High Holydays Appeal 5785

gift for the future

Please support Liberal Judaism High Holydays Appeal 5785 to ensure our exciting journey carries on and be a part of shaping the next chapter of our collective story.

Our commitment to being the home for everyone’s Jewish story means more than just providing a place of belonging. It means ensuring that we can do more, in more places, for more people. With your generous support, we can continue our existing work and expand our reach, bringing the values and practices of Progressive Judaism to new communities and enhancing the lives of those we already serve.

• £50 donation will contribute to rabbinical support in a developing community
• £100 donation will support a place in our Ba’alei Tfilah course
• £300 donation will go towards investing in one young leader as part of our Emerging Leaders programme
• £500 donation will sponsor a Friday Night dinner for 10 progressive students
• £1000 donation will ensure a subsidised place at LJY-Netzer’s Kadimah summer camp assisting families severely impacted by the cost of living crisis.

Thank you for your donation and please scroll down to read our 5784 stories.

Shanah Tovah!

Ariel Chapman

Emerging Leader, Bristol & West

I’m Ariel and I am a trustee and council member at Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation (BWPJC). I’m really proud to be Jewish and a gay man and Liberal Judaism and my community at BWPJC have ensured I can be equally proud of both aspects of my identity. I felt I had a home here and was welcomed regardless.

Through 2023 and into 2024 I took part in Liberal Judaism’s Emerging Leaders programme. It started with meeting so many wonderful people at the LJ biennial in May 2023 and over the past year I’ve gained skills and knowledge in community cohesion, fundraising, safeguarding and so much more.

At a time when it can sometimes feel a bit scary being Jewish, the programme helped me connect to my community across the UK. It gave me the strength to be proud in my identity and steadfast in my work supporting my community. Through the programme and the continued support from LJ and BWPJC I can’t wait to see where my Jewish journey takes me next.

Robyn Harris

Emerging Leader, Kingston Liberal Synagogue

LJ’s Emerging Leaders Programme helped me in so many ways. I have taken more responsibilities in my community, KLS. I now run events for the synagogue and I have started leading services, and will be doing more of this as our rabbi is leaving this autumn.

I’ve made many friends in the Emerging Leaders cohort and we are planning to set up projects jointly with each other’s communities.

The programme helped me in other ways as well. Last week I was asked questions about safeguarding at a job interview. I was able to give very good answers thanks to the training I had received through the Emerging Leaders Programme.

Howard Duckworth

Ba’alei Tfilah, York

I hope I can be of benefit to any Liberal synagogue who may need an occasional lay service leader.

As someone who taught himself to read and write at the age of 32, (yes, I am severely dyslexic) I always found formal education very hard, if not impossible.

The course team were so very kind and supported me with strategies that made it possible for me to fully participate and to succeed.

To everyone, on the course and the leaders, thank you.

Zoe Jacobs

Ba’alei Tfilah

I wasn’t able to practise leading services as much as I wanted during the course, so I decided to postpone my graduation in 2023, and I have committed to leading or co-leading one service every month in 2024. Hopefully I will graduate at the end of this year!

The course has given me the opportunity and the confidence to engage in lots of different communities, both Liberal and Reform.

I really cherish the connections we’ve made in the gang (we still use the WhatsApp group we set up during the course to support, inspire and help each other), and I’ve made friends all over the UK so I know I’ll always know someone when I go to shul in my travels.

Jess Mindel

LJY, The Ark

I didn’t know how important my jewish identity was to me before LJY.

I’d had my Bat-Mitzvah and Kabbalat Torah and been an active cheder participant growing up, but until I went on Israel Tour and realised how much of my ideology was also shared by other 16 year olds my age, I didn’t realise that Judaism had shaped the person I was.

LJY is the place I have never felt the need to hide my true self. Being surrounded by people that you share a collective history and culture with, especially being someone who went to mixed state primary and secondary schools, is just home.

No longer was I the token Jew, no longer did I have to explain to people what my Friday night dinners or Chanukkah candle lightings looked like, and no longer did I feel alone amongst peers in my experiences of my religion growing up. LJY has always provided a space for me to grow ideologically, unjudged for missteps or opinions or queries.

I do not believe I would be half the person I was today without LJY.

Tania Townsend

Kehillah, North London

Being a Black Jewish woman is a powerful intersection of identities. It is even more so with my connection to the Jamaica Jews and a mother to the most amazing young Jewish boy who is proud to have the additionality of Hungarian Jewish heritage.

It has meant carrying the resilience and strength of several communities for generations. As a Black Jewish woman, I’ve reclaimed my identity through LJ in a way that I can celebrate Black and Jewish heritage, values and roots. Most of all, being in a community which is integral to Judaism, and being unapologetically ourselves has meant that our family can naturally be who we are and belong.

Jasmine Lev

Ba’alei Tfilah, Bristol & West

I started the course without much experience and now I have the confidence and ability to lead services, which is great!

I’ve enjoyed thinking about the creative possibilities within Liberal Judaism and how I can use this in services in the future.