Liberal Judaism

There are over thirty Liberal and Progressive Jewish congregations in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.



Liberal Judaism reverences Jewish tradition but takes that tradition to make it alive in a modern society. As Liberal Jews, we take the Torah as a starting point for Jewish decision-making, striving to uphold Jewish faith, practice and ethics in today’s world, understanding Torah as a human attempt to understand the divine will. We value truth above tradition, sincerity above conformity, and human needs above legal technicalities.



Progressive Jews are free to make their own informed choices about ritual observances. Men and women play an equal part in the community and both sexes are equally involved in services. 



Progressive Judaism (of which Liberal Judaism is a part) began in early nineteenth century Germany as an attempt to reconcile enlightenment values with Judaism. The first progressive services were instituted in Seesen, Germany in July 1810 with prayers both in Hebrew and in the vernacular. By the 1900s this form of Judaism had spread throughout Europe and America. The Jewish Religious Union was founded in this country by Claude Montefiore and Lily Montagu in 1902.



Find out more from www.liberaljudaism.org