21 October 2016 The Jewish Chronicle When The Liberal Synagogue Elstree’s regular shofar blower was unavailable, Rabbi Pete Tobias asked: “Is there a blower in the house? Everyone shook their heads and I thought we were in trouble.” But 10-year-old Tia Boulton stepped into the breach, having been volunteered by … Read More
[Blog] There’s a very thin line between exercising power for the sake of the public, and exercising power for its sake
Rabbi René Pfertzel 14 October 2016 Le Blog Français, The Jewish Chronicle In my previous life in Normandy, I used to be a History teacher. Once, I brought my students to the local archives in Evreux, a middle-sized city located south from Rouen. We wanted to study the archives related … Read More
Jewish schools: End of 50 per cent cap is a bad idea
Rabbi Danny Rich 16 September 2016 The Jewish Chronicle Leadership is sometimes about the difficulty between principle and practice, the balance between maintaining one’s pure values and the pragmatism of working with others to achieve the possible. The question of faith schools for the Liberal Jew may be such a scenario. … Read More
[Blog] When it comes to the future of our multi-cultural, multi-faith societies we are at a crossroads
Rabbi René Pfertzel 22 August 2016 Le Blog Français, The Jewish Chronicle The views of a group of French Jews who are now living in London As you know, French people love a good controversy. Sometimes, it is funny, sometimes tiring, but it is also sometimes worrying. The latest in … Read More
‘Intermarriage is not only inevitable, it can be a blessing’
Rabbi Aaron Goldstein 14 July 2016 The Jewish Chronicle Intermarriage in the UK is broadly stable at just over a quarter of the Jewish population and those that marry non-Jews are less likely to bring up their children as Jewish than those that marry Jews. These are the headline findings of the … Read More
Brexit: Now we must avoid narrow nationalism
Rabbi Danny Rich 24 June 2016 The Jewish Chronicle Whether you were a Brexiter or part of the large minority who voted Remain, you participated in an historic moment – certainly in the story of the United Kingdom, and possibly of greater significance for the future structure of Europe. … Read More
The woman who died without mourners
Lianne Kolirin 16 June 2016 The Jewish Chronicle Liberal rabbis have launched a campaign to recruit a minyan for the stone-setting of a woman who died with no next of kin. Rita Fishman was buried three years ago with no mourners present at her funeral. Little is … Read More
Children who followed their fathers into the pulpit
Rosa Doherty 16 June 2016 The Jewish Chronicle Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein and his son Rabbi Aaron Goldstein feature in a Father’s Day piece which talks to three families where children have followed their fathers into the pulpit and become rabbis – the other families featured are; Rabbi Yisroel … Read More
Benjamin Netanyahu & Jewish leaders condemn Orlando mass-shooting
Sandy Rashty 14 June 2016 The Jewish Chronicle Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the terror attack at a lesbian and gay nightclub in Orlando, which left 49 people dead and 53 injured in the early hours of Sunday morning. In a statement after the mass-shooting at the Pulse club, … Read More
Students facing campus Seder test
Naomi Firsht 21 April 2016 The Jewish Chronicle Why is this university term different from all other terms? With Pesach falling late this year, the majority of UK students are faced with the challenge of celebrating the festival on campus, something that last happened in 2008. But student organisations and … Read More