By Joe Seager Joyce Rothschild, Birmingham Progressive Synagogue’s award-winning charity fundraiser, has given Macmillan Cancer Support a massive financial boost. Proceeds from the annual quiz she launched 24 years ago have now climbed beyond the £200,000 mark – a monumental milestone. Joyce, 65, began fundraising after recovering from an aggressive … Read More
Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi celebrates second batmitzvah
Birmingham Progressive Synagogue (BPS) held a special service to mark 50 years since the batmitzvah of Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi. Margaret read her original Torah portion again, as well as the sermon that her rabbinic mentor Rabbi John Rayner had given on that occasion. The service was a double special … Read More
Join Joyce’s quiz to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support
By Joe Seager Birmingham Progressive Synagogue (BPS) member Joyce Rothschild has paved the way for another of her trail-blazing drives to give Macmillan Cancer Support a massive financial boost. So light up your time in lockdown by taking part in the legendary quiz Joyce launched 24 years ago to show … Read More
Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi featured in Southbank exhibition
A portrait of Liberal Judaism’s Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi is being featured as part of the Everyday Heroes exhibition at the Southbank Centre. Everyday Heroes is an outdoor exhibition celebrating the contributions that key workers and frontline staff have made during the pandemic. It contains artworks and poems by 21 … Read More
Kabbalat Torah programme launches with weekend sleepover
26 November 2019 Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi The new Liberal Judaism Kabbalat Torah programme ‘Judaism In Plain Sight’ launched with a weekend sleepover in Birmingham. Ten teenagers from our Birmingham, Kingston, Nottingham and York congregations came together to welcome Shabbat together and spend the weekend thinking about what Judaism has … Read More
Birmingham Progressive members on BBC Radio 4
27 September 2019 Members of Birmingham Progressive Synagogue, including Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi, appeared on a BBC Radio 4 programme titled ‘The Syrians and the Kindertransport’ in which new and old refugees in the city met and compared experiences. Margaret was interviewed during the show about her campaigning work with … Read More
A tribute to Rabbi Harry Jacobi z”l
25 April 2019 Tributes from all over the Jewish community, and beyond, have poured in for Liberal Judaism vice president Rabbi Harry Jacobi MBE – who passed away peacefully on Wednesday morning, aged 93. In the words of his children, Harry “was clear-minded to the end and faced this head-on, … Read More
Jewish and Muslim women unite as #ActiveAllies against hate
10 April 2019 A number of Liberal Jews, including Rabbi Janet Burden of Ealing Liberal Synagogue, took part in the annual conference held by Jewish/Muslim women’s network Nisa-Nashim on Sunday – where they made a commitment to take firm and united action against antisemitism and Islamophobia. The 250 delegates – … Read More
Rabbi’s Guardian letter highlights our Liberal Jewish values
9 April 2019 Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi has made a strong stand for our Liberal Jewish values on equality and openness in a joint letter to the Guardian with Methodist minister Deacon Ruth Yorke. Margaret, who is rabbi at Birmingham Progressive Synagogue, joined with nearby Christian minister Ruth in penning … Read More
Kabbalat Torah classes unite for inspiring weekend
24 January 2019 Ben Combe Is it possible to get 43 teenagers to learn about Jewish theology, grow as young people and bond as a community, all in just under 36 hours? As we learned on the Kabbalat Torah weekend at Finchley Progressive Synagogue, the answer is a resounding yes. … Read More