In January I attended my first community AGM since returning as Rabbi of 3CLJC. It was an opportunity to notice how much the community has developed since my first ever visit in June 2009. A small group of individuals with a vision has become a thriving Jewish community, filling the sizable gap between established Synagogues in Birmingham, Oxford, Bristol and Cardiff. In mid-March, we celebrated this achievement with our civic/interfaith service. It was such a pleasure to be with members and guests to celebrate my return to leading the community that made me the Rabbi I am today.
3CLJC’s achievements are a testament to the enormously hard work of dozens community members over
the years. The council, services committee, events team, eco Synagogue group and welfare team, plus
many individuals with specific roles, make our community what it is. There are so many ways to get involved so if you have a bit of time and some expertise, or even just enthusiasm, do have a chat to me or a
member of council about how you might be able to help.
In early March we gathered around a very long Friday Night table to celebrate Shabbat with prayer and song before sharing a deliciously diverse buffet of shared dishes. It felt important to save a seat at this table for one of the Israeli hostages who had already spent four months in captivity. Another month later and 133 hostages are still being held captive by Hamas in unthinkable conditions. The subsequent unfolding of the war between Israel and Hamas and the complexity of the political and social history are matters that keep many of us awake at night. Within our community, thoughts and responses vary greatly. Amidst all of this, we must not forget the plight of the hostages – individuals of all ages who were taken brutally from their homes and lives. With Pesach, the Festival of Freedom, around the corner, my thoughts and prayers are acutely focussed on the need for freedom for these individuals.
In February we celebrated the Bar Mitzvah of Isaac and in April the Bat Mitzvah of Golda.
These services mark the culmination of a year-long learning programme, covering Jewish history, the
meaning of Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Jewish thought and identity, the origins and significance of Torah, and
Hebrew/Torah reading skills. Each student also undertakes their own Tikkun Olam (social action) project
and writes a sermon about their Torah portion. The programme is designed to be challenging, in the long
and varied tradition of coming of ages ceremonies from around the world. Both Isaac and Golda were
fantastic students who rose to that challenge and brought their own unique approach to the learning, the
project and the service itself. Young people like Golda and Isaac give me great hope for the future of
progressive Judaism!
We are so lucky to have so many families with children of all ages in our community. In January our Cheder started up again with sixteen children, aged 3-11! This year we are learning about the stories in the Torah. So far, we have learnt about creation and planted our own parsley; constructed the family tree of the forefathers and foremothers and debated their merits; acted out the stories of Joseph and Esther and baked our own hamantashen; and followed a trail to discover the musical story of Moses. Every session is met with enthusiasm and curiosity from our young minds who will be the next generation of Bar/Bat Mitzvah students.
