26 November 2019
Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi

The new Liberal Judaism Kabbalat Torah programme ‘Judaism In Plain Sight’ launched with a weekend sleepover in Birmingham.

Ten teenagers from our Birmingham, Kingston, Nottingham and York congregations came together to welcome Shabbat together and spend the weekend thinking about what Judaism has to do with the wider world.

On Friday night, Tom Smith from LJY-Netzer helped participants think about what Judaism had to do with social action and social justice, and what the difference was between the two.

The following day, after a service led by participants, we talked about what changes we might want to make in the world and how we might want to achieve them. Issues included antisemitism in schools and votes for sixteen-year-olds.

In the afternoon, we went into Birmingham city centre. We stopped at the new Birmingham Library to enjoy the views over the city, then visited the Faith Gallery at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (pictured) where we looked at what different faiths had to say about caring for others. We were delighted so see that the exhibition contains a tzedakah box belonging to a member of LJY.

On our return, we talked more about what we had seen and what we could do, before enjoying a pizza supper and relaxing by watching a film. Before we left next morning, we spent some time discussing the weekend and future plans before saying goodbye till next time.

The next event is a visit behind the scenes at the Natural History Museum on Sunday 12 January to see what Judaism has to do with natural history and evolution. We are privileged to have Professor Adrian Lister, from Finchley Progressive Synagogue, to lead us.

It is not too late to join the programme. You can sign up on www.bit.ly/LJKTProgramme2020. Future events include a look at alternative food, in preparation for Tu Bishvat, on 9 February and a weekend in Nottingham and York or Lincoln, looking at historic Jewish communities and life in the regions, on 14-17 May.