4 March 2019 Rabbi David Hulbert, together with his wife Fiona, travelled west to visit the Herefordshire Jewish Community (HJC) and lead a special service on the 20th yahrzeit of Rabbi Bernard Hooker. Rabbi Hooker was an inspiration to the Herefordshire community in its early days so it was very … Read More
LJS members in bid to honour 13th century pioneer
14 February 2019 Two members of The Liberal Jewish Synagogue (LJS) are part of an exciting bid to erect a statue of Licoricia of Winchester and her son Asser in the centre of the city. Licoricia was England’s most prominent Jewish businesswomen in the 13th century. She was a pioneering … 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
Free oral history training for Lily’s Legacy volunteers starts in February
16 January 2019 Liberal Judaism has launched its latest ground-breaking oral history project Lily’s Legacy: The Radical History & Heritage of Liberal Judaism in Britain… and now we need your help! Over the next year, we will record the diverse voices of our movement and map the various existing heritage … Read More
New LJY-Netzer youth board formed at Veidah
8 January 2019 Members of Liberal Judaism’s youth movement, LJY-Netzer, have voted to form a new board at their annual decision making forum. LJY-Netzer Veidah takes place each January and sees participants, from school year 11 upwards, get together to decide on LJY-Netzer policy and ideology for the year ahead. … Read More