Liberal and Reform joint Young Adults Seder West London Synagogue played host to 70 students and young adults from Liberal Judaism, RSGB and UJS-Hillel as they came together for a second night Seder.

Led by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein (Outreach Director of Liberal Judaism), Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner (North Western Reform Synagogue  A-List ) and Mike Grabiner (Treasurer of RSGB), the Seder was a mix of the new and the old. 

Rabbi Aaron Goldstein said:  It was wonderful celebrating Pesach with friends both new and old; Laura and I hope that this will be the first of many joint projects between Liberal Judaism and RSGB. What made it even more special was the fact that, with the help of Anti-Slavery International, we were able to bring the story of the exodus from Egypt completely up to date .

Rabbi Janner-Klausner said:  It was a fabulous evening, full of songs, readings, delightful food and conversation. We are now looking forward to our next joint event - Tikkun Leil Shavuot, our 'One Night Stand', on June 12th at Alyth Gardens LIBERAL JUDAISM ENCOURAGES INTER-FAITH COMMUNICATION

Liberal Judaism’s informal young adult community addressed by Imam
Contact: Cara Wides - 020 7631 9831

- c.wides@liberaljudaism.org

Last Friday night was slightly different from usual for the members of tent: the meeting place - Liberal Judaism’s informal community for young adults. The monthly service was enriched by the presence of Imam Shahid Hussain of the Muslim Community and Rabbi Danny Rich of Kingston Liberal Synagogue, who have developed a very strong relationship through their inter-faith work in South London as members of The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Inter-Faith Forum.

Over 50 people attended the evening which included a service, in which both Rabbi Rich and Imam Hussain participated, and a discussion, during which the speakers responded to a number of very probing questions. Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, the founder of the tent idea, was delighted with the evening.

“It is truly wonderful that Jews and Muslims can engage in friendly and intellectual discussion together. This is the message that should be promoted, that Jews, Muslims, Christians and all those of other faiths can work, live and socialise together in a spirit of community and respect.”

Imam Hussain agreed with the sentiments expressed by Rabbi Goldstein and added that in attending the service he felt that he was “amongst family”.

Liberal Judaism is delighted to be involved in inter-faith work. This commitment is a principal tenet of the movement, and will continue to grow in the years to come.

Notes:
'tent' is…an informal community that provides an innovative approach to exploring and expressing Jewish Identity. 'tent' is fully inclusive and welcomes all Jews and their friends to events that reflect the many ways in which Jewish Identity can be expressed in a modern society, outside of the four walls of a synagogue or as a complement to synagogue membership. 'tent' aims to attract unaffiliated Jews and to sensitise them to the issues of community and when appropriate, to help them find their place within our congregations.

'tent' is…run by young. It is a non-judgmental group i.e. we do not care about 'good' and 'bad' Jews, just Jews and their friends. We therefore do things differently, in a way in which we believe is appropriate to a generation that has largely been absent from our congregations. To this end, we purposely do not give an age group or description such as 'singles or couples,' in our publicity. We want people to define themselves and their Judaism.
tent: the meeting place' is…a Friday night experience like no other: a fully participative, candle-lit spiritual experience complete with a mix of modern and more traditional music, open discussion and explanation of aspects of Jewish worship. Afterwards, we socialise in a local pub or restaurant. Our average attendance is around 50 and average age around 30, although we have welcomed those from 18 to late 40's and encourage anyone for whom 'tent' is relevant. We meet at 7pm every second Friday of the month at 21 Maple Street.