30 May 2018

There is just one month to go until Liberal Judaism’s flagship event – the Biennial Weekend.

Taking place from Friday June 29 until Sunday July 1, just outside of Birmingham, the Biennial promises to be a fantastic weekend of stimulating discussion, prayer and music. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Liberal Judaism: The Formula for Truly Progressive Judaism’.

We have some fantastic presenters joining us this year, including our two keynote speakers – Rabbi Danny Freelander and Gillian Merron.

Rabbi Danny Freelander is the president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ). He will pick up on the task he set at the recent WUPJ Conference, challenging us to continue evolving our global Judaism so it is truly liberal in all areas, from inclusivity to theology.

Gillian Merron is the chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and herself a Liberal Jew. She will be tackling contemporary issues facing Jews in Britain, including the disturbing rise in antisemitism and the recent #EnoughIsEnough campaign.

The conference will also host a range of fascinating speakers, including campaigner Barbara Winton, Liberal Judaism president Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein and our movement’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, making his return from sabbatical.

Another highlight will be the Biennial’s first ever track entirely dedicated to technology with sessions including ‘making hashtags count’, ‘Skyping the rabbi’ and ‘from the lightbulb to the launch’.

Aside from the sessions on offer, delegates will also take part in a Shabbat morning service with hundreds of other Liberal Jews, taken from the draft pages of our movement’s new prayer book and with the chance to feed back afterwards.

There is gorgeous food served three times a day, as well as refreshments on hand throughout the conference, and evening entertainment that will have something for everyone – from singing and dancing to the first ever Biennial Book Club.

The Biennial is an event for the whole family – with a fully staffed crèche for children under six, a full parallel youth programme run by LJY-Netzer and a special track for teenagers, which will see them attend relevant parts of the main conference with bespoke discussions afterwards.

There’s also the chance to bring your family recipes to be part of a Liberal Judaism cookbook and take part in our community project to put together a Periodic Table of Liberal Judaism congregations.

And if it all gets too much, you can always just relax at the bar or in the spa at our venue – the stylish and modern St Johns Hotel.