16 October 2017

Rabbi Dr René Pfertzel promised to bring his passion for Jewish tradition, interest in people and desire to teach and learn to Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS), as he was inducted as the community’s new rabbi.

Dignitaries at the special service included the Mayor of Elmbridge, Councillor Rachael Lake, and Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Julie Pickering (pictured above with René and KLS chair Craig Simmons).

Others in attendance included Kingston MP Sir Edward Davey, Reverends Amanda Beck, Andrew Cowie and Kuhan Satkunanayagan, teachers from local schools and Rabbis Danny Rich, Janet Darley, Rachel Benjamin and Shulamit Ambalu.

René comes from a Jewish family in Alsace, France, and now lives in England with his partner Graeme. He has previously worked at Finchley Progressive Synagogue, Wessex Liberal Synagogue and, and most recently, The Liberal Jewish Synagogue. He has also been involved in several Progressive Jewish communities in France.

He said: “I am very happy to be coming to Kingston, a long-established community, which has been led by amazing rabbis, and with an enormous potential for growth and depth.”

Previous rabbis who have served KLS include Rabbi Danny Rich, now senior rabbi of Liberal Judaism, and Rabbi Charley Baginsky, now Liberal Judaism’s director of strategy and partnerships.