20 April 2016
The Jewish News

The heads of Liberal and Reform Judaism in the UK have told progressive European Jews that their formula for Jewish life acts as a “magnet” for couples, families and unaffiliated Jews.

Liberal Judaism’s chief executive Rabbi Danny Rich and Senior Reform Rabbi Laura-Janner Klausner were speaking at the weekend during the four-day Biennial Conference of the European Union for Progressive Judaism (EUPJ) in London, where 29 countries were represented.

“Now, more than ever, each of us holds multiple identities: English, British, European, Jewish, Liberal Jewish, and so on,” said Rich. “If Progressive Judaism in Europe is to have a bold future, it will need to accommodate itself to an even more complex array of identities which will make up the modern European Jew.”

Janner-Klausner added “Our inclusive and innovative formula for Jewish life is a magnet for young families, mixed couples and previously unaffiliated Jews. We need to show off. We need to show who we are and why we love our Progressive Judaism using that famous Jewish skill – chutzpah.”

The conference heard delegates call on Europe’s leaders to work together to solve the refugee crisis and on the Israeli government to implement recommendations from a task force, delivered in January, on practices at the Western Wall which would allow women and men to pray together.