By Rabbi Charley Baginsky
CEO of Liberal Judaism
On 19 and 20 June 2022, Liberal Judaism is aiming to raise £500,000 so that we can continue to ensure that everyone has a home for their Jewish story – and we need your help!
Recent times, especially the last two years, have shown more than ever that there is both an existing and a growing need for Liberal Judaism.
We must now continue to improve the experience for our members, while also growing to meet this new need – throwing open our doors to an even wider audience who want to access Jewish life.
If Liberal Judaism has meant something to you and you want to ensure that the generations that follow also have a Judaism that is their home, then become an LJ Ambassador and help us reach our ambitious fundraising target.
LJ Ambassadors are those who will help us. They are those with a great story to tell. They are those who can encourage and enthuse their friends and family, members of their communities and even their neighbours to donate to this fundraising campaign.
Many individuals have asked me how they, as just one person, can be of help; or told me they are worried they don’t know what to say when asking for money.
That’s why we’ve created a bespoke website – www.bringingjudaismhome.org – where you can sign up to become one of our Liberal Judaism Ambassadors, either on your own or as part of a team with your friends, family or community.
You will then be given your own campaign page, where you can write a few words about your story and why Liberal Judaism matters to you. We will provide you with all the information you need to build and personalise this page. Whether it’s making videos, taking photos and/or writing your story, we’re here to help. You are not on your own.
There is no pressure as to how much money you raise, lots of small donations can make a big difference to our work.
Best of all, every pound that you raise through your network of contacts, family, and friends will be matched. This means that each person who makes a donation through your campaign page will see it doubled – or more if they are also able to add Gift Aid.
Here are just a few of things that the money you raise will be spent on.
Rooted and Responsive: To support, sustain and develop Liberal Jewish ritual and practice throughout the lifecycle. Even small amounts of money will help us reinvigorate our Bnei-Mitzvah and Kabbalat Torah programming, particularly for those communities without full time rabbinic support, ensure all woodland burials are supported with prayer resources and provide non-Jewish care homes with the tools to cater for their Jewish residents.
Inclusive and Diverse: To bolster the central tenets of Liberal Judaism of inclusion, diversity and a focus on ‘disagreeing well’. If we raise £70,000, we could create a new Liberal Judaism social justice department to deliver centralised resourced projects and support communities in actioning their own commitment to these goals.
Collaborative and Effective: To nurture and create collaborative communities. Just £5,000 would provide the seed money for smaller communities to work on projects that can benefit each other.
Proud and Joyful: To create future generations of proud and confident Liberal Jews. Raising £1,000 would send one child on LJY-Netzer’s Kadimah summer camp, but £10,000 would open the doors to a whole new cohort. If we raise £100,000, that would ensure we can provide a Progressive Jewish Chaplain in universities for the next three years.
Meaningful and Accessible: To ensure that all those who seek the spiritual possibilities of Judaism have an accessible pathway into learning and community. We need to create a new online hub for Liberal Judaism that supports communities and individuals with resources, music and learning. The new space would be responsive, innovative and dynamic, bringing together our communities but also reaching out to all those looking to come home to Liberal Judaism. Raising £200,000 would see this transformation of Liberal Judaism and allow us to take the leap into the next phase of our existence as an essential part of the Jewish world.
Please go ahead and sign up today at www.bringingjudaismhome.org – and together we can bring Judaism home.