South Bucks Jewish Community celebrated Sukkot with a distinguished gathering of communal and interfaith friends in the grounds of St Peter’s Church.

Rabbi Neil Janes welcomed the guests into the shul’s sukkah and in his address paid tribute to a community united in solidarity and friendship and one that refuses to be silenced or pushed aside.

He said: “We live in a world where the Jewish community does not disclose details of its activities because of security concerns, concerns that we have seen are well founded. The anti-Jewish hate is real and pernicious and in too many places it is left to go unchallenged. And the polarisation between communities and the growth of hate is sometimes fanned by the political discourse.

“Today, this day, there is so much that we are thinking of with our Jewish festivals, the terrible events in Manchester, the possible return of hostages and a new horizon for a possible peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Sukkot is a time when we recognise that fragility of life is universal and just this week, we have seen the fear amongst our interfaith friends after several attacks on other places of worship including Mosques and Gurdwaras. Things feel tense for us all at this moment in life in Britain. So we ask ourselves, at a festival when we invite guests to share with us our holy time and space, what difference will we all make to create a world that is more kind and more peaceful?”

The morning was marked by a shared commitment to peace and was an important moment of civic and interfaith unity with a gathering of leaders and representatives. They included:

• Parliamentarians Emma Reynolds MP (Wycombe), Laura Kyrke Smith MP (Aylesbury), Sarah Green MP (Amersham and Chesham), and Greg Smith MP (Mid-Bucks).
• Local government represented by Steve Broadbent, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council.
• Progressive Judaism Co-Lead Rabbi Charley Baginsky.
• And faith leaders from across traditions.
  • Imam Monawar Hussain MBE, Founder of The Oxford Foundation
  • Dr Arshad Jarral, Chair of Slough Faiths Standing Together and Thames Valley East Masaajid Council
  • Revd Canon Rosie Harper, Chair of Bucks Faith Forum and Chaplain to the Bishop of Buckingham
  • Fr Doug Zimmerman, Rector of St Mary’s Aylesbury
  • Fr Stewart Owen, St Peter’s Church, Berkhamsted
  • And representatives of the Aylesbury Hindu Temple
• Community members were Julie Stewart and Arif Hussain, Chairs of Bucks Faith Forum, and Arabella Norton, Chair of Beyond Difference.
• Bill Moore, SACRE adviser, and Zeev Portner, Law lecturer at Buckinghamshire New University, who reinforced the area’s educational and civic presence.

The event was also supported by local police, who ensured a safe and welcoming environment for everyone.