Celebrating Liberal Judaism at the new Midlands Centre

Sunday 17th May 2009 was a day of diversity and many activities. I was delighted to see the new Birmingham Progressive Synagogue building used to its proper capacity. A vast building for our community became, on one day, a homely space. Chief Executive Rabbi Danny Rich welcomed communities from as far away as Brighton, to the new midlands regional centre for Liberal Judaism.I wondered whether I would have travelled all the way to Brighton.

As President,Baroness Julia Neuberger who talked of her life’s journey linked the personal with the world at large in an open conversation about where we had come from and where we were going as a movement. Difficult issues such as conversion, Israel and ex-offenders were not avoided. I personally found her refreshingly honest in admitting that we are not always good in dealing with other branches of Judaism and that liberal is not always tolerant Judaism.

The responsibility to behave correctly whatever the situation applied both to the community and to individuals. This also applied to the rehabilitation of ex-offenders both at a communal and personal level: an area in which Julia said we did not excel. Inter- faith came out as a strength of our movement and the central theme seemed to be inclusiveness where Julia said she went right to the edge in order to bring in people who desired to identify with the Jewish community. I must say, personally it has always puzzled me why it was enough for people to have had the remotest Jewish ancestry and to suffer the horrors of Nazism, but to be excluded by the strictest requirements regarding conversion to Judaism, especially in the orthodox community.

As a result of this inclusiveness over years we are now witnessing a growing movement which is strong in its diversity. I saw this on the day. I ended up in a couple of discussion groups that were not what I would have normally chosen. One was led by Orlando de Lange,who was delightfully younger than his audience, on ethical consumerism and the other was on Jewish education. They were both interesting and I pushed out my personal boundaries. I found myself in a group of cheder teachers and it was useful just to be a parent and contribute. Particularly interesting was the consideration of a Jewish Education for children in a home of a mixed partnership or marriage.

Eventually, I discovered the creative workshop where my daughter was recreating the tower of Babel with sculptor Harry Seager and I discovered my real self creating a cup of Elijah which I painted onto a wine glass. It was like a mini limmud. You were spoilt for choice and could not do everything. At the hub of everything was the constant stream of refreshments and the food ably provided by volunteers who by their very service to the community gave an example to us all. It was a delightful day of new faces and seeing old friends and I realised there was something to celebrate. I even ended up writing this article as well as doing some security duty!

Neil

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