21 March 2016 The community at Crouch End Chavurah have welcomed a ‘new’ Torah scroll that is more than 100 years old and travels around the world. Canadian-born sofer Avielah Barclay – the first female Torah scribe for 250 years – visited the community at Shabbat and revealed many interesting … Read More
Behind the headlines as LJS makes history
Jeanne Myers 15 February 2016 You may have seen some of the recent media coverage about The Liberal Jewish Synagogue (LJS) holding Friday evening services in French. ‘Sacrebleu’, you might have thought… what’s all this about?! Around a year ago, it occurred to me that, with the large number of … Read More
Liberal Judaism welcomes first Scandinavian member synagogue
2 February 2016 Shir Hatzafon synagogue – ‘The Song of the North’ – has become the first Scandinavian member of Liberal Judaism, increasing the movement’s number of members to 42 communities over five countries. Started informally in 1998, Shir Hatzafon was officially recognized by the Danish Government in 2004. Today, … Read More
Eight centuries after the pogrom, pride flickers again in York’s Jewish community
13 December 2015 The Guardian / Observer Liberal Judaism has given the city’s Jews a chance to uphold their faith while accepting the realities of modern life. In March 1190, the entire Jewish community of York – about 150 people – barricaded themselves inside the castle as antisemitic riots raged … Read More
A festschrift for Rabbi Harry
4 November 2015 Rabbi Harry Jacobi was surprised with a festschrift written in his honour, as he celebrated his 90th birthday at The Liberal Jewish Synagogue (LJS). Harry, who was born as Heinz Martin Hirschberg in October, 1925, and grew up in Auerbach, Germany, twice fled the Nazis to become … Read More
I fled the Nazis, so why do I still face intolerance from my fellow Jews?
Rabbi Harry Jacobi 29 October 2015 Any birthday is a good time to reflect, especially when it’s your 90th. Reaching that landmark, it gave me the chance to look back on my early years, long ministry with Liberal Judaism and the changes in Anglo-Jewry. I celebrated my bar mitzvah in … Read More
Stephen Fry saves Rainbow Jews
7 October 2014 World-renowned actor and comedian Stephen Fry has donated more than £2,000 to Rainbow Jews to keep the ground-breaking LGBTQI+ oral history project running. Rainbow Jews had been seeking to raise funds to continue its great work through an online crowdfunding initiative. With just two days left to … Read More