates were very low. This new initiative, the Kafaala Ethical Fund, was being set up by Fiyaz Mughal, a Liberal Democrat councillor in Haringey, who also runs an interfaith organisation called Faith Matters. It will provide small business funding and support across five north London boroughs. While it will be open to people of all faiths, or none, it will operate in accordance with Islamic finance principles. This is tricky. Most banking – microfinance included – charges interest to cover two areas: the time value of
money, and the risk of defaults. Under Islamic law, any interest is considered usury (riba) and so is forbidden (haram). If you finance a business, it must be on the principle of risk-sharing. So the fund will take a share of the profits of any successful businesses it sets up, once the initial capital is repaid. Faith Matters is active in building relationships between religious communities, especially Muslim and Jewish, and in combating extremism. Recently, it organised a forum in five cities comparing the stories of survivors of both the Holocaust and the Bosnian Muslim genocide. Its patrons are Lord Dholakia and Baroness Neuberger, president of Liberal Judaism. Both will be talking at next year’s Liberal Judaism Biennial Weekend. If you are interested in reading more, have a look at its website: www.faith-matters.org. It was an inspiration to meet Fiyaz. If, as Liberal Jews, we work with organisations like his to recognise our common humanity, then we will make the world just a little bit safer for our children.
Paul Nathan is chief operating officer of Old Mutual Asset Managers. He is a member of South Bucks Jewish Community and a patron of Liberal Judaism
Drive for a fully accessible HQ We have become aware that Liberal Judaism’s headquarters, the Montagu Centre, does not meet standards for accessibility for disabled people, and have been working with an architect, Noa Nawi-Frank, to draw up plans for a redesign, writes Rabbi Danny Rich. These plans are now complete, and we are gathering quotes for the development work, which is expected to cost approximately £60,000. We will be seeking grant funding
from a range of sources to pay for this work, but are also asking for contributions to cover the cost of this essential redevelopment. This will ensure that the Montagu Centre is accessible for all of our members and visitors, now and in the future. If you would like to donate, or have any information about trusts or grant-awarding bodies who might be able to help, please contact Shelley Shocolinsky-Dwyer on 020 7631 9835 or email shelley@liberaljudaism.org.
‘tent: the meeting place’ Liberal Judaism’s young adults’ community has a few last-minute places available on its trip to Argentina, 29 September to 12 October 2009 (for Sukkot).
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Together with JUJ (Jung und Jüdisch Deutschland) & Tamar Olami, ‘tent’ is also presenting a European gathering for Progressive young adults, Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November 2009 in Berlin. Come together for a long weekend to celebrate Progressive Judaism. £160 includes programme, accommodation and meals. Contact Avivit: a.katzil @liberaljudaism.org or 07866 501787
You Don’t Have To Be a Writer A half-day workshop for those who would like to start writing Date: Wednesday 21 October 2009 Venue: the Montagu Centre, W1 Time: 10.15 for a 10.30 start Cost: £20 Tutor: Anne Aylor This event is organised by Liberal Judaism’s Daytimers group. Contact Lina Fajerman: 020 8504 3125 or lina.fajerman@ ntlworld.com daytimers
More volunteers! The Montagu Centre has had a good response to its call for volunteers to represent Liberal Judaism at communal events or on committees – but we have room for a few more. To register your interest, please email montagu@ liberaljudaism.org and a form will be sent to you.
LJ Today Page 5
September/October 2009
Only when I was (politely) ignored could I feel at home As we look forward to the High Holy Days, I have been remembering my first forays into the British Jewish community back in the early 1990s. I was born and educated in the United States, but chose to make my home in Britain. As I visited community after community looking for something that felt warm and welcoming, I consistently had one of two experiences: I was either utterly (though politely) ignored, or I was immediately ‘familied’. That sounds as if the first response was wrong and the second right but it’s not as simple as that. Being familied generally meant that I would be adopted by a well-meaning couple who would ensure that I was never left alone for a minute. They would introduce me to countless people, but never allow space for a real conversation. I would leave feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, when what I had wanted was a place to reflect and to be quiet. In a way, being familied was more alienating that being ignored, as it carried the message that people on their own were a problem to be solved. I think that this is why I ended up at Beit Klal Yisrael, a congregation that meets in west London
Janet Burden on how we welcome others and whose membership is largely drawn from the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community. Although I am a straight woman, I have always felt at home in predominantly LGBT environments. Reflecting on this recently, I realised that the explanation was simple. In the LGBT world, people are more hesitant before making assumptions about who you are and how you are in the world. They give you space to decide how much of your personal story you want to share and how open you wish to be. What you consider private, they leave as private. I was welcomed at BKY as a unique individual that no one had to label or define. That was largely up to me – though I would acknowledge that I had plenty of help refining my
self-understanding after people got to know me! But it was the initial welcome that made all the difference to me. None of my lesbian or gay friends saw my personal situation as some sort of disease: I was single, and that was okay. When I was ready to look for a partner again, that was okay, too. I was always made to feel as if I belonged, that I was acceptable just as I was, however that was. What a gift that has been to me over the years. I think that all of Liberal Judaism’s congregations could learn from the LGBT community about dealing with difference and about welcoming strangers. We need to be open to people just as they are, without making all manner of assumptions about them. We need to take the time to find out who they are, before addressing what we think their needs are. If we can do this, maybe a few more of them will visit us again, after the High Holy Days are over. Ken yehi ratzon. L’shanah tovah.
Janet Burden is the rabbi for Ealing Liberal Synagogue and West Central Liberal Synagogue
SHLICHA’S CORNER by departing Israeli emissary Noa Marom I arrived in Britain three years ago, in the midst of the Second Lebanon War and I return to Israel in the wreckage of the senseless killing of innocent teenagers in the Agudah LGBT centre in Tel Aviv. In my eyes, this is symbolic of my own journey as a shlicha for Liberal Judaism and LJY-Netzer. I started my work here with a keen sense of working towards engaging the Liberal community in a debate about Israel and morality, and specifically looking at Israel’s relationship with its neighbours. It slowly became clear to me that there was another, more important focus that was not emphasised enough in the community: the Israel that stands for the Liberal Jewish views held here in the UK. Scrutinising or supporting Israel for its actions shouldn’t be the point. It is
deeper issues that have interested me: does Israel stand up to the morals and beliefs that enshrined in the Declaration of Independence in 1948? Is Israel relevant to Liberal Jews? Both questions have the same answer: not really. Israel does not fully uphold the standards it declared, and as a result it is a Jewish state that doesn’t allow for real Liberal Jewish engagement. Is Israel’s military/security problem simply a symptom of a bigger disease, which is intolerance? Have we created a state that is as hateful and discriminating as any other enlightened country? The killings in Tel Aviv show us that there isn’t only hatred towards the non-Jewish population; there is hatred towards those Jewish members of society who have stepped outside the box. Those daring to follow their hearts
– religiously or sexually – are not properly recognised either by the government or by society at large. As Progressive Jews, we should have at the top of our agenda the desire to ensure Israel gives equal rights to all the citizens. How can we expect it to give equal rights to Arabs in Israel if it doesn’t even give equal religious rights to all forms of Judaism? I hope that during my years here I have helped to focus on these topics. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Liberal Judaism and would like to thank every single person, family, community that has impacted on me in some way. I wish luck to the new shlicha, Dana Friedman, and hope she finds in Liberal Judaism the family that I have found. And I hope you stay opinionated, thoughtful, engaging and questioning.
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Jewish Child, Jewish School?
September/October 2009
Jewish Child, Jewish School?
September/October 2009
LJ Today Page 7
Two Liberal rabbis offer two schools of thought Shulamit Ambalu says the task of raising children as Jews, and of building strong Jewish identities, belongs to their parents The recent ruling by the Court of Appeal on admissions and JFS raises some very challenging questions. In this article I intend to set aside questions about Jewish status and descent. I will not be asking whether we are an ethnic or racial group. I will not be considering how Jewish day schools will need to be allocating their places in the light of the Court’s ruling. But I will be asking this. What is the best way for children to develop their Jewish identities? This is a pressing issue for us today. Liberal Jewish communities embrace and celebrate diversity. We have developed many different ways of giving expression to the depth and complexity of our religious and cultural heritage without being inward-looking and exclusive. But we must also deal with the uncomfortable facts. How many of our children will follow us? How do we inspire them? How do we teach them? What is our future? Here is my dilemma. I am speaking from experience. I went to a Jewish primary school. I received an adequate Jewish education. Yet when I left, at 11, I had played with fewer than three non-Jewish children in my entire life. I knew stories from the Bible and quite a lot about kashrut. (I also knew that boys had more responsibilities than girls and learned things that we could not, but I will not be dealing with the question of gender inequality here.) But I knew nothing about anyone who was different. It took me years to develop a proper network of diverse friendships, something I find myself managing only now that my own daughter is at our local primary. I can honestly say that the decision we made to have her educated in a completely diverse, multicultural and multi-racial inner-city school is the best we have made yet. I simply cannot express the satisfaction it gives me that we are part of a network of relationships that really strengthen our local community. We are neighbours teaching each other that difference need not be threatening if we can cohere around our common interests – and where more could we agree than on the well-being of our children? But we cannot do this without commitment. Our children will
not learn to be Jewish at school. This means we cannot assign the all-important task of building their Jewish identities to someone else. And it is no good feeding them tid-bits of information as if Jewish life belongs to someone else. It means candles and Kiddush for Shabbat, every Shabbat. Festivals at synagogue and with friends and family. (State schools, you will find, are very good about days off for religious holidays). It means making being Jewish a completely normal part of everyday life. Sometimes exciting, sometimes interesting, sometimes a bit of a hassle and sometimes mundane. This does not mean that we must all become ‘religious’, but, rather, we must be committed. This commitment to our integrity and responsibility for fellow Jews is also, I think, a helpful antidote to the relentless social drive that seems to be turning children into young consumers. Children today so often seem to be given a choice about everything. They come to feel that the world revolves around them and their desires. We even see them being encouraged to choose whether a family comes to synagogue or cheder. I do not want my children to learn to approach the social world as a consumer. My goal is not that they should always and only be ‘happy’. But rather, that they grow into adults with a sense of ownership of the future, that they sense their responsibility to make a contribution, both as Jews and as citizens. Perhaps, if Jewish schools can somehow teach our children to be contributing and committed members of our wider society, they can achieve this as well. But what is the best way of raising children as Jews? Of building strong Jewish identities? I think it is up to us, and it therefore begins with us. Every one of us, parent or not, is a potential role model. Inhabiting strong Jewish identities within diverse social networks. I think that this is the future, and it is in our hands.
‘Our choice of a multicultural school for our daughter is the best we’ve made’
Shulamit Ambalu is rabbi at the North London Progressive Jewish Community and Milton Keynes Reform Synagogue
OUR CHOICE PARENTS – AND CHILDREN – PROVIDE THEIR Liberal Jews who send their children to Jewish schools often report very positive experiences. Merle Muswell, from Woodford, says her three children have all gone to private, non-faith primaries but settled ‘from day one’ at King Solomon High, a Jewish state school in Barkingside, which she says has ‘reaffirmed’ their Jewishness. Where some rabbis complain that children at Jewish schools are rarely seen in shul, Merle says the school has helped rather than hindered her children’s synagogue involvement. ‘They
like feeling more Jewish – my 15-yearold is now a teacher in cheder.’ As for the school being an orthodox one, her children understand it is sometimes out of line with Liberal Judaism. ‘When they mention values I think are ridiculous, I talk about it and explain my views.’ Lauren Dubell, whose parents chose to send her to a non-faith school – Mill Hill County – rather than take up a place for her at JFS, appreciates their decision. ‘They wanted me to have a more rounded social life and experience,’ says Lauren, 24, a former movement worker for
LJY-Netzer. Her strong Jewish identity was initially focused firmly on her family and its traditions. ‘I developed my own Jewish identity when I stumbled across LJY-Netzer’s Israel tour,’ she adds. ‘From then I explored my identity and developed it into something unique to me.’ One of the Liberal Judaism’s strongest critics of Jewish schools must be Rabbi Pete Tobias, of Elstree. He feels they inculcate a sense of superiority into their pupils, adding: ‘They present what I believe is an unbalanced view of the world and the place of a particular
Thomas Salamon says we have nothing to fear from Jewish schools, which prepare our children for life and encourage healthy integration I remember discussions when I had just about started my rabbinical career, whether to support an opening of a Progressive Jewish primary school. I am glad to say that Akiva was opened and has been a roaring success, not only in providing Jewish education, strengthening the Progressive movement but also giving our children an excellent education as well as the opportunity of mixing with others through interschool activities such as visits and sport, as well as being so open in its educational approach. I know because my son went there and from there he went to JFS. Here, there was a problem and a very sad one because some of his friends could not enter that school although they and their parents wished it. This may have meant that some of these children became disillusioned with Judaism, having learnt to love and care for it and then suddenly becoming the object of discrimination. Jewish schools prepare our children for life and even places like JFS do not, once pupils are part of it, discriminate or isolate. On the contrary, they encourage healthy integration into the real world, even if it is through and with other Jewish children. Sport and particularly football has been where the children were often meeting other children from other schools and here we have experienced antisemitism: quietly, some of the children from other schools were muttering words like ‘dirty Jews’. The JFS children gave as good as they got, however, standing up for themselves and for their faith and playing with an even greater zeal and enthusiasm, winning many trophies and accolades. I do not believe that our synagogues or movements should fear if our children go to Jewish schools; on the contrary they are the ones who can be, with the guidance of their rabbis and leadership, the future leaders, having a comprehensive knowledge of the Hebrew language, Jewish history and the idea of the importance of both universal and particular values. Jewish schools do not isolate. They do everything possible to integrate and teach why it is important to be Jewish as well as to play your part in the society in which you live.
Our religion schools should not worry if children who happen to be at Jewish schools are therefore unwilling to attend because they would learn nothing new from once-a-week Hebrew lessons; or from lessons about festivals, having already learnt about them on a more sophisticated level. Our religion schools may need to rethink their approach as to what to teach and how to attract these children, so that they attend the synagogues and take part in the social activities. Perhaps if all our children went to Jewish schools we could establish social gatherings where one could informally teach Jewish philosophy and theology, set up debating groups, and replace time spent on learning to read Hebrew with teaching spoken Ivrit. Instead of teaching the basics of Jewish festivals, we would talk about how we achieved and came to this time, through ancient and modern scholars. Judaism is so rich that we do not need to fear; and the world outside is so influential that we do not need to be afraid that our young people will be lost in it, just because they attended Jewish faith schools. We, as synagogues and as a movement, would simply need to become more creative. When Akiva started, it encountered a lot of opposition; today, having moved recently from single-form to two-form entry, it still has not got enough places to offer. The same will be the case with JCoSS, and with other Jewish schools that will be set up in the future. Progressive means being open, even when people think that it is in a closed environment. No one can today live in a closed environment and, believe me, even Mea Shearim in Jerusalem is not immune so, kal va-chomer, how much less we here in the United Kingdom. Whilst Jewish schools are not for everyone, and of course the choice is for each individual to make, I believe that with them we will have stronger and more knowledgeable leadership, more committed and enthusiastic young people, knowing whence they came and whither they are going.
‘Children who go to Jewish schools can be, with guidance, our future leaders’
Thomas Salamon is rabbi at Westminster Synagogue
EXPERIENCES OF JEWISH AND NON-JEWISH SCHOOLS religious philosophy in what is, for good or ill, a secular society.’ For those who do get as far as enrolling their children, there can be a very Jewish accompaniment – guilt. Anne Solomon sends her three girls to Simon Marks, a nominally orthodox Jewish primary in an inner-city borough, Hackney. A member of the North London Progressive community, she feels she has let her synagogue down: her children don’t attend its cheder, which sometimes struggles to attract pupils, but might have had they gone to a non-Jewish school. ‘I
worried about my synagogue,’ says Anne. ‘I felt guilty because people like me could have made more of a difference to it.’ Opting for the school, however, was fairly straightforward. ‘I realised [that otherwise] my daughters wouldn’t get enough of a Jewish identity to feel they would be contributing to a multicultural society.’ Jewish or not Jewish? That’s not the point, says Melissa Davies Oliveck, a member of Southgate Progressive. Of her decision to move her children midway through their primary years from a Jewish school to a non-faith one along
the road, she says: ‘I was thinking what’s best for their education.’ Both were state schools but Melissa felt that the non-Jewish one offered more, in terms of creativity, music and PE. Melissa’s elder child, Ella, however, has just finished her first year back in a Jewish school, JFS, for which Melissa has high praise. ‘The all-round education JFS offers is excellent,’ she says. One thing seems clear: the opportunity to choose a Jewish school is something many parents want. Beatrice Sayers
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Jewish Child, Jewish School?
September/October 2009
The first Progressive secondary Jonathan Fingerhut looks ahead to what the Jewish Community Secondary School, which opens its gates in east Barnet in 2010, will offer to its first 180 pupils Faith schools are not everybody’s cup of tea. We Liberal Jews angst endlessly, on the one hand about the need for our children to integrate fully into society and, on the other, for them to grow up with strong Jewish identities, able to defend Liberal Jewish values against those who would caricature our approach as ‘the soft option’. This ambivalence probably explains why Liberal Judaism is under-represented in Jewish schools. And yet, this should not be the case, as Liberal Judaism depends more than any other movement on education to encourage questioning of traditional approaches from a position of strength and knowledge, rather than ignorance and convenience. The trouble is that, until now, at least at secondary level, while Jewish schools may have been good at doing ‘the knowledge bit’ – and are widely perceived as providing an excellent general education – they have offered only an unquestioning, Orthodox Jewish outlook. JCoSS, the Jewish Community Secondary School, due to open in 2010, is different. It is genuinely cross-communal: it enjoys the formal backing of the Liberal, Masorti and Reform movements, has an Orthodox Jewish president in Gerald Ronson and a year ago appointed an outstanding, Orthodox head teacher, Jeremy Stowe-Lindner. What’s more, all Jewish traditions, from Orthodox to secular, are represented on the governing body, chaired by Mike Grabiner (a former chair of Reform Judaism) to ensure that JCoSS’s commitment to crosscommunalism is delivered in practice. JCoSS’s ethos welcomes on an equal basis all Jews, regardless of belief, background or abilities. This means that the admissions policy recognises as equally Jewish any child eligible for membership of any of the mainstream Jewish movements in the UK. This, of course, includes the Liberal Jewish definition of a Jew as having at least one Jewish parent of either sex where a child has been brought up as Jewish. But cross-communal values are about more than admissions policies: JCoSS aims to provide both the information that students need to understand their Judaism, combined with a critical, analytical approach in the true rabbinic tradition. It will encourage students to
Court ruling School admissions The successful appeal brought on behalf of a boy denied a place at JFS because his mother’s Orthodox conversion was declared invalid means that many Jewish schools are holding their breath before deciding how to redraft their admissions criteria. In its judgment in the case, in June, the Court of Appeal said it was illegal for Jewish schools to admit pupils on the basis of whether their mother was Jewish or not. The requirement that a child’s mother was Jewish ‘is a test of ethnicity, which contravenes the Race Relations Act 1976’, the appeal judges said. The House of Lords has agreed to hear an appeal from JFS against the Court of Appeal ruling. The governors of JFS are intent on trying to overturn the judgment in the next few weeks. But Sir Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, has made an apparent about-turn. Immediately after the ruling, he said it would ‘plunge all Jewish schools into learn not just about the community and its traditions, but to engage fully with the world beyond the school gates, so that, in the words of Stowe-Lindner, ‘students are as happy and confident in the lecture theatre as on the bimah’. While, in purely theoretical terms, many Liberal Jews might prefer that there were no faith schools, JCoSS addresses the concerns of actual parents who must find the right school for their child to be able to flourish, both academically and personally. JCoSS has already set itself the target of being in the top 10 per cent of schools in the country. Its first year of intake will have smaller than average class sizes, to help students settle into the new environment. It has a policy of first appointing heads of department, so that the school’s first 180 11- and 12-year-olds are taught by only the most senior, experienced teachers. The school offers facilities to match; it will be the most expensive state school of its size built in Britain, located on the edge of the greenbelt in east Barnet.
confusion, whichever section of the community they seek to serve’. He now suggests that entry criteria to Orthodox Jewish schools be changed to make them far more inclusive. Under his suggestion, schools would make no difference between Orthodox and Progressive families. None of this, however, is likely to cause much of a problem at Progressive institutions. The pluralist Jewish schools in this country – three primaries, Clore Shalom in Hertfordshire, Clore Tikva in Barkingside and Akiva in Finchley as well as the new JCoSS – are open to all Jewish children. Speaking for Liberal Judaism, the only denomination to welcome the Court of Appeal ruling, Rabbi Danny Rich has said: ‘Judaism is transmitted not by birth, but by identity and upbringing.’ He has always viewed as improper the idea that a state-funded school should decide its admissions based on the status of the child’s mother, and with reference to only one British Jewish religious authority.
Jewish schools attract so many parents not least becuase of their ethos, which brings discipline and an atmosphere conducive to learning; a love of Judaism in all its various incarnations; and, maybe uniquely at JCoSS, a readiness to play a full part in our multicultural society and become proud self-confident ambassadors for our faith in the world beyond.
To find out more about JCoSS, visit www. jcoss.org and register your interest. Then come to one of JCoSS’s open days, 2pm and 4pm, Sunday 13 September; repeated at 6.30pm on Thursday 1 October. Jonathan Fingerhut was the first chair of JCoSS and continues as a trustee. He is a member of The Liberal Jewish Synagogue What do you think of Jewish schools? Take part in a debate in LJ Today by emailing us with your experience and views: ljtoday@liberaljudaism.org
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September/October 2009
Maccabiah boys return with medals Two Liberal Jews who were final play-off, were presumably first-time members of Team more used to the heat. ‘I wish I GB at the Maccabiah Games could say it was a close match,’ came back from Israel with Sebastian says. ‘We got bowled medals. out for 110 and they made the Josh Grant, 17, from runs quite easily.’ Birmingham, won a bronze as Sebastian’s supportive a member of the three-man parents, Steven and Juliet, junior boys squash team and travelled to Israel to cheer him Sebastian Schusman, also 17, on. But parents can be more of The Liberal Synagogue embarrassing abroad than they Cricketer Sebastian Elstree, won a silver in the are at home. ‘Every time we Schusman (top) and cricket under-18s. squash player Josh Grant took a wicket, Mum went Sebastian, an all-rounder running round the pitch waving who plays for the first 11 at his two England flags,’ Sebastian school, Haberdashers’ Aske’s, recalls. enjoyed meeting other Jewish Josh Grant, who didn’t have cricketers from around the the problem of parents to deal country, who formed Team GB. with – though supportive, they The team had a number of stayed in the UK – felt sessions in the nets, but had ‘privileged’ to receive his medal. only played three matches Having been playing at together before the Maccabiah national level for five years, he Games. They played seven is no stranger to travelling to matches in total. matches, and is on the squash The team travelled across much of the court four or five times a week. When he country to play their games, including two heard last year about the Maccabiah, he matches in Be’er Sheva, in the Negev. ‘We jumped at the chance to take part. struggled quite a bit in the heat,’ He says he was impressed with the Sebastian says. ‘But then we acclimatised whole experience of the Maccabiah, and started playing better.’ particularly at meeting Noam Shalit, the South Africa, their opponents in the father of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad.
First to cross Britain in a rickshaw Lianna Hulbert, daughter of Bet Tikvah Synagogue rabbi David Hulbert, and her fiance, Simon Etkind, have successfully finished their cross-Britain journey in a cycle rickshaw. The ride is the longestever continuous ride on a cycle rickshaw. The pair pedalled 954 miles over a period of three weeks, taking a circuitous route from Land’s End to Lowestoft, raising nearly £2,000 for Action Village India. As well as online contributions (via www.rickshaw-odyssey.org), that sum includes the cash that well-wishers stuffed into their sweaty palms en route.
Rabbinic training Leo Baeck College has places available on its rabbinic programme from 2010. The programme, which includes an MA in Jewish Studies in partnership with King’s College London, leads to rabbinic ordination, s’michah, recognised worldwide. For an information pack, please contact the vice-principal, Rabbi Dr Michael Shire: 020 8349 5600 or info@lbc.ac.uk.
OBITUARIES Hans Seelig Hans Seelig, who died on 23 June aged 78, was a member of Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue for more than 40 years; its social secretary for decades; and vice-chairman for five years. Hans arrived in Sweden from Mannheim in Germany, where he lived, on a Kindertransport in 1939. His parents managed to retrieve him and brought him to England. Gifted in languages and music, he studied German and French at Oxford, where he also developed his talents as a composer. He became a languages teacher and later lecturer at what was to become Middlesex University. He was also an author, of German poetry, and editor.
Hans was active in the AJR (Association for Jewish Refugees) and was renowned for his cake and marmalade making. But what he might be remembered for most is as chairman of ‘Club 43’ a cultural association of former refugees from Germany, Jewish and non-Jewish, which meets in Belsize Park; it is is funded by the German Embassy in London. Hans was decorated by the German government for services to British-German relations.
Ida Skubiejska Ida Skubiejska, who died on 16 July aged 94, was a founder member of the Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community community and a member of the Liberal Jewish
Synagogue for all of her time in London. Born in Lower Silesia in Poland, her mother and father and a sister perished in Auschwitz; she lost 39 other members of her extended family to the Nazis. Ida is pictured, below left, on her 90th birthday.
Berta Freistadt Berta Freistadt, who died on 26 July, aged 67, was a long-standing member of Beit Klal Yisrael. A poet and writer of plays and stories, her warm heart had a streak of mischief and irreverence a mile wide. She gave much to BKY, writing and directing purimshpiels, arranging poetry events and organising ‘hidden talent’ evenings, a source of great delight to the community.
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September/October 2009
Spotlight on Brighton
LJY-Netzer is Liberal Judaism’s Zionist youth movement. It gives young people the opportunity to develop a strong Progressive Jewish identity whilst enjoying friendships and having fun. Visit www.ljynetzer.org
A synagogue by the sea – sounds idyllic Well, Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue ( BHPS) is certainly a fun and friendly community, which makes the most of its location: on many a summer’s evening, a group can be found drinking Pimm’s around a member’s beach hut; and, on Rosh Hashanah, those who wish to go paddling in the sea for Tashlich.
All ages bond round the Shabbat table
What are its values? The synagogue focuses on being modern and thoughtful. Its Hebrew name, Adat Shalom Ve’reiut (Congregation of Peace and Friendship) expresses the values by which the community hopes to live and to which it aspires. When are services held? Erev Shabbat services are held on the second, third, fourth and fifth Fridays of the month at 8pm and a chavurah (shared) supper at 7pm on the first Friday of the month. Shabbat morning services are held every Saturday at 11am, with a Chavurah lunch on the third Shabbat of the month. As well as services for the High Holy Days, a communal Seder is held for the first night of Pesach. Who is the rabbi? Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah has served the community for nearly nine years. Ordained in 1989, she previously served Buckhurst Hill Reform Synagogue. Rabbi Elizabeth contributes to the practical rabbinics programme at the Leo Baeck College and mentors three recently ordained rabbis. Her passions include classical Hebrew; biblical study; creating new midrashim, prayers and rituals; and
Left: religion school children take part in a model seder at the synagogue. Above: Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah
helping to build bridges between different faith and ethnic communities. Her booklet, Compelling Commitments: A New Approach to Living as a Liberal Jew, was published by Liberal Judaism in 2007. An active feminist for more than 30 years, she is also a writer. Her article ‘The Trouble with God’, published recently in the Jewish Chronicle, persuaded an unreconstructed agnostic at last to become a member. What is the membership like? There is a lively and growing membership of about 300. Artists and musicians pass through Brighton and dip into the community but its own membership is equally rich in talent. The synagogue has an increasing number of non-Jewish Friends, who support the synagogue’s work and pursue their interest in Jewish thought and ethics.
What else is going on locally? BHPS’s president, Ivor Miskin, helps to chair a Jewish Representative Council made up of all the groups in the local community. And Jewish groups in the region produce a monthly magazine, Sussex Jewish News, and a weekly online community bulletin. Has the congregation been around for long? It was founded in 1935.
From top left: the Matzoh Boys play klezmer at Chanukkah; Hans Levy and Tilly Kearey at a cabaret evening; the rabbi’s partner Jess Wood Sarah at Purim
Where is it located? One block north of Western Road, between Brighton and Hove; on the corner of Lansdowne Road with Farm Road. The synagogue is a 15-20 minute walk from both Hove and Brighton railway stations. Where do I find out more? Visit www.brightonandhoveprosynagogue. org.uk or telephone 01273 737223, 9am-1pm Monday to Thursday.
Adam Francies, 21, just back from having co-led Israel Tour, writes: Leading LJY-Netzer Israel Tour is something that I have wanted to do since I went on tour five years ago. It was my privilege to be a madrich (leader) on tour this summer. During the past month I have been touched by both the places I have visited, and the people I have spent time with. Israel, with its unique culture and landscape, is a special place to visit whatever the situation, but to do it within a group such as ours was truly awesome. I was given the advice before I left, ‘to inspire and be inspired’ and can only hope that I have achieved this. I hope the chanichim (participants) have come away feeling like I did five years ago; with a better understanding of the state of Israel, a stronger connection with the country, and an inspiration to continue within the LJY-Netzer family.
What education is on offer? Children can join Beit Lameid, the community’s religion school, at three years of age and continue to 15. Girls and boys are batmitzvah or barmitzvah at 13 and can then continue on to Kabbalat Torah at 15. Adult learning, led by Rabbi Sarah, includes daytime and evening Hebrew classes, an Access to Judaism class and other Shabbat study. What is on offer socially? An active group organises sing-a-longs, quizzes and other fun evenings. Less formally, groups of members ramble over the South Downs in the summer and eat strawberries together in July.
Inspirational
Participants from ages 8 to 23 at this summer’s Kadimah residential camp, in West Sussex
Machaneh Kadimah, LJY-Netzer’s annual sun-filled, fun-packed fortnight extravaganza, returned this year to Cottesmore School in West Sussex, and by general consent it was the best camp ever. OK, so we say that every year, but it really does keep improving. What makes Kadimah so special is the way that everyone from eight to 23 can sit around the same Shabbat table, play in the same massive water fight, sing until all their voices croak and enjoy having a great big family of other young Progressive Jews. The tsevet (staff) this year did themselves proud, running the most fantastic, creative, enjoyable and educational two weeks of activities, and as the chanichim (participants) went home on 9 August, every one had a huge smile, plenty of new friends, songs and ruach (spirit) and most of all memories of Kadimah
2009 that will last a lifetime. Highlights this year included a massive fair (in glorious Sussex sunshine) complete with a bouncy castle, a huge inflatable assault course and a chance for the chanichim to fight each other (safely!) in a Gladiators-style duel. We also had a foam party for Yamim and Chalutzim (the 14- and 15-year-olds), the most amazing birkat hamazon (grace after meals) on the Shabbat evening meal and a massive vegetarian BBQ following a teamsbased Kadimah Olympics. With 2012 just around the corner, we are confident that there will be LJY-Netzer representatives! Kadimah 2010 will again be taking place at Cottesmore school from 25 July to 8 August 2010, and applications are now open. Please get in contact with us in the office if you would like to find out more.
Shira and Robin join as LJY workers The dynamic duo of LJY-Netzer movement workers has now become a thrilling threesome as Shira Conradi and Robin Moss, both 22, join Ben Baginsky (pictured below left, with his new colleagues). Benjy Aarons-Richardson, who for the past year has been part of an inspiring, hardworking team, leaves for Australia. The recent graduates – Shira in media studies and Robin in physics and philosophy – look forward, with Ben, to ensuring LJY-Netzer is a place where children have fun building strong Jewish identities.
LJY-Netzer Contact Ben Baginsky, Shira Conradi or Robin Moss: 020 7631 0584 or office@ljynetzer.org
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Liberal Judaism congregations Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue (Rodef Shalom), 01234 218387; bedsps@liberaljudaism. org; www.bedfordshire-ps.org.uk Beit Klal Yisrael, PO Box 1828, London W10 5RT; 07505 477459, bky@liberaljudaism.org; www.bkylondon.org.uk Bet Tikvah Synagogue, 129 Perrymans Farm Road, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex IG2 7LX; 020 8554 9682, bttkv@liberaljudaism.org; www.bettikvah.org.uk Birmingham Progressive Synagogue 1 Roseland Way, Birmingham B15 1HD; 0121 634 3888; bps@liberaljudaism.org; www.bpsjudaism.com 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 43-45 Bannerman Road, Easton, Bristol BS5 0RR bwpjc@liberaljudaism.org, www.bwpjc.org Crawley Jewish Community, 01293 534294 Dublin Jewish Progressive Synagogue, PO Box 3059, Dublin 6, 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 Eastbourne Progressive Jewish Congregation 01323 725650; fax: 01323 417645 epjc@liberaljudaism.org; www.epjcong.org.uk Edinburgh Liberal Jewish Community 0131 777 8024; info@eljc.org; www.eljc.org Finchley Progressive Synagogue Hutton Grove, N12 8DR; 020 8446 4063; fps@liberaljudaism.org; www.fps.org Gloucestershire Liberal Jewish Community Enquiries: 01242 521468 or 01242 234232 Harrow and Wembley Progressive Synagogue 326 Preston Road, Harrow HA3 0QH; 020 8904 8581; hwps@liberaljudaism.org; www.hwps.org Herefordshire Jewish Community 01594 530721; hjc@liberaljudaism.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; www.klsonline.org Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation The Synagogue, 24 Avenue Road, LE2 3EA; 07875 123744; lpjc@liberaljudaism.org The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, 28 St John’s Wood Road, London NW8 7HA; 020 7286 5181; ljs@liberaljudaism.org; www.ljs.org
The Montagu Centre 21 Maple Street London, W1T 4BE Tel: 020 7580 1663 Fax: 020 7631 9838
www.liberaljudaism.org President The Baroness Neuberger DBE Chairman Nigel Cole Treasurer David Pelham Officers Simon Benscher, Leon Charikar, Amanda Grant, Lucian Hudson and Jackie Richards Vice-Presidents and Honorary Vice-Presidents David Amstell, Monique Blake, Henry Cohn, Geoffrey Davis, Stanley Fink, Jeromé Freedman, Louise Freedman, Rabbi Dr David Goldberg, Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein, Sharon Goldstein, Rabbi Harry Jacobi, Jeremy Jessel, Willie Kessler, David Lipman, Corinne Oppenheimer, David Pick, Rosita Rosenberg, Tony Sacker, Harold Sanderson, Beverley Taylor, Clive Winston Chairman of Rabbinic Conference Rabbi Pete Tobias Chief Executive Rabbi Danny Rich Internal Services Shelley Shocolinsky-Dwyer PR and Communications Alexandra Ben-Yehuda Education Sandra Kviat Interfaith Rabbi Mark Solomon LJY-Netzer Ben Baginsky, Shira Conradi, Robin Moss
LJ Today is edited by Beatrice Sayers Articles and letters are welcome. The deadline for the Nov/Dec 2009 issue is 2 October. Please email: ljtoday@liberaljudaism.org. Letters may be edited. Liberal Judaism is the dynamic, cutting edge of modern Judaism. It reverences Jewish tradition, seeking to preserve the values of the Judaism of the past while giving them contemporary force. Registered charity number 256390. Printed by Precision Printing. www.precisionprinting.co.uk
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 Manchester Liberal Jewish Community, 08709 917327; mljc@liberaljudaism.org; www.mljc.org.uk North London Progressive Jewish Community 020 7403 3779; nlpjc@liberaljudaism.org; www.nlpjc.org.uk Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, Oaklands Gate, Northwood, Middx HA6 3AA; 01923 822592, npls@liberaljudaism.org; www.npls.org.uk Nottingham Progressive Jewish Congregation Lloyd Street, Sherwood 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 Enquiries: 020 7631 9826 The Progressive Jewish Community of East Anglia (based in Norwich); www.pjcea.org.uk Reading Liberal Jewish Community www.rljc.org; 0118 375 3422; rljc@liberaljudaism.org South Bucks Jewish Community 0845 644 2370; 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 Liberal Synagogue, Marlborough Road, George Lane, London E18 1AR; 020 8989 7619; wps@liberaljudaism.org; www.woodfordliberal.org.uk
Associated congregations Beit Ha’Chidush, Postbus 14613, 1001 LC Amsterdam, Netherlands, 00 31 23 524 7204; info@beithachidush.nl, www.beithachidush.nl Oxford Liberal Jewish Services: 01865 515584 or 01865 765197; www.ojc-online.org
Developing communities The Suffolk Jewish Community 01473 250797; sjc@liberaljudaism.org
‘tent: the meeting place’ for young adults; Avivit Katzil: 07866 501787
Make a date ........... 30 September ‘tent’ 12-day trip to Argentina for young adults; a.katzil@liberaljudaism.org 1 October (starts) Torah L’Am (Torah For All) course at Northwood. 10am-noon, repeated 8-10pm; 1, 8, 15 & 22 Oct and 5 & 12 Nov. Led by Rabbi Hillel Athias-Robles. 01923 822592 21 October (Wed) ‘You Don’t Have to be a Writer’ Daytimers group workshop. Cost: £20. Details: 020 8504 3125; lina.fajerman@ntlworld.com 5-8 November ‘tent’ at young adults’ European seminar in Berlin a.katzil@liberaljudaism.org 14 November (Saturday) 80th Anniversary Service and induction of Rabbi Janet Darley, South London Liberal Synagogue (SLLS) 28 November (Saturday) Big Big Birthday Party at SLLS, 6.30pm. Tickets: 020 8769 4787 2 December (Wednesday) Living Well With Climate Change? ‘Green gurus’ debate also featuring Rabbi Janet Burden. At the LJS (St John’s Wood), 7 for 7.30pm, admission free. 2010 12-14 March Hebrew Crash Course at Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue 16-18 April Liberal Judaism’s Biennial Weekend at the Tortworth Court Hotel, Glos
Memorial services on two Sundays Liberal Judaism’s Annual Memorial Services are on 6 and 13 September. The service at Golders Green Crematorium, led by Rabbi Frank Hellner, is at 3pm on Sunday 6 September. The other services, on Sunday 13 September, start at 11am at Edgwarebury (led by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein); 1pm at Cheshunt (led by Rabbi Stephen Howard); and 3.30pm at Pound Lane (led by Rabbi Alexandra Wright).
FPJ fundraisers get a new chair FPJ (Friends of Progressive Judaism) has a new chair. After four years of dedicated effort, Jane Greenfield, of Southgate, handed over to Carol Roberts, of The Liberal Jewish Synagogue. The FPJ raises funds for communities in Israel, Europe and countries in the former Soviet Union. In Jane’s final report, she said she counted herself lucky to have made so many friends, many of them rabbis, and to have learnt so much from them. She will continue to be part of the committee.
Copenhagen rally On 5 December, two days before the start of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Liberal Judaism will be taking part in a rally in central London. A service will also be held. A Liberal Jewish group led by Rabbi Danny Rich and student rabbi Sandra Kviat will travel to Copenhagen (by train), to take part in the conference in a joint trip with Christian Aid. Participants hope to take part in Friday and Saturday prayer services with Shir Hatzafon – the Danish capital’s Progressive community – Chanukkah celebrations and a march through Copenhagen.
Happy chuppah David Pelham, treasurer to Liberal Judaism, and his wife Anne had a chuppah ceremony at Finchley. Rabbis Dr Andrew Goldstein, Neil Janes and Danny Rich took part in the service.