15 March 2016 Faith leaders and MPs call on government to admit 50,000 Syrian refugees on fifth anniversary of Syria conflict Civil society leaders, including Tim Farron MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, and Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party, today (15 March) marked the fifth anniversary of the … Read More
Danny speaks out on a woman’s right to choose
16 February 2016 Liberal Judaism’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Danny Rich, could be heard this weekend on radio throughout the UK speaking up for a woman’s right to choose. Danny spoke to seven different radio stations, supporting the right of women in Northern Ireland to have access to abortion and supporting … Read More
Historic deal allows men and women to pray together at Western Wall
31 January 2016 The Guardian Israel approves official separate area for mixed gender praying that will be registered in country’s Law of Holy Sites. A battle lasting more than a quarter of a century over the Western Wall, the religious site revered by Jews all over the world, has resulted … Read More
Lord Mayor joins York for historic candle lighting
9 December 2015 The York Liberal Jewish Community (YLJC) held a first ever civic candle lighting at the York Guildhall for Chanukkah, in the presence of the Lord Mayor, the Deputy Leader of the Councillor, Keith Aspden, and representatives of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats groups. The Rt Hon the … Read More
Liberal Judaism welcomes report on religion and belief in public life
7 December 2015 Today’s report from the Commission on Religion and Belief in Public Life, recognising the growing diversity of religious and non-religious belief in Britain, has been welcomed by Liberal Judaism as a “significant step forward”. Commenting on its recommendations, Rabbi Danny Rich, the chief executive and senior rabbi of … Read More
Don’t react to attacks on freedom by restricting it
Lucian J Hudson 25 January 2015 The Jewish News Reflecting on events in France 200-plus years ago, philosopher and politician Edmund Burke was quoted saying: “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Recent events, again in France, bring Burke to mind. Violence … Read More
Putting the picture together
Lucian J Hudson 28 August 2014 The Jewish Chronicle Leadership in a crisis requires not just skill in responding appropriately in the moment but a coherence and consistency of purpose over time. Whitehall and Westminster’s response has lacked strategy, limiting UK’s influence short and long term, and unleashing an anti-Israel … Read More
Gove is right to push prevent
Lucian J Hudson 12 June 2014 The Jewish Chronicle Some family rows are worth having. After a stormy fortnight in Westminister, we should reflect that Michael Gove and Theresa May may in fact have done the British public a favour by surfacing a genuine tension in our approach to combating … Read More
Waiting nervously for waves from Gaza
Rabbi Pete Tobias 2 June 2010 The Guardian The Israeli assault on the Gaza flotilla will make waves that extend far beyond the Mediterranean coastline where the bloody events took place. And those waves will reach me, my community and then all of us. The first wave will touch me … Read More