By Simon Rothstein
Progressive Judaism Head of Communications
SimonR@progressivejudaism.org.uk

I have spent 14 years working in communications in the Progressive Jewish world – 12 for Liberal Judaism and the last two across both the Reform and Liberal movements – but it was a piece of comms I personally had nothing to do with that has stuck with me the most.

Sitting down to watch the programme Growing Up Jewish on BBC One, most would have expected the usual British media approach of a focus on Orthodox practices with maybe a Progressive footnote at the end.

Instead, two of the four families featured preparing for Bnei Mitzvah were not only Progressive – both members of Finchley Reform Synagogue – but a representation of our modern Jewish lives.

Like many of us, Eve (pictured above with her mum and Cantor Zoe Jacobs) is part of a mixed faith family. Her mother describes herself as a secular Jew and her father is an atheist. They became members of FRS after Eve made the decision to have a Bat Mitzvah and wanted to create a ceremony that would both connect with her heritage and share her Jewish identity with non-Jewish relatives.

Dylan and his family moved to FRS from an Orthodox congregation, because they felt the approach and values of Progressive Judaism were more in line with their own beliefs and so that both parents could both stand alongside Dylan on the bimah. Dylan chose to have an ‘alternative’ celebration so he could show his friends how wonderful the Progressive approach can be.

For those in our Progressive community watching, it was a powerful moment seeing our Judaism truly represented on British TV.

For those outside, it may well have been an introduction to a Judaism they didn’t know existed.

One of the many compelling reasons for creating one new movement to represent all of Britain’s Progressive Jews is that this type of representation matters.

Being two smaller, but almost identical, denominations means that many don’t know about us, and that even those who do still see Orthodoxy as the normative and “real” Judaism.

It is only by becoming a bigger bolder movement that we can fully realise our potential.

The challenge we face

As Progressive Jews, we are rightly proud of our radical traditions, values and practices – but there’s nothing radical if people don’t know we exist.

This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Britain’s first female rabbi, Rabbi Dr Jackie Tabick.

Yet Rabbi Janet Darley, herself ordained 16 years ago, says that people still express surprise when they find out her career, telling her: “Really? I didn’t think women could be rabbis.”

We are all incredibly proud of the work of our clergy around the inclusion of mixed faith and dual heritage couples in our communities. To give just three examples: Rabbi Aaron Goldstein has been talking about ‘marrying in’ for as long as I can remember; Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain was awarded an MBE for his pioneering work in this area more than 20 years ago; Reform Judaism CEO and Progressive Judaism Co-Lead Rabbi Josh Levy speaks of this as our ‘sacred task’.

Yet Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen tells me that whenever she posts on Facebook about a mixed-faith synagogue wedding blessing, she gets replies from people who didn’t know such a thing was possible.

And the list goes on…

I lose count of the times I’ve sat at a dinner table, where Judaism is being explained to a guest, and heard them mistakenly told that “you can only be Jewish if your mother is Jewish”.

Our RSY-Netzer Movement Workers recently gave a talk in a Jewish assembly in a secular school, where most of those present didn’t know there were synagogues where everyone sits together.

The battle to secure equal marriage was a defining moment for so many of us, from both Progressive traditions. Indeed, a highlight of my role with LJ was seeing Rabbi Danny Rich press the case to Parliament. But how many people out there think that being LGBTQI+ and a person of faith doesn’t mix? How many know about the LGBTQI+ weddings and lifecycle ceremonies we offer in all of our communities?

When it comes to Shabbat and festivals, are people beyond our synagogue walls aware that our services are musical, creative, kid-friendly, and designed so that anyone can follow?

On a macro-level, whenever something major impacts the Jewish community – the first place that politicians go is to their local Orthodox congregation.

Google Boris Johnson or Rishi Sunak and the word ‘synagogue’ – and every picture or story that comes up is from an Orthodox shul. Current Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his family may attend a Progressive community for prayer, but his first instinct for public-facing events is to head to South Hampstead United Synagogue.

Finally, a regular task of my comms colleague Graham is phoning the Jewish papers to ask why the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth has once more been given the most prominent space to write about the issue of the moment – even when that issue was International Women’s Day!

Why representation matters

The answer Graham gets given is, naturally, that Rabbi Mirvis represents by far the largest Jewish denomination and is therefore the community’s de facto spokesperson.

Equally naturally, why wouldn’t a Prime Minister want to be photographed in a synagogue that aligns with the membership of most Jews?

The problem for us is that the media and politicians, and indeed people in general, like clarity.

It is a powerful pitch for us to be able to say that our clergy, leaders and communities are from one movement that serves 1/3 of British Jews (and hopefully more as we make a success of the merger!)

A much less compelling one is that we represent two separate movements that aren’t that large, but are kind of working together.

If we want the space and the profile then, like American Progressive Judaism, we need to be bigger as well as bolder.

Some may wonder why this matters. We all lead wonderful and fulfilling Progressive Jewish lives, who cares if the world knows about them?

The answer is self-evident, but worth repeating.

Seeing those who look, pray and lead their lives like us is important – especially for our future generations.

Watching Liberal Judaism CEO and Progressive Judaism Co-Lead Rabbi Charley Baginsky discuss our interfaith work with King Charles III, Rabbis Anna Wolfson and Debbie Young-Somers offering the Jewish prayer at the Commonwealth service, or Rabbi Alexandra Wright leading a multi-faith peace walk will inspire the next wave of women rabbis and leaders. Just how Rabbis Jackie Tabick, Julia Neuberger, Elli Tikvah Sarah and Laura Janner-Klausner did before them.

Seeing a gay Jewish-Muslim couple, whose wedding blessing was conducted by Rabbi Rebecca Birk, winning an Attitude Magazine Award helps others in the LGBTQI+ community know they too can wed in our shuls and join and lead our communities.

Reading our clergy in print discussing the welcoming of dual heritage couples, and explaining how Jewish status can be inherited from either parent, shows all those in mixed-faith relationships that there is a wonderful way for them to lead a Jewish family life.

If we are honest, we also want people to join us. We want our synagogues to be full. We want more people in more places to enjoy rich and vibrant Jewish lives.

The recent JPR survey found that 1/3 of Jews who got married in the last decade did so to a non-Jew. If we look at anecdotal evidence among our friends or friends’ children, we know that is probably an underestimate.

We can either let those people be lost to Judaism – not aware of what we do – or we can show them that there is a wonderful, inclusive, form of Judaism where they and their families will be embraced.

The same applies to Progressive principles in general.

A Judaism where gender isn’t a barrier to participation or a determination of how you mark your Bnei Mitzvah, where the LBGTQI+ community is fully included, where social action is at our core, and where our clergy and lay leadership are continually creating new and innovative services is surely a very attractive proposition.

It’s also important to note that the barriers are more than just about awareness (and I like to think Graham and I have been doing a great job on awareness, even within these constraints).

For some, Progressive Judaism doesn’t feel like “real Judaism”. We know this isn’t true – but British Orthodox Judaism is what they consider normative, and Reform or Liberal Judaism is seen as “not Jewish enough”.

Again, this is something that size fixes. For proof see our sister movement in America – where they have a magnitude and profile that makes them the normative Judaism that people want to join.

So what is the difference?

The most common question I’ve been asked over the last two years is what’s the difference between Liberal and Reform Judaism.

We have organised a special Education Hub session next month, where Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein and Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain will examine this.

Here’s a spoiler for that event – there were a handful of fundamental ones in the past, there aren’t any today.

On every single major issue our national movements are aligned, including – as discussed above – the welcome of mixed-faith families, egalitarian services and lifecycle ceremonies, equal marriage, full LBGTQI+ inclusion and that Jewish status can be inherited from either parent.

It’s the same in the political (with a small p) sphere.

When Rabbi Igor Zinkov took on a member of a far right thinktank, in a TV debate on our welcome of refugees, he did so on behalf of all four Co-Chairs of our Reform and Liberal clergy bodies.

When Rabbis Josh Levy and Charley Baginsky helped put together the Our Jewish Values statement responding to the war in Israel/Gaza, it was signed by hundreds of clergy and members of both denominations.

When we campaign against child poverty, work to tackle both antisemitism and Islamophobia, fight for social justice and take action on climate change, we do so together.

Over last two years, I’ve purposely tried to visit as many different communities from both denominations as possible – my children joke that they can’t remember which synagogue we are actually members of.

I’ve also had the privilege to spend time in the company of our wonderful clergy, helping compile articles for the press on all manner of issues.

If you put a blindfold on me, I genuinely couldn’t tell you which was Liberal and which was Reform.

The bottom line is that we share so many incredible values and principles… and now is the time to put ourselves in the best position possible to shout about them to the world!