24 January 2013
www.bbc.co.uk

MPs are set to get their first chance to vote on plans to allow same-sex marriages in England and Wales.

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill will be debated in Parliament on Tuesday 5 February, the leader of the Commons Andrew Lansley has announced.

The bill will allow same-sex marriage and let religious organisations which want to, to offer them, the culture department says.

The plans have divided the Conservative Party - its MPs will get a free vote.

Labour and the Lib Dems back the proposals to legalise same-sex marriage, but Labour said the exemption for the established Church was "disappointing".

The Church of England and Roman Catholics, among other denominations, have voiced opposition to the plans and are expected to oppose the bill, even with its caveats.

But some religious groups, including Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Judaism, are in favour.  Read more

www.pinknews.co.uk
25 January 2013

Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, the co-chair of the Rabbinic Conference of Liberal Judaism says that he looks forward to being able to marry couples whether they are same-sex or opposite sex. He urges for common sense in the passing of the Marriage (Same-sex couples) Bill.

This past year, I have officiated at around a dozen weddings. Some were a chuppah – the wedding canopy under which two Jews are married. Under English Law, my Synagogue is registered to perform the Jewish, religious wedding and the Civil wedding as one. I have also performed a number of mixed faith blessings where I and my Synagogue are not permitted under English Law to act as the Civil Registrar. In these cases, the couple must be married in a Civil Ceremony by a local Registrar before I will ask God to bless their marriage.  Read more 

Liberal Judaism is urging all its members to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register or give blood in order to help save lives.

The cause has been highlighted in the Jewish community this week after the launch of the #Spit4Mum Twitter campaign looking for bone marrow donors to help Sharon Berger.

Sharon’s son Jonni sent a moving email to different parts of the community, including Liberal Judaism, urging everyone to help.

He wrote: “I need your help for my mum and others like her in need of a bone marrow transplant. Anything you can do will really be appreciated.

“My mum has this week started chemotherapy treatment for a leukaemia condition in order to prepare her body for a bone marrow transplant in 6 weeks’ time, although all international registries are being searched, unfortunately we do not currently have a match, it really is a race against time.

“Hopefully through the power of our own networks the numbers of people on the register will be able to be increased quickly and help the many people in the world in need of an urgent transplant be it my mum Sharon, someone else's mum, mother-in-law, aunt, daughter, grandmother, wife, relative, friend or even a stranger.”

There are many things you can do to help, including:

If you are 16-30 and not on the Anthony Nolan stem cell register, consider requesting a spit kit in order to send a sample of saliva in the post - it only takes a few minutes to do. More details can be found at http://is.gd/Spit4Mum

If you are 31-50 and able to give blood, please consider going to a blood donor centre or a local donor session and asking to have your stem cells screened at the same time. More details can be found at http://is.gd/Donate4Mum

If you are already on the register then please make sure your details are up to date, if you can't be found, you can't be a lifesaver. Find out more from http://is.gd/Update4Mum

If you are expecting a baby then consider donating your cord blood at birth. There is more information at http://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/cordblood/

If you’re not in these age ranges then you can still help by forwarding this information on to as many people as you can, be they family members, friends, colleagues or clients. You can get more information via http://is.gd/Spit4Mum

8 January 2013

Liberal Judaism is now offering woodland burials. From today, these can take place at Cheshunt Cemetery with negotiations continuing to also offer them at Edgwarebury Cemetery.

Although some of the details are still to be finalised, Liberal Judaism members wishing a woodland burial will be able to do so via the existing Liberal Judaism funeral scheme.

Because woodland burials require more land than traditional interment – due to tree root and tree spread – a woodland burial levy will be made: in 2013 this will be £1,600.

Because those who opt for woodland burial usually do so for environmental reasons, the charge will often work out less than for a typical tombstone.

Liberal Judaism chief executive Rabbi Danny Rich said: “Woodland burial has been on my agenda for some time. It is one aspect of the Liberal Judaism environmental agenda.

“The details have been complex but we are now there and are able to offer choice – a Liberal Judaism mantra – in death as well as in life.”