Voices Sep/Oct 2026

VOL. I No. 1

SEP/OCT 2026

Voices of Progressive Judaism

www.progressivejudaism.org.uk

MPJ is a constituent of the World Union for Progressive Judaism

Special edition: Our year in review

As we enter our first High Holy Days as The Movement for Progressive Judaism, the pages of this issue of Voices are dedicated to everything the Movement, its leadership, clergy and communities have achieved so far

1,000+

814

276

Participants took part in our MPJ events including Hineinu, Shirei Chagigah, Education Hub, Open House and training programmes for community leaders.

Young Progressive Jews engaged with our Youth Movements’ tours, camps, weekends and gap year programme – including a 33% increase in some events.

People converted to Judaism through the Progressive Judaism Batei Din in 2025 with a similar number set for 2026 – record highs that made headlines.

£2.2 million

1.3 million

77

Secured in support for the next three years at the MPJ Fundraising Dinner, strengthening the future of Progressive Judaism in the UK and Ireland.

Impressions achieved in the last 12 months across The Movement for Progressive Judaism’s social media channels and brand new website.

Communities supported by the Movement including bespoke guidance on leadership, HR, communications, safeguarding, governance and more.

Page 2

Introduction

September/October 2026

How do we help Progressive Judaism flourish?

Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky reflect on the birth of a Movement THERE is a phrase at the heart of the Rosh Hashanah liturgy that feels especially resonant this year. Hayom Harat Olam. Today the world is born.

It is an extraordinary phrase. The rabbis could simply have written, “Today the world was created.” Instead, they chose the language of birth. More than that, harat speaks of pregnancy, of something long awaited finally coming into the world after a period of unseen growth.

Creation, they remind us, is never simply an event in the past.

Every Rosh Hashanah we stand once again at the beginning, with both the opportunity and the responsibility to shape what comes next.

These are our first High Holy Days as The Movement for Progressive Judaism.

We came together because we believed Progressive Judaism could become stronger than either of us could be apart.

Birth, however, is only the beginning.

A new Movement must find its voice, grow into itself and build the relationships that will sustain it for generations to come.

Some of that work has been visible and some of it has happened quietly behind the scenes. Everything we have done this year has been guided by a simple question: how do we help Progressive Judaism flourish?

That begins with our communities.

Every congregation has its own character, its own strengths and its own challenges, yet each deserves the confidence to thrive.

We work alongside our communities on governance, compliance, safeguarding, HR, finance, communications and trustee development – helping them navigate change, while investing in learning that strengthens Jewish life for the long term.

Our national programme on Death, Dying and Bereavement has brought clergy and lay leaders together to deepen pastoral skills around some of the holiest and most difficult moments in Jewish life, while our newly launched Tefillateinu prayer leadership programme will equip more lay leaders to take services with confidence. Through Kivunim, young people from smaller and medium-sized communities are preparing for B’ Mitzvah together, discovering that they belong not only to one synagogue but to a national family.

Our YouTube channel and Education Hub video and podcast series help members and potential members discover the history, principles and practices of Progressive Judaism from experts in the field.

At Hineinu and Shirei Chagigah, our Movement’s inaugural conference, hundreds of Progressive Jews from around the UK and Ireland gathered to pray, sing, learn and celebrate together – reminding us that while each community is unique, we are all strengthened by belonging to something larger than ourselves.

We also united into one Movement because Progressive Judaism deserves to be heard more clearly in the conversations shaping Jewish and public life. Over the past year we have represented Progressive Judaism in Parliament, the media and alongside partners from other faiths. Our purpose has never been simply to comment on events. It has been to offer a Progressive Jewish voice rooted in Torah, committed to justice and unafraid of complexity.

We have continued investing in Progressive scholarship through the publication of Progressive Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel, our first major Movement publication. We wanted not simply to add another voice to an already crowded debate, but to provide thoughtful Jewish learning that reflects the intellectual honesty, moral seriousness and willingness to wrestle with complexity that have always characterised Progressive Judaism.

Through our weekly email newsletter, bimonthly Voices magazine, continually updated website and social media channels, Open Houses, Leadership Check-Ins, the Community Forum, direct engagement with community leadership, visits to congregations, public events and media work, we have sought to tell the story of Progressive Judaism as it is being lived across the country.

We have enjoyed huge successes. Our first fundraising dinner raised more than £2.2 million. Our social media posts so far this year have gained well over a million views. Progressive Judaism has featured in hundreds of media articles and broadcast interviews.

But the real measure of success is not numbers alone. It is whether communities learn from one another, whether members discover ideas beyond their own synagogue and whether every Progressive Jew feels part of our national Movement.

Our future depends on far more than the present. It depends on the next generation. Jewish life no longer follows a single predictable path and we cannot simply wait for young people to find us.

We must meet them where they are.

This year we launched our Campus Ambassador Programme, creating opportunities for students to build Progressive Jewish life at university, while our High Holy Day Ticket Scheme opens the doors of our communities to students and young adults.

We remain immensely proud of RSY-Netzer and LJY-Netzer, whose commitment to Jewish learning, leadership and social justice continues to shape generations of Progressive Jews – through events, community visits, four annual camps and programmes in Israel and Europe.

At the heart of all this is a conviction that Jewish life should be open, welcoming and accessible.

We have continued supporting those choosing Judaism through our Batei Din, celebrated communities making Jewish life more accessible for disabled and neurodivergent members and stood proudly alongside LGBTQI+ Jews because every human being is created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God. There is, however, one part of these first six months that many of you never see. Bringing together two remarkable Movements means far more than signing legal documents. It means patiently weaving together two staff teams, two organisational cultures, two systems, two ways of working and two proud legacies into one shared future to build the foundations that will allow this Movement to serve communities for generations to come. Much of this has to happen quietly, but like the hidden beams of the Mishkan, it is what allows everything else to stand.

This Rosh Hashanah we celebrate not simply what has been born, but what, together, we are still bringing into being.

Shanah Tovah u’Metukah.

Beit Din

September/October 2026

Page 3

Opening the doors to Jewish life PROGRESSIVE Judaism has two Batei Din – the Liberal Beit Din and the Reform Beit Din. As work progresses to unite them, they continue to work closely together.

In 2025, they welcomed 276 new Jews – with 183 people converting through the Reform Beit Din and 93 through the Liberal Beit Din, which included 17 returning Jews. These record numbers, which look set to be repeated in 2026, made headlines not only in the Jewish press but also in The Times, The Tablet and The Guardian.

The mission of our Progressive Batei Din is to help people, with kindness and courtesy, and to enable them to move forward swiftly in the Jewish journey. They provide a welcoming and supportive gateway for those converting to Judaism, and for those with one Jewish parent seeking affirmation of their Jewish status.

The recent increase in conversion rates appears to stem from the convergence of three distinct factors.

Firstly, the introduction of multifaith religious education in schools several years ago exposed many young people to Judaism, often creating positive early experiences that inspired them in later life to explore Judaism more deeply when seeking spiritual meaning.

Secondly, the COVID-19 pandemic led many people to reflect on faith and spirituality during lockdown, with some discovering Judaism through online engagement and finding a strong connection to its values and practices.

Finally, the growing popularity of DNA testing has revealed previously unknown Jewish ancestry for many individuals.

While some see this simply as family history, others have chosen to explore and reconnect with that heritage.

Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain and Rabbi Mark Solomon – who head the Reform and Liberal Beit Din respectively – said: “These factors have contributed to a noticeable rise in interest in Judaism and engagement with the Beit Din process.

“Many have been exploring Judaism for a long time and are delighted to receive a warm welcome when they finally come to Progressive Judaism.”

Among the most significant contributions of our Batei Din is the groundbreaking work on the affirmation of Jewish status for returning Jews – a category first introduced more than 40 years ago by the Liberal Beit Din. This enables people of Jewish ancestry to return to Judaism in accordance with Jewish law and custom.

For many returning Jews, the process is not simply administrative. It is a way of reconnecting with a Jewish line that may have been interrupted, hidden or distant.

Our Batei Din acknowledge that history with care and dignity, enabling people to return to their Jewish family and take their place within Jewish life.

All of this work reflects Progressive Judaism’s long-standing commitment to meeting people’s Jewish journeys with seriousness, compassion and openness.

Beit Din impact: The proposals

Beit Din impact

THE Reform Beit Din witnessed two unexpected proposals this year.

Following her successful conversion interview, Sarah was astonished when her boyfriend, Yogev, dropped to one knee and proposed (pictured below).

Delighted members of the Beit Din were thrilled to welcome a new Jew and celebrate a future marriage.

Just weeks later, history repeated itself. After Sarah Morris completed her conversion, her boyfriend Jan Klusacek surprised her with a proposal. The couple (pictured right) had met while attending a conversion course at Glasgow Reform Synagogue.

By Dan Berlinka

As Sarah put it: “One moment I was single and nonJewish, and the next I was Jewish and engaged.”

Proof that Jewish journeys can sometimes lead to unexpected destinations.

I GREW up with a complicated relationship to Judaism. My father came from an Orthodox community that he had rebelled against, but he remained fiercely proud of his Jewishness and loved sharing Jewish culture with me. After my mother died when I was young, the Jewish side of my family played an even greater role in shaping who I became.

For a long time, my connection to Judaism was mostly cultural.

Over time, I wanted something more positive and active: not just something to be, but something to do. Learning that Liberal Judaism recognised my Jewish inheritance opened a door for me. Appearing before the Liberal Beit Din and having my status affirmed (pictured with Rabbi Richard Jacobi) was a profound moment. The process was compassionate, inclusive and deeply meaningful, giving me the recognition I needed to fully connect with my heritage, my ancestors and my Jewish community.

Page 4

Events / Community Support

September/October 2026

Strengthening, supporting and connecting communities Over the next two pages you can discover some of the incredible MPJ events and programmes that enrich the lives of our congregations and members

THE PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAMME is designed to support and invest in those beginning to shape Jewish communal life in meaningful ways.

The programme began at Hineinu, where participants came together for the first Emerging Leaders track: creating relationships across our communities, exploring different models of leadership and beginning to reflect on the kind of leaders they want to become.

Over the coming year, the cohort will continue with six further seminars, alongside mentoring and leadership development.

KIVUNIM is The Movement for Progressive Judaism’s national B’ Mitzvah Programme designed for children from small and medium-sized communities – building strong cohorts and bringing fun, friendship and lifelong memories.

Across two years, participants journey through six key areas of focus, over four residential weekends: • Jewish Identity • Tikkun Olam • Community • Jewish Ritual • Informed Decision Making • My Life as a Jewish Adult

Each participant will also undertake a piece of leadership work rooted in their own community context.

This final element is deliberately flexible. It might mean deepening something they are already leading, developing a new initiative, or applying what they are learning more intentionally within an existing role. The emphasis is not on creating projects for their own sake, but on growth, reflection and impact.

By developing emerging leaders now, we are helping to build the relationships, confidence and capacity that will shape Progressive Jewish life for the years ahead.

TEFILLATEINU is the new service leadership programme for members of MPJ communities, designed to develop confident, knowledgeable and inspiring Progressive Jewish prayer leaders.

Over 15 months, participants will: learn to lead Friday night and Shabbat morning services; understand and navigate Progressive liturgy; write and deliver meaningful sermons; and develop leadership and public speaking skills.

The first Tefillateinu cohort will run from January 2027 to April 2028 and will include an in-person launch day, community-based mentoring, online modules, and a residential study weekend.

Tefillateinu is subsidised by The Movement for Progressive Judaism, in partnership with the NLPS Trust, making it affordable for our communities and their members.

Join our taster sessions on Wednesday 14 and 21 October (from 19:00) to find out more.

• THIS October, our communities will come together to remember those we lost on 7 October and hold close all those whose lives were changed forever. Events will take place on Sunday 4 October in London and Wednesday 7 October in Manchester.

• MPJ and Arzenu are partnering for an online series of Israeli Election Briefings, led by Rabbi Lea Mühlstein.

The residential weekends, held each November and April, are packed with exciting activities from wide games and bonfires to outdoor adventures like climbing, kayaking, and archery.

Most importantly, they offer a chance to bond as a group, celebrate Shabbat together, and build friendships that will accompany them throughout their B’ Mitzvah journey.

• UPCOMING training includes sessions on GDPR (Wednesday 9 September), safeguarding for cheder teachers and youth leaders (Wednesday 2 or Thursday 3 September), and press and social media advice (throughout November).

To take part in any of the events or training courses listed on these pages, please visit our website www.progressivejudaism.org.uk

September/October 2026

HINEINU – the inaugural conference of The Movement for Progressive Judaism (MPJ) – alongside SHIREI CHAGIGAH, MPJ’s specialist music and prayer leading conference, brought together 300 people for four inspiring days.

Progressive Jews of all ages came from all over the UK, Ireland and beyond for the sold-out event.

Attendees represented 53 different Progressive Jewish congregations.

OPEN HOUSE each month gives all members the opportunity to join MPJ’s Co-Leads, Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy, for an informal chat about Movement, community and anything else on their mind. A monthly LEADERSHIP CHECK-IN offers the chance for congregational leaders to learn from each other, share ideas and explore areas of collaboration.

Events / Community Support

A packed programme included more than 80 sessions.

Shirei Chagigah offered spaces for joyful harmony, illuminating liturgy through song and exploring melodies from around the world, while Hineinu featured panels and discussions on liturgy, identity, practice, prayer, Israel, LGBTQI+, social justice, leadership, activism, community building and the future of Jewish life.

THE EDUCATION HUB, supported by the NLPS Trust, has 500 registered live participants and a further 3,000+ viewers on YouTube, as today’s Progressive rabbis and cantors delve into the rich history, pioneering figures and core principles of our Judaism.

Participants have described the sessions as “very informative” and “really resonating with us all”.

Page 5

There was a dedicated crèche and youth programme – run by LJY-Netzer and RSY-Netzer – including sessions for kids and their adults together.

Joyful, spiritual and musical services harmonised all the different traditions and tunes within Progressive Judaism and its communities. Inspiration came from wonderful rabbis, cantors, songleaders and educators – including guests from North America and Israel.

TRUSTEE TRAINING is a five-part professional development course for trustees, in collaboration with the JLC and Lead, delivered by subject specialists. The programme – covering topics including finance, governance and strategy – ran twice in 2026, for our small and medium communities and then for our large and very large communities. Trustee Training will continue in 2027.

Events impact: Doing Death Jewishly TRAINING around death, mourning and bereavement brought together 107 participants from 51 MPJ congregations for practical learning on Jewish approaches to one of the most difficult experiences families and communities face.

Developed as part of The Movement for Progressive Judaism’s mission to strengthen, support and connect its communities, the nine-session programme responded to a need identified by lay leaders and clergy.

With funding from the Joint Jewish Burial Society (JJBS), its aim was to ensure that every MPJ community, regardless of size, has access to welltrained volunteers able to offer a holistic approach to bereavement care, recognising that grief is both emotional and spiritual and that mourning rituals can provide comfort and meaning.

Across the sessions, participants explored how traditional Jewish mourning practices can support the psychological and spiritual journey of bereavement, and how communities can respond with compassion, confidence and care. The programme also addressed contemporary realities including interfaith families, hospital and care home deaths, estrangement, loneliness and supporting people beyond the first days of mourning.

The programme’s impact has extended beyond the training itself.

Participating communities received practical resources including a tahara (preparing the body for burial) manual, guides to leading funerals and shiva, a developing support network for volunteers and a bereavement guide that can be personalised according to each community’s minhag (tradition).

Participants from across the Movement described the programme as filling a significant gap in Progressive Jewish life, providing language, tools and confidence in areas they had previously navigated with uncertainty.

Many came from smaller or more remote communities, or congregations without regular rabbinic presence, where lay volunteers increasingly support families through bereavement.

Communities are already using the learning to develop new bereavement initiatives, improve care processes, provide educational sessions and strengthen the support available to families.

Resources and recordings from this DOING DEATH JEWISHLY programme are being made available via The Movement for Progressive Judaism website and YouTube channel.

Page 6

Our Voice

September/October 2026

Promoting, amplifying and emb

The Movement for Progressive Judaism launched its first publication – Progressive Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel. Available in print and digital formats via Amazon or directly from MPJ, the book is edited by MPJ Chair Dr Ed Kessler, and Co-Leads Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky, and includes 40 essays from Progressive clergy and lay leaders. It is the response to a climate where we find ourselves searching for language that can hold multiple truths at once: grief for Israeli lives lost on and since 7 October 2023, anguish for the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, fear at rising antisemitism and deep concern about the moral and political direction of Israel itself. The essays reflect the breadth and depth of Progressive Jewish thought and celebrate the diversity of voices within it.

The visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally to the Sternberg Centre – accompanied by her team, including Bishop of Edmonton Reverend Dr Anderson Jeremiah – provided an opportunity to discuss the challenges facing the Jewish community in the wake of rising antisemitism, and the importance of working together to promote interfaith dialogue and solidarity. As well as meeting with The Movement for Progressive Judaism’s Co-Leads Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy, Archbishop Sarah visited Leo Baeck College, where she spoke with Progressive Jewish clergy and student clergy including LBC Principal Rabbi Professor Deborah Kahn-Harris. She then spent time with pupils and teachers at Akiva Primary.

Following the terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Manchester last Yom Kippur, then Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Cabinet Ministers, MPs, Mayors and civic leaders from across the political divide visited Progressive synagogues and congregations around the UK to express solidarity with the Jewish community. The Movement for Progressive Judaism and our communities worked hard to make these visits happen along with the Government, police force, CST and Board of Deputies. Support was shown again after the attempted arson attack on Finchley Reform Synagogue, including a visit from London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

September/October 2026

Our Voice

Page 7

boldening our voices and values

The Movement for Progressive Judaism organised a Chanukah candle lighting that allowed faith leaders from across Britain to demonstrate unity, trust and solidarity in the face of rising antisemitism and division. The event took place in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack on the Jewish community at Bondi Beach, becoming a public expression of relationship and a refusal to allow violence against one community to fracture the bonds between all. The event was supported by the Aziz Foundation.

Members and clergy from our Progressive communities were among the hundreds of Jewish LGBTQI+ people and allies who took to the streets, marching together for Pride. This year’s Jewish bloc at London Pride – and at similar events around the country – was made possible through the work of many organisations and volunteers. Particular thanks go to Rabbi Adrian Schell and the volunteers from Progressive communities who have worked tirelessly in previous years, and again this year, to make the Progressive Jewish presence visible and heard. Rabbi Adrian said: “This space belongs to us, as Jews, as much as anyone else. We are a wonderfully diverse community.”

Progressive leaders – including MPJ Co-Leads Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy, Chair Dr Ed Kessler and Reform Beit Din Convener Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain – have been regularly featured on TV, radio and in press. Highlights include Rabbi Charley becoming a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day.

King Charles III met senior figures from across the Jewish community during a solidarity visit to Golders Green, following the stabbing attack there. His Majesty was welcomed to the area by Rabbi Danny Rich, who was then the Mayor of Barnet, before spending time with The Movement for Progressive Judaism Co-Leads, Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky. Rabbi Danny said: “The King’s visit provided significant additional reassurance that an attack on the Jewish community is an affront to all.”

Page 8

Fundraising

September/October 2026

Investing in the future of Progressive Judaism

The clergy choir, keynote discussion and Movement for Progressive Judaism staff team at the Inaugural MPJ Fundraising Dinner in London

AROUND 400 people gathered in November 2025 to celebrate the launch of The Movement for Progressive Judaism – representing the communities, partners, clergy, donors, students, youth leaders and friends who together form the heart of the new Movement.

The Inaugural MPJ Fundraising Dinner marked a significant vote of confidence in the vision and ambition of Progressive Judaism in the UK, securing more than £2.2 million in commitments for the next three years. The support will help strengthen communities, sustain our clergy, develop leadership, secure our youth work and ensure that our Progressive voice is present where it is needed most.

The evening celebrated the coming together of two movements to create a unified Progressive Movement – the largest synagogal body in the UK, representing around a third of British Jewry and providing a strong and confident Progressive Jewish voice.

Highlights included music and song from a clergy choir featuring rabbis and cantors from across our Progressive communities, a grace after meals led jointly by Movement Workers from LJY-Netzer and RSY-Netzer, and an enthralling keynote conversation between Rabbi Rebecca Birk and then Attorney General Richard Hermer, a member of Alyth, who spoke about the transformative impact of growing up in a Progressive Jewish Youth Movement.

Securing the next generation A significant proportion of the support secured at the dinner will help the Movement invest in the next generation of Progressive Jews, including through student engagement, leadership development and pastoral support.

Around 25% of Jewish students identify as Progressive Jews, yet their voices are often underrepresented within Jewish student life. At a time when engaging young people in Jewish life can be challenging, and when campus life is often dominated by Orthodox organisations and activities, the Movement is creating spaces where Progressive Jewish students can find community, representation and support.

This investment will also strengthen the leadership pipeline across Progressive Jewish life, helping equip the next generation of clergy, lay leaders, youth workers and community leaders with the skills and confidence they need to shape the future.

Building a stronger Movement The four missions of The Movement for Progressive Judaism were unveiled at the dinner, setting out an ambitious and optimistic agenda for the future – that is already being delivered on: 1. Strengthening Communities 2. Amplifying Progressive Voices 3. Inspiring the Next Generation 4. Opening Doors to Jewish Life The central message of the evening – Movement Matters – captured the importance of creating a strong, confident and sustainable Progressive Movement. MPJ Chair, Dr Ed Kessler, made the evening’s appeal. He said: “Your support will strengthen communities, sustain our clergy, develop leadership, secure our youth work, and ensure that our Progressive voice is present where it is needed most.

This is not simply philanthropy. It is participation in building a Jewish future worthy of our values.”

Fundraising impact MONEY raised at the dinner has allowed The Movement for Progressive Judaism to hire its first student Campus Ambassadors (with recruitment underway as this issue went to print).

Campus Ambassadors will be recruited each academic year and will work for a couple of hours a week during term time.

Their role will include putting on events for their peers, being a point of contact for MPJ’s 77 communities and representing Progressive Judaism within the wider student landscape.

Ambassadors will be paid and advised by MPJ nationally – and act as a link between Progressive communities and their local university where applicable. They will lead the creation and holding of events that best suit the students on their individual campus.

Zac Bates Fisher, MPJ’s Student Engagement Officer, will provide oversight and support. He said: “By hiring paid part-time Campus Ambassadors, we will be directly empowering student leaders to take initiative and create the communities that they want to see.

“The late UJS president Alan Senitt famously said that he wanted ‘more Jewish students doing more Jewish things’, and I am confident that this will do just that.”

The Campus Ambassador roles are open to all current or soon-to-be students, with multiple positions available across universities around the UK and Ireland.

Students

September/October 2026

Page 9

Progressive Jewish Students on tour

Students impact INVESTING on campus has enabled our students to have Progressive Jewish spaces in which to socialise, pray and learn together in a familiar, inclusive and open environment.

It has also created opportunities for students from non-Progressive backgrounds to learn more about our theology and values.

One place this has been seen is at the University of Birmingham.

Pioneering MPJ’s work there is Rabbi Margaret Jacobi, the university’s registered Progressive Chaplain, who has been hosting monthly Progressive Kabbalat Shabbat services and Friday night dinners.

A major breakthrough this year was bringing Progressive Kabbalat Shabbat services into Hillel House alongside the existing Orthodox services. This has formalised our presence, provided a dedicated space for Progressive students, increased accessibility and raised the profile of Progressive Judaism on campus. The services have become a vibrant and welcoming space, attracting dozens of people.

As this work has shown, by combining strong local leadership, welcoming Progressive spaces and close partnerships with UJS and JSoc leaders, we can develop a successful model for growing engagement on campuses across the UK.

SINCE the formation of The Movement for Progressive Judaism, a key goal has been to expand and enrich our offering on university campuses.

Progressive Jewish Students (PJS) and our Student Engagement Officer Zac Bates Fisher – who was appointed in September 2025 – are helping people across the UK and Ireland to build a vibrant and inclusive Progressive Jewish life at their university.

PJS does this by providing religious and pastoral support and creating opportunities for Jewish students to meet, socialise and explore their Judaism.

It partners with the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and Jewish societies (JSocs) to ensure Progressive Jews are represented and welcomed in Jewish student life, while promoting greater understanding of Progressive Judaism.

PJS also works alongside local Progressive rabbis, cantors, lay leaders and congregations to support people at university and create opportunities for them to develop their Jewish practice, learning and leadership. A High Holy Days Ticket Scheme allows students and young adults, who are not yet members, to attend Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in their local communities for free.

A key part of our work over the last year has been a roadshow of visits to university JSocs, giving Jewish students of all denominations and backgrounds the chance to find out more about the history, practices, values and future of Progressive Judaism.

With stops including Bristol, Oxford, Southampton, Brighton & Sussex, Birmingham, Warwick, Sheffield, Manchester, Nottingham, Exeter, Liverpool and York, everyone was invited to come for a coffee and chat – with each event led by Zac and one of The Movement for Progressive Judaism’s Co-Leads, Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky.

The conversations were always thoughtful, open and wide-ranging as students engaged seriously with questions at the heart of contemporary Jewish life: our relationship with God, how we understand and interpret our texts, and how Judaism continues to meet the challenges and possibilities of modernity.

Participants spoke openly about antisemitism on campus and the impact it is having on Jewish life and their own personal university experiences.

There was also the opportunity to discuss Israel, and the complex, personal ways many Jews today navigate that relationship.

Rabbis Charley and Josh said: “It was encouraging to see how seriously students are engaging with these questions and shaping the kind of community they want to be part of.”

Contact Progressive Jewish Students Email: PJS@progressivejudaism.org.uk Instagram: @zac.pjs

Page 10

Youth

September/October 2026

Inspiring the next generation

OUR Progressive Jewish Youth Movements – LJY-Netzer and RSY-Netzer – are proud to be open, inclusive and welcoming to all young people. Their work is rooted in the belief that everyone should have the chance to be part of a Jewish community, wherever they live or whatever their connection to Judaism.

By bringing young people together from across the UK – including those who do not live in areas with large Jewish populations, or who may not feel part of the traditional Jewish ‘bubble’ – RSY and LJY provide a vital space to belong.

In doing so, they help young people build Jewish friendships, explore their identity, and feel part of something bigger than themselves.

Over the last year, many of our LJY and RSY camps, weekend sleepovers and other events have sold out, with increases in participation of up to 33% in some of them. This can be attributed to three main reasons.

Firstly, the values, culture and ethos of our Youth Movements attract those who might otherwise not be involved or engaged in Jewish spaces.

Secondly, the provision of high-quality programming that is inspiring, fun and engaging helps build strong friendships and ideological connection, resulting in people wanting to come again and again.

These first two factors directly contribute to the third: word of mouth, either from parents, guardians and grandparents encouraging others to send their children to RSY and LJY events, or from the young people themselves bringing their friends on board.

This was seen clearly at the summer camps that have just taken place (pictured above). Shemesh and Kadimah brought young Progressive Jews together in fun, inclusive and welcoming environments, with opportunities to form friendships, explore different ideas and discover their passions. Both camps offered creative prayer, a wide range of activities and opportunities to explore Judaism and Jewish identity.

With dedicated, trained leaders and an emphasis on inclusion, Kadimah and Shemesh gave participants space to be themselves, grow in confidence, explore new ideas and take on new challenges.

Both LJY-Netzer and RSY-Netzer remain deeply committed to investing in young people and delivering creative, meaningful programming regardless of political or societal challenges.

Part of this included innovation and adaptability with Israel Tours, especially in a time of war and with the safety of our members of paramount importance.

Impact evidence about important Jewish experiences for UK Jews shows how Year 11 summers are among the most important events for their Jewish identity formation.

In 2025, hybrid models were created with two separate tours to Europe combined with a joint week in Israel.

The Israel programme looked at the country as it is today and how the current war impacts the lives of the people.

Highlights included participants volunteering at one of the largest Israeli food banks, Leket – giving insight into another layer of Israel beyond the conflict, and highlighting a major issue within Israeli society.

Participants met peace activists from the Israeli-Arab charity Standing Together, learning the importance of a shared society and Jewish-Arab partnerships among Israeli citizens.

The success of this special tour resulted in high retention rates, with many participants completing leadership courses and then leading on the Shemesh (RSY) and Kadimah (LJY) summer camps.

In 2026, Israel Tour was not possible due to advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office not to travel to the country.

Instead, a joint Netzer Europe Tour – taking in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Zagreb – provided the chance to bond, make memories, and have an unforgettable Jewish experience.

Tour leader and new RSY-Netzer Movement Worker Joe Wallis said: “It was amazing to connect to our Judaism through visiting Europe and learning about our people’s diaspora.

“As much as this was an educational Jewish tour, people also had tons of fun as they went swimming, told jokes, and genuinely became close with each other.

We watched so many friendships bloom.”

The Movement for Progressive Judaism, LJY-Netzer and RSY-Netzer remain committed to an annual Israel Tour – so that members can encounter the land, story and history of Israel.

Impact: The member

By Rosa Weltman GROWING up Jewish in Bristol, as a member of Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation, has been great – but it is definitely more difficult to explore my Jewish identity. This is because there are not many youth movements or organisations near me. But as soon as I went on my first LJY camp, I knew I had found my people.

Since then, I have only become more passionate about LJY- Netzer, attending every event I possibly can and, just recently, leading on my first camp. As a non-North London Jew, it has given me an amazing space where I can not only be myself, but also embrace my Jewish identity in a way I was not able to before.

Impact: The parent MY son was on tour last year and had a great time. I am so grateful to everyone who contributed to making this such a positive Jewish experience for him.

September/October 2026

Youth

Page 11

Youth Movement impact: Europe Tour in pictures

JOIN US FOR THE HIGH HOLY DAYS EGALITARIAN SERVICES WITH EVERYONE TOGETHER

80+ PROGRESSIVE SYNAGOGUES ACROSS THE UK

ALTERNATIVE, FAMILY AND MUSICAL OPTIONS

TICKET SCHEME FOR YOUNG ADULTS (AGES 18-26)

INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSIBLE PRAYER AND STUDY

SERVICES OFFERED IN PERSON AND ONLINE

SCAN THE QR CODE TO FIND YOUR NEAREST PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY WWW.PROGRESSIVEJUDAISM.ORG.UK/FIND-A-COMMUNITY