75th Anniversary weekend of 9-11th JULY 2004.....Following the Friday Shabbat service, Rabbi James Baaden led an evening of reminiscences from young and old members of the congregation, including Joan Rich, a vice president of SLLS, who was nine years old when the congregation was founded and is the synagogue’s last remaining link with 1929. 

In a celebration Shabbat service led by Rabbi Baaden, three rabbis who had grown up in SLLS - Clifford Cohen, Jeffrey Newman and Miri Lawrence - shared their memories and hopes for the Congregation. Rosita Rosenberg, past Director of ULPS (now Liberal Judaism), opened Sunday’s day-long events with a talk entitled “SLLS in Context”.  Her remarks led to a wider multi-faith panel discussion on “Religion: what good does it do?”   Rabbi Baroness (Julia) Neuberger, former rabbi of SLLS, Rafiq Abdulla, Muslim poet and barrister, Monty Alfred, Liberal Jewish lay leader, and Rev Baroness (Kathleen) Richardson, Methodist minister and former chair, Free Church Council, discussed faith and religious education before a packed audience of members and guests. Paul Infield, chairman of SLLS, moderated the discussion. 

An exhibition in the newly-refurbished Lily Montagu Hall, opened by Keith Hill, MP for Streatham, wove together the history of Liberal Judaism and the synagogue - and included photographs and documents from SLLS founder Samuel Morris Rich.  

 

The Finale Concert in the Streatham Festival was given by Cantor Helen Leneman and Rohan Kriwaczek with his Klezmer group. 

John Rich’s son, Rabbi Danny Rich remarked, “I believe that my father, whose memory we honour today, would have been delighted at both the content and popularity of these proceedings.”