27 January 2020 More than 1,400 schoolchildren from Kingston-upon-Thames and Surrey have been attending workshops commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day throughout this month. The annual project, now in its 14th year, is run jointly by Kingston, Surbiton and District Synagogue (KSDS – part of the United Synagogue) and Kingston Liberal Synagogue … Read More
Local night shelter leader speaks at Kingston Liberal
20 January 2020 Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS) welcomed Sophie Mayor from The Haven – the area’s winter night shelter for the homeless – for a special service and talk. Sophie is the night shelter coordinator for the charity Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness, which runs The Haven during the winter … Read More
Interfaith hopes and challenges discussed in Kingston
8 December 2019 Award winning speakers Imam Mamadou Bocoum and Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg discussed Jewish/Muslim relations at an Interfaith event co-hosted by Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS) and Muslims Against Antisemitism (MAAS). The pair – who won the 2017 ‘No2H8 Crime’ awards for intercultural dialogue for their work speaking to audiences … Read More
Kingston Civic Service honours victims of the Holocaust
11 November 2019 Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS) were joined by local mayors, representatives of other faith communities and school teachers for their annual Civic Service. Falling on Remembrance Day weekend, the service remembered the two World Wars, the 81st anniversary of Kristallnacht and the 30th anniversary of the fall of … Read More
Online Education Hub course to examine Book of Numbers
24 October 2019 Liberal Judaism will be running a special online Education Hub course from 7 November until 5 December looking at the Book of Numbers. The course is being led by Rabbi Dr René Pfertzel. René is rabbi at Kingston Liberal Synagogue and has a strong academic background in … Read More
Israeli and Palestinian peace activists speak at KLS
2 October 2019 By Rebecca Singerman-Knight Around 100 people attended an event at Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS) to hear two peace activists – one Israeli and one Palestinian – speak about their hopes for reconciliation. The event was co-hosted with St Mary’s Church, Long Ditton and was attended by the … Read More
Emerging international leaders study at Kingston Liberal
16 July 2019 Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS) hosted a study session for 50 postgraduate students from 28 countries as part of the Emerging International Leaders Programme run by Cumberland Lodge. The programme aims to empower international students, who are currently studying in the UK, to become advocates of human rights … Read More
Syrian refugees enjoy Shabbat at Kingston Liberal Synagogue
18 June 2019 Syrian refugees spoke about their experiences of settling in England at a special Shabbat service at Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS). Journalist and Arabic teacher Hasnaa Omar left Syria in 2013 and arrived in London in 2016. She was subsequently able to bring her husband, an IT manager, … Read More
Kingston community garden named after much loved member
10 June 2019 The congregation at Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS) gathered together to formally open their new Kehillah (community) garden, which has been named after a much loved member. Annemarie Seelig was a refugee from Nazi Germany who arrived in the UK aged 17. She spent much of her adult … Read More
Kingston holds Ramadan Iftar for Muslim neighbours
15 May 2019 Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS) hosted an Iftar for members of the local Muslim community to break their fast during Ramadan. The event saw Jews and Muslims eating together and the Kingston members learning more about Ramadan, a month of reflection and prayer during which Muslims will fast … Read More