Celebrating the Past and Looking to the Future

This year the autumn festivals came so early that as we face the new month of October, they are all behind us. Just as well - with the Liberal Judaism Centenary on the horizon, we have an important date to look forward to: On October 19th the Centenary will be marked by a special ‘Edwardian Tea’ at the Landmark Hotel on Marylebone Road, London W1, on the exact site where the founders of Liberal Judaism met to inaugurate a new movement in 1902.

Of course, that particular anniversary and event is very important, but there will be several opportunities throughout the weekend of October 18th to 20th, not only to celebrate the past one hundred years, but also to look towards the future. Shabbat has been set aside for local celebrations, and on Erev Shabbat we shall be holding a creative service, which will reflect the dynamic development of Liberal Judaism from its beginnings to the present day, and involve people of all ages. In the morning, our monthly family service, will remind us, as it always does, that our children are our future - and Sasha Lyskovoi, from Russia, a 5th year Leo Baeck College rabbinic student, will remind us of the links between Liberal Judaism in Britain and a world-wide movement, that embraces the recent flowering of progressive Judaism in the former Soviet Union. The weekend will end on Sunday with a Service at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, at which congregations around the country will gather together to commemorate the past and rededicate our energies for the tasks that lie ahead.

As far as we are concerned, the tasks that lie ahead include continuing to involve both members and friends in the life of our congregation, and reaching out to the unaffiliated and the disaffiliated in the wider community. At the end of Chanukkah, on the weekend of December 6th to 8th the synagogue will become an Open House, with parallel programmes for adults and children, culminating in a special session led by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, the ULPS Outreach Director, and a lively concert.

The new year has begun well and we have much to look forward to. While you are putting dates in your diary, make sure you don’t miss the visit of Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun magazine, on Tuesday, October 29th. A leading progressive Jewish voice in the United States, Rabbi Lerner will be speaking on the theme, Healing Israel and Palestine. As we plan the future life of BHPS, we also commit ourselves to the task of tikkun, repair, both in the Middle East and in the wider world.