January/February 2017
Day of Celebration
LAFTAs and full youth programme planned
Let’s celebrate our Liberal Jewish music
LJ Today Page 5
By Graham Carpenter
Liberal youth get messy in one of the many LJY-Netzer activities at the 2015 Day of Celebration
LJY-NETZER, Liberal Judaism’s youth movement, will run an exciting programme at the Day of Celebration, looking at all the political things that LJY-Netzer does and what it means to be a modern Jew. The youth activities will run parallel to the main conference, with everyone coming together at the end. Movement worker Sam Alston said: “We are going to be putting on a fun and exciting programme, for both children and teenagers, staffed by expert LJYNetzer leaders running age-appropriate, accessible and educational activities.”
The Day of Celebration will also feature the LAFTAs (Liberal Academy for Film and Torah Awards). The theme for 2017 asks ‘what would your community look like in the Messianic Age?’ and a resource pack is now available online and by emailing laftas@liberaljudaism.org Rabbi Sandra Kviat said: “The LAFTAs curriculum is terrific and, even if you don’t have a religion school, all you need to enter is a few young people and a willing adult. This is a great opportunity to do some cross-generational learning and to engage the whole community.”
A SPECIAL event exploring and sharing Liberal Jewish music will take place the day before the Day of Celebration. It is open to all members, whether you are a singer, music leader, instrumentalist or just interested to learn some songs. Those joining us at Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue (NPLS) on Saturday June 10 will be part of the mass choir preparing for the morning Shabbat service. Then, following lunch, there will be a choice of different workshops, including traditional LJ choral music and a showcase of LJY-Netzer’s songs. The event will provide a great chance to work with a wide range of our own homegrown Liberal Judaism music leaders, and bring new ideas to the table to celebrate our Liberal Jewish tradition. We will also prepare music to be presented at the Day of Celebration on Sunday June 11 – including the winning entries in the Liberal Judaism Music Composition Competition (see page 8). The cost is £20 for adults and £10 for those under 18, including a buffet lunch and refreshments. For those wanting to make a weekend of it, accommodation can be arranged. To book, please email Ruth Colin on music@npls.org.uk