21 March 2016
Pictures by Phil Stone

A class of 11 teenagers celebrated their Kabbalat Torah at Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue (NPLS) this Shabbat.

The youth – three of whom are fourth generation Liberal Jews – took part in the Kabbalat Torah ceremony, which was the culmination of a programme of study and participation in the religious and cultural life of their community and beyond.

Northwood’s Rabbi Aaron Goldstein said: “Kabbalat Torah is about celebrating the strength of Jewish identify and continuity. I was so proud of this class, which contains future mathematicians, artists, musicians and performing artists, lay leaders and even a dark horse for the rabbinate.”

Rabbi Lea Mühlstein added: “Our fabulous KT2016 class made me and Rabbi Aaron so happy. I would also like to thank the amazing Leo Baeck College rabbinic students, Elliott Karstadt and Anna Posner, for inspiring the class to be that great.”

Kabbalat Torah is a long-established part of the Liberal Jewish lifecycle. It takes place around the age of 15, when it is felt students are able to have a more mature and personal understanding of Jewish values and are able to affirm their commitment to Judaism as a consequence of a personal decision.

The programme leading up to the final service encourages students to think about issues in their lives and in society as a whole, through the lens of Jewish tradition and Liberal Jewish values.