12 February 2019 London Mayor Sadiq Khan joined Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, officer Jane Drapkin and social justice worker Charlotte Fischer (not pictured) to speak about our movement’s social action. The Mayor stopped by to chat while the three were at City Hall discussing Liberal Judaism’s community … Read More
Northwood’s Memory Matters wins major care award
5 February 2019 Memory Matters – the club run by Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue (NPLS) for people suffering from memory loss and associated difficulties – has won a major award from Jewish Care. NPLS was named the ‘Outside Organisation That Makes a Significant Contribution to Jewish Care’ at the … Read More
Righteous gentiles
Originally written for the Birmingham Jewish Newsletter This week’s sidra is named after Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. It begins with Jethro advising Moses on how to set up a system of courts of law so that the people do not have to stand all day waiting for Moses to … Read More
[Sermon] Antisemitism and the Chosen People
Tevye the milkman, in Fiddler on the Roof, said, “I know, I know. We are Your chosen people. But once in a while, can’t You choose someone else?” It is not easy to be God’s chosen people, as we are especially aware as we commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day this … Read More
[Speech] Never again!
Originally given at Brighton Holocaust Memorial Day Public Meeting Good evening, everyone. The theme of this year’s National Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations is ‘Torn From Home’. We are painfully aware that hundreds of thousands of people across the world are torn from their homes each year and find … Read More
Why ‘Torn from Home’ theme for Holocaust Memorial Day resonates
Originally published by The Comet newspaper Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is commemorated annually on January 27 and, each year, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust offers a theme to direct our minds to some aspect of the Holocaust or the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Dafur. This … Read More
Discover the fascinating story of world’s first female rabbi
29 January 2019 Rabbi Regina Jonas will be the subject in the first of a new series of Shabbat talks at West Central Liberal Synagogue (WCLS). Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, will lead the lunch time session and tell the story of the Berlin-born Jewish scholar who became … Read More
[Blog] New Ways to Remember the Shoah
Having read of a survey that shows an increasing number of people in this country either know nothing about the Shoah or doubt it even happened we know why ever more effort needs to be made to keep alive the memory of this tragedy and the lessons it might teach … 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
[Report] Liberal Judaism Shabbat is a huge success
24 January 2019 Liberal Judaism communities across the UK celebrated Liberal Judaism Shabbat, as rabbis swapped pulpits for the weekend. Timed to coincide with the yahrzeit of Lily Montagu, one of our movement’s founders, many of the country’s most senior rabbis took part. Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, … Read More