Liberal Judaism
Encyclopedia
Liberal Judaism , is one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism
found in the United Kingdom
, the other being Reform Judaism
. Liberal Judaism, which developed at the beginning of the twentieth century is less conservative than UK Reform Judaism. Liberal Judaism considers itself the sister movement of North American Reform Judaism
.
The British scholar Daniel Langton
's study of the spiritual founder of the Liberal Synagogue, Claude Montefiore
, has caused recent debate. In his account of the origins of the movement, Langton claims that the aspirations of Montefiore have not been realised: Montefiore's passionate anti-Zionism
was soon marginalised and his declared aim to amalgamate "the best of Judaism and Christianity" led him to propound an unpopular view of Jesus
and Paul of Tarsus
as religious authorities of real interest to modern Jews. This did not go undisputed, and met with strong criticism in the Jewish Chronicle from the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, which sees itself as continuing on foursquare Montefiore's insistence on the best of modern scholarship, inclusiveness, intellectual honesty, and an overriding ethics-led view of what it means to be Jewish. LJS rabbis have also been notably prepared to criticise Israeli policy and some Israeli/Zionist attitudes, whenever they have felt them to be falling short of the particular ethical standards to be expected of Jews.
In recent years, also similar to North American Reform Judaism
, there has also been a move towards more traditional elements in Liberal services than a generation earlier - i.e. more use of Hebrew, more wearing of tallit
and kippot
, more enjoyment of Purim
and other traditional minor festivals. But Liberal Judaism is still distinctly more progressive than Reform. Examples would include more readily recognising as Jewish without conversion the child of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother, or Liberal Judaism's readiness to celebrate homosexual partnerships in synagogues with more of the traditional symbolism associated with Jewish weddings.
, Claude Montefiore
and others as the Jewish Religious Union (JRU). It began in October 1902 with a supplementary prayer meeting, an adjunct to the then Orthodox and Reform synagogues, with the intention of using more English in services, men and women sitting freely together, the use of organ music, and a more inclusive form of worship which would prove attractive to members of British Jewry who felt uninvolved or out of sympathy with existing traditionalist patterns of worship.
The Liberal movement steadily gained adherents after the founding in 1911 of the Liberal Jewish synagogue, the first of more than thirty Liberal congregations in the UK.
The 1925 building was replaced with a new complex including Sanctuary, Hall, offices and residential development. It was consecrated in 1992.
Senior Rabbis have included: Israel Mattuck (from 1912), Leslie Edgar (initially as assistant - 1931), John D. Rayner (initially as assistant 1957), David Goldberg (1989), Alexandra Wright (2004)
. Many of its members were inspired by Claude Montefiore's 1903 book "Liberal Judaism - An Essay". In 1909 the JRU changed its name to the Jewish Religious Union for the Advancement of Liberal Judaism In 1944 the name changed again to the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues, more commonly known as the ULPS. In 2003 it changed its name to Liberal Judaism, which has always been the main term used for the movement.
LJY-Netzer
is the youth movement of Liberal Judaism, a progressive Zionist youth movement
, and a branch (or snif) of Netzer Olami
.
Progressive Judaism
Progressive Judaism , is an umbrella term used by strands of Judaism which affiliate to the World Union for Progressive Judaism. They embrace pluralism, modernity, equality and social justice as core values and believe that such values are consistent with a committed Jewish life...
found in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the other being Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism (United Kingdom)
Reform Judaism in the United Kingdom in one of the two forms of Progressive Judaism found in the United Kingdom, the other being Liberal Judaism. Reform Judaism is both historically earlier and more traditionalist than Liberal Judaism....
. Liberal Judaism, which developed at the beginning of the twentieth century is less conservative than UK Reform Judaism. Liberal Judaism considers itself the sister movement of North American Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
.
Beliefs and practices
To quote the Movement's website, "It reverences Jewish tradition, and seeks to preserve all that is good in the Judaism of the past. But it lives in the present. It desires that Judaism shall be an active force for good in the lives of Jewish individuals, families and communities today, and that it shall make its contribution to the betterment of human society. And it stresses "the full equality and participation of men and women in every sphere of religious life; an emphasis on ethical conduct above ritual observance; an affirmation of each individual's freedom to act responsibly in accordance with the dictates of the informed religious conscience; a pride in combining our Jewish heritage with full participation in the civic life of this country; and an awareness of our duty not only to the Jewish people and to the State of Israel, but also to the entire human family, each one of whom is created in the Divine image".The British scholar Daniel Langton
Daniel Langton
Daniel Langton is Professor of the History of Jewish-Christian Relation in the department of Religions & Theology at the University of Manchester, England. His books include:...
's study of the spiritual founder of the Liberal Synagogue, Claude Montefiore
Claude Montefiore
Claude Joseph Goldsmid Montefiore was son of Nathaniel Montefiore, and the great nephew of Sir Moses Montefiore. Some identify him as a significant figure in the contexts of modern Jewish religious thought, Jewish-Christian relations, and Anglo-Jewish socio-politics.-Education:He was educated at...
, has caused recent debate. In his account of the origins of the movement, Langton claims that the aspirations of Montefiore have not been realised: Montefiore's passionate anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionistic views or opposition to the state of Israel. The term is used to describe various religious, moral and political points of view in opposition to these, but their diversity of motivation and expression is sufficiently different that "anti-Zionism" cannot be...
was soon marginalised and his declared aim to amalgamate "the best of Judaism and Christianity" led him to propound an unpopular view of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and Paul of Tarsus
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
as religious authorities of real interest to modern Jews. This did not go undisputed, and met with strong criticism in the Jewish Chronicle from the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, which sees itself as continuing on foursquare Montefiore's insistence on the best of modern scholarship, inclusiveness, intellectual honesty, and an overriding ethics-led view of what it means to be Jewish. LJS rabbis have also been notably prepared to criticise Israeli policy and some Israeli/Zionist attitudes, whenever they have felt them to be falling short of the particular ethical standards to be expected of Jews.
In recent years, also similar to North American Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
, there has also been a move towards more traditional elements in Liberal services than a generation earlier - i.e. more use of Hebrew, more wearing of tallit
Tallit
A tallit pl. tallitot is a Jewish prayer shawl. The tallit is worn over the outer clothes during the morning prayers on weekdays, Shabbat and holidays...
and kippot
Kippah
A kippah or kipa , also known as a yarmulke , kapele , is a hemispherical or platter-shaped head cover, usually made of cloth, often worn by Orthodox Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that their head be covered at all times, and sometimes worn by both men and, less frequently, women...
, more enjoyment of Purim
Purim
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
and other traditional minor festivals. But Liberal Judaism is still distinctly more progressive than Reform. Examples would include more readily recognising as Jewish without conversion the child of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother, or Liberal Judaism's readiness to celebrate homosexual partnerships in synagogues with more of the traditional symbolism associated with Jewish weddings.
Origins
The Liberal movement in the UK was founded in the early part of the 20th century by Lily MontaguLily Montagu
Lilian Helen "Lily" Montagu, CBE was the first woman to play a major role in Reform Judaism.She was the sixth of ten children born to Ellen Cohen Montagu and Samuel Montagu , a self-made millionaire by the age of thirty, Samuel Montagu was a wealthy banker and bullion broker, a member of the...
, Claude Montefiore
Claude Montefiore
Claude Joseph Goldsmid Montefiore was son of Nathaniel Montefiore, and the great nephew of Sir Moses Montefiore. Some identify him as a significant figure in the contexts of modern Jewish religious thought, Jewish-Christian relations, and Anglo-Jewish socio-politics.-Education:He was educated at...
and others as the Jewish Religious Union (JRU). It began in October 1902 with a supplementary prayer meeting, an adjunct to the then Orthodox and Reform synagogues, with the intention of using more English in services, men and women sitting freely together, the use of organ music, and a more inclusive form of worship which would prove attractive to members of British Jewry who felt uninvolved or out of sympathy with existing traditionalist patterns of worship.
The Liberal movement steadily gained adherents after the founding in 1911 of the Liberal Jewish synagogue, the first of more than thirty Liberal congregations in the UK.
The Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Wishing to establish a permanent home, premises were acquired in 1912 in a former chapel in Hill Street, Park Road, London. By 1918 it was evident that a larger building was needed and a site was purchased in 1924 on St. John's Wood Road, opposite Lords Cricket Ground. A synagogue seating 1,350 and a communal hall were opened in 1925. From the beginning men and women sat together, hats were not required for men, and from 1915 seats were not assigned to individuals. From its inception there was a Religion School, with correspondence classes for children who could not attend and a Youth Group from 1918.The 1925 building was replaced with a new complex including Sanctuary, Hall, offices and residential development. It was consecrated in 1992.
Senior Rabbis have included: Israel Mattuck (from 1912), Leslie Edgar (initially as assistant - 1931), John D. Rayner (initially as assistant 1957), David Goldberg (1989), Alexandra Wright (2004)
Organisations
The JRU did not intend itself to be a separate denomination. Rather, synagogues affiliated with the JRU were interested in developing a form of authentic Judaism that was responsive to changes going on in the modern world, without going down the path of classical German ReformProgressive Judaism (Germany)
Progressive Judaism in Germany is a community reborn from the ashes of the Shoah. It currently has over 20 communities across Germany, belonging to the Union of Progressive Jews in Germany and endorsing the beliefs and practices of Progressive Judaism....
. Many of its members were inspired by Claude Montefiore's 1903 book "Liberal Judaism - An Essay". In 1909 the JRU changed its name to the Jewish Religious Union for the Advancement of Liberal Judaism In 1944 the name changed again to the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues, more commonly known as the ULPS. In 2003 it changed its name to Liberal Judaism, which has always been the main term used for the movement.
LJY-Netzer
LJY-Netzer
LJY-Netzer is one of two British branches of Netzer Olami, the International Progressive Zionist Youth Movement. It is the youth movement affiliated to Liberal Judaism. All members of Liberal Jewish synagogues in the UK between the ages of 8 and 23 are automatically members of LJY-Netzer...
is the youth movement of Liberal Judaism, a progressive Zionist youth movement
Zionist youth movement
A Zionist youth movement is an organization formed for Jewish children and adolescents for educational, social, and ideological development, including a belief in Jewish nationalism as represented in the State of Israel...
, and a branch (or snif) of Netzer Olami
Netzer Olami
Netzer Olami is the worldwide youth movement of the World Union for Progressive Judaism and is affiliated to Arzenu . "Netzer" is an acronym in Hebrew for Reform Zionist Youth , and Netzer Olami means 'Global Netzer'...
.
External links
- Liberal Judaism (UK)
- Religion & Ethics - Liberal Judaism, BBC - six page overview.
- History of the Liberal movement (UK)
- World Union for Progressive Judaism