Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah 31 March 2018 It’s Pesach, when we eat matzah, the unleavened bread that simultaneously expresses our slave ancestors’ hasty departure from Egypt – their dough having no time to rise1 – and the ‘affliction’ they endured in ‘the house of bondage’. As we read in Aramaic … Read More
[Blog] Celebrating diversity in LGBT History Month – a personal perspective
Karen Newman 23 February 2018 Board of Deputies website I joined the Jewish Gay and Lesbian Group (now Jewish LGBT+ Group) in 1999. I was reasonably secure in both identities, although I had never felt the need to manifest both in the same nano-second – I joined together with my … Read More
Four communities unite for unique Kabbalat Torah trip
31 January 2018 Twenty seven young people, three rabbis, two LJY-Netzer movement workers and a community worker – representing four different Liberal communities – visited three parts of the Midlands over one weekend. The Kabbalat Torah students from Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue, Birmingham Progressive Synagogue, Finchley Progressive Synagogue and … Read More
Join LJY-Netzer Kayitz Perach Europe Tour
25 January 2018 Applications are now open for LJY-Netzer Kayitz Perach, a tour created for young people in School Year 12 to travel around Europe learning and experiencing the Jewish Diaspora story. A great chance to have fun with friends in three different countries, the tour runs from Tuesday 31 … Read More
[Sermon] What’s in a Name and a Date? National Holocaust Memorial Day and Remembrance of the Sho’ah
Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah 17 January 2018 Today is rather complex. We are celebrating Shabbat, our weekly opportunity for rest and renewal. It is also National Holocaust Memorial Day, the day set aside by the British government since the millennium for remembrance of the Holocaust, and for educational activities about … Read More
Essex community says goodbye to Perryman’s Farm Road
9 January 2018 An iconic Liberal synagogue building has held its last services, as members of East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue (ELELS) paid a fond farewell to Perryman’s Farm Road in Redbridge. The building was formerly the home of Bet Tikvah Synagogue, which united with Woodford Liberal Synagogue last … Read More
Northwood full for Balfour centenary event
7 November 2017 More than 150 people attended a special event to celebrate the centenary of the Balfour Declaration at Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue (NPLS). Hosted by Arzenu UK (formerly Pro-Zion) and the Alliance of Progressive Judaism’s Israel Desk it featured Matthew Gould, Britain’s former ambassador to Israel, in … Read More
Judge Rinder praises ‘heroic’ Progressive movements
2 November 2017 TV star and barrister Robert Rinder has heralded the ‘heroic’ achievements of Liberal and Reform Judaism on LGBTQI+ rights. Speaking at a Service of Celebration, at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, ITV’s Judge Rinder said that the Progressive movements had “paved the way for a new generation who … Read More
Join Judge Rinder at Service of Celebration this Sunday
A special afternoon of celebration and reflection will take place at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, St John’s Wood, this Sunday (29 October) to mark the 50th anniversary of the partial legalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales. A Service of Celebration, led by Liberal and Reform Judaism rabbis, will … Read More
[Blog] A window into the wonderful world of Kadimah
Robin Moss, Liberal Judaism Officer for Youth and Education 25 August 2017 I’ve just spent the weekend on Machaneh Kadimah, LJY-Netzer’s summer camp, now in its 70th year. Celebrating this special anniversary, this year’s Kadimah featured the largest gathering of young Liberal Jews in recent memory. While professionally, as Head … Read More