8 June 2015

Gloucestershire Liberal Jewish Community (GLJC) has won the prestigious Liberal Academy of Film & Torah Awards (LAFTAs).

The cheder/religion school of every Liberal community was tasked with producing a three-minute film on the theme ‘A Day in the Life of Israel’.

GLJC fought off stiff competition to win the prize of a trophy and £50 for the religion school, which was awarded at the recent Liberal Judaism Day of Celebration by chairman Lucian J Hudson and Rabbi Sandra Kviat (pictured).

GLJC’s Rabbi Anna Gerrard said: “I am enormously proud of the young people of Gloucestershire and excited that we won this year’s LAFTAs. Our Hineinu youth group came up with the concept and the whole cheder took part. A special thank you has to go to Ollie Angell, aged 12, who filmed, edited and produced the whole thing!”

The LAFTAs occur biennially in order to showcase the work of chedarim at Liberal communities around the country.

This year’s judging panel was Liberal Judaism vice president Sharon Goldstein, officer Robin Moss, operations director Shelley Shocolinsky-Dwyer, LJY-Netzer movement worker Tamara Silver, LAFTAs creator Sam Grant and Rabbi Alexandra Wright, senior rabbi of The Liberal Jewish Synagogue.

Liberal Judaism would like to thank the many rabbis, teachers, parents and children who took part in this year’s competition.