The Balkans and its history helps us confront our identity

Elliott Karstadt 24 August 2018 The Jewish Chronicle In his 2012 travelogue, Where the West Ends, Michael Totten talks of citizens of the former Yugoslavia wrestling with national identity in their new reality. When asked, “who are you”, Predrad Delibasic says he made up an answer: “‘I am Jewish!’ I … Read More

Yad Vashem Auschwitz exhibition brought to the Lake District

22 August 2018 Liberal Judaism is supporting a new and compelling exhibition in the Lake District entitled ‘Auschwitz: A Place on Earth – The Auschwitz Album’. The exhibition was put together by Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem. It runs at the Lake District Holocaust Project (LDHP) … Read More

Ann celebrates her 90th birthday with special LJS service

20 August 2018 Holocaust survivor Ann Kirk celebrated her 90th birthday with a special Shabbat service at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue (LJS). Ann read the Haftarah during the service. She was accompanied by husband Bob, who also survived the Shoah, and they cut her birthday cake together during a commemorative … Read More

[Blog] Preserving the power of testimony

Helen Stone 31 July 2018 When my phone rang one evening last February the voice was anxious and the tone urgent. The caller was one of the organisers of Northwood Holocaust Memorial Day Events educational sessions. “Our speaker is unwell,” they explained. “Can you take her slot tomorrow morning?” As … Read More

Finchley mark Tisha B’Av with powerful play

30 July 2018 More than 70 people were wowed by a performance of Hyam Maccoby’s play The Disputation, staged by members of Finchley Progressive Synagogue (FPS). The play is a powerful re-enactment of the Barcelona Disputation of 1263, when Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (later known as Nachmanides) was pitted against … Read More

Kingston ‘Pride Seder’ attracts guests from all over London

23 July 2018 Kingston Liberal Synagogue (KLS) held a special ‘Pride Seder’, attracting 30 people from all over London to a celebratory Friday night service and dinner. A joyous occasion – led by Rabbis Dr René Pfertzel and Janet Darley – it saw KLS members joined by friends and guests … Read More

Liberal chair helps celebrate a decade of Gloucestershire community

13 June 2018 Several local mayors and dignitaries including Liberal Judaism chair Simon Benscher (pictured) helped to celebrate 10 years of Gloucestershire Liberal Jewish Community (GLJC) at a special anniversary service. Led by Rabbi Anna Gerrard, almost the whole community attended the Shabbat service – which also honoured those who … Read More

Biennial Book Club: The Periodic Table by Primo Levi

24 May 2018 Liberal Judaism will launch the first ever Biennial Book Club, as one of the evening activity sessions on offer at our movement’s flagship event of 2018. Led by Kingston Liberal Synagogue member and cheder teacher Sandra Webber, the book club will read and discuss The Periodic Table … Read More

Barbara Winton to deliver refugee session at Biennial Weekend

17 May 2018 Barbara Winton will speak about how we can build on her father’s legacy at Liberal Judaism’s Biennial Weekend, via a live Skype link from Athens where she will be visiting a refugee camp. Barbara is the daughter and biographer of the late Sir Nicholas Winton (1909-2015), who … Read More