Rabbi Pete Tobias reveals what awaits us in April at Liberal Judaism’s 2012 Biennial Conference

What was it like to be standing at turning points in Jewish history? To have listened to the speeches of Jeremiah, predicting the Babylonians’ assault on the walls of Jerusalem? To have heard him plead with those being taken into exile not to forget their heritage and their God? To have seen the walls of the Temple consumed by flames?

What if we had witnessed the full horror of Roman military might and brutality turned against that same city several centuries later? To have studied at the academy established by Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai who, having escaped from the ruins of Jerusalem, ensured the continuity of the Jews’ relationship with God and the Torah?

What might our attitude to our heritage be had we lived through the torment of the Crusades, which ripped the heart out of Europe’s medieval Jewish communities and filled them with terror? Or if we had dwelt in southern Spain experiencing Jewry’s ‘Golden Age’ of poetry and philosophy, of political and social achievement, only to suffer the horrors of the Inquisition?

How might our Jewish lives have been had we lived at the start of the 19th century in a city like Berlin or Prague, enjoying the opportunities offered to us by the Emancipation, the granting of freedoms that enabled us to bring our Judaism out of the ghettoes and shtetls and allow it to mingle with, influence and benefit from the wisdom of the Enlightenment?

And there are so many other critical moments in the history of Judaism, such as its story of survival against all odds in so many troubled places, and its triumphs and successes in countless others. How might it have felt to have read newspaper reports of the first Jewish Member of Parliament being elected and allowed to take his seat, to have been present when the full horrors of Auschwitz were being realised, when the Israeli flag was first raised in the new State or when the first female rabbi in this country was ordained?

At Liberal Judaism’s 2012 Biennial Weekend – which takes place on April 20-22 at Tortworth Court Hotel, Bristol – all these historic moments will be considered, the experiences of those who went through them relived and the consequences and effects of them on us discussed and evaluated.

We too are living at a critical moment in Jewish history, as members of a global society that is crying out for a religious voice – a prophetic vision. Perhaps, in the future, the Liberal Judaism that emerged in the second decade of the 21st century will come to be seen as a pivotal moment in the ever-unfolding story of our ancient heritage, with its unique ability to reinvent itself ever anew.

We too are standing at a turning point in Jewish history. Come to the 2012 Biennial Weekend in April to explore those past turning points and be ready to make your contribution to this one. Further details are below – and there’s a special early-bird discount for those booking before the end of January. Can you afford not to be there?

Biennial Weekend booking details:

If you are planning on coming to the Liberal Judaism Biennial Weekend 2012, then make sure to buy your tickets now for an exclusive discount. We’ve frozen the early-bird rate from 2010, meaning that anyone who books before January 31 will pay £295, a saving of £55. This price includes two nights’ full board accommodation and all materials. The price for children up to five sharing with their parents is £50, and £80 for those over five.

When booking your place, there is an option to pay by instalments. Some financial assistance is available for those who would like to attend but are concerned about the cost.  To register and pay online, please click here.

For further information contact Yael on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or go to www.liberaljudaism.org/biennial