24 October 2017 The Jewish News Imagine being your 14-year-old self again. Imagine being alone, frightened, sleeping rough. Imagine being hit by pepper spray from riot police. Now look at your own children, your nephews and nieces, your friends’ children. Imagine them suffering the same abuse. Unimaginable? Not for hundreds … Read More
Liberal Judaism rabbi advises BBC Holby City storyline
22 August 2017 Liberal Judaism’s Rabbi Charley Baginsky has been advising hit BBC One show Holby City with its recent Jewish storyline. Charley, who is the movement’s director of strategy and partnerships, contributed to scripts featuring the character Sacha Levy. The doctor, played by Bob Barrett, rediscovers his Judaism on … Read More
Ruth reads from the Torah for the first time… aged 96
21 August 2017 Birmingham Progressive Synagogue (BPS) member and Holocaust survivor Ruth Shire read from the Torah for the first time, at the age of 96, in front of a packed BPS sanctuary. In a moving D’var Torah, in front of a packed synagogue, Ruth explained how she had not … Read More
Is the Kotel argument reflective of how Progressive Judaism is viewed in Israel?
Rabbi Danny Rich 14 July 2017 The current situation in Israel certainly reflects a dangerous view – the view that some Jews are not Jewish enough, or not even Jews at all. It was just over 50 years ago when the Israeli Army captured the Old City of Jerusalem and … Read More
Liberal Jews rank highly in Thirty Under 30 poll
27 April 2017 Three Liberal Jews have been named as among the most important young people in Anglo-Jewry, as part of the Jewish News’ and Jewish Leadership Council’s Thirty Under 30 countdown. Student Rabbi Deborah Blausten came ninth in the prestigious list, which attracted hundreds of nominations. Deborah is a … Read More
Liberal Jews named as most influential teens
12 April 2017 Two members of LJY-Netzer, the youth movement of Liberal Judaism, are featured by The Jewish News in the paper’s ‘18 Under 18’ list, which spotlights the teenagers it tips to shape Anglo Jewry’s future. Dora Hirsh (pictured) and Jess Baker both feature prominently in the list, which … Read More
Liberal Jews nominated as Community Heroes
19 November 2016 Liberal Judaism’s Rabbi Janet Darley, Simon Cooper and Rebecca Woolfe have all been nominated as Community Heroes by The Jewish News and Mitzvah Day. Siblings Simon Cooper and Rebecca Woolfe have been nominated for the tireless charitable work. Before his death from lung cancer in July this … Read More
[Podcast] The Jewish Views – Rabbi Aaron Goldstein
21 October 2016 The Jewish Views This week’s podcast features a rabbinic thought for the week is from Rabbi Aaron Goldstein about Sukkot and Simchat Torah (from 55:00). Note: All links to external media are correct at the time of publication, but occasionally may be changed or removed by … Read More
We are not at liberty to abstain from the Jungle
Rabbi Danny Rich 16 September 2016 The Jewish News Until a fortnight ago, I resisted many invitations to visit the ‘Jungle’ in Calais, primarily because I was not sure of what use I could be other than to observe in a voyeuristic sense. But a combination of anger, and the possibility of … Read More
Young Voices: How politics looks, sounds and feels
Josh Pugh 10 June 2016 The Jewish News I think I’ve always been political. Even before I really understood parties or campaigns, I was curious about why society is the way it is. This curiosity took various forms, most notably at the age of nine, when I got into an … Read More