8 November 2016

Liberal Judaism’s newest community has been given its English name – East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue.

The community will officially form on January 1, 2017, after members of the area’s two current Liberal Judaism congregations – Bet Tikvah and Woodford Liberal Synagogues – voted overwhelmingly to unify at parallel EGMs in September.

A shortlist of names was drawn up following consultations with members during October, which took place over the Jewish High Holy Days and at a focus group meeting.

The new community’s interim council then unanimously agreed, at a meeting on October 31, that the English/legal name of the congregation will be East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue.

East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue will also take a Hebrew name and design a new logo, which will be determined at a later date.

The East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue interim council is made up of elected officers, some council members from the existing communities and Rabbis Richard Jacobi and David Hulbert. Its role is to oversee all activities necessary to complete the dissolution of the existing congregations and the creation of a new single community.

The interim council is supported by a number of working groups, made up from the membership of the new community, who are working on specific tasks.

Interim council co-chairs Bob Kamall and Shirley Forbes said: “We would like to thank all members for their excellent suggestions over the last month, which will now enable the team to proceed with the many and complex administrative steps which need to be completed in order for the new community to be ‘up and running’ by January 1.”

Rabbi Danny Rich, senior rabbi of Liberal Judaism, added: “There has been genuine excitement around the future of Liberal Judaism in East London and Essex, since Woodford and Bet Tikvah Synagogues voted to unite. We are now all very much looking forward to January 1 when this new welcoming, inclusive and modern community officially forms.”

East London & Essex Liberal Synagogue will be led by Rabbis Richard Jacobi and David Hulbert.