THURSDAY 18/FRIDAY 19 – SUNDAY 21 JUNE 2026
HINEINU
OUR INAUGURAL FLAGSHIP CONFERENCE
+ SHIREI CHAGIGAH
Shirei Chagigah
HINEINU + SHIREI CHAGIGAH
OUR INAUGURAL FLAGSHIP CONFERENCE
We are delighted to welcome you to Shirei Chagigah and Hineinu – the Inaugural Conference of The Movement for Progressive Judaism.
Over this weekend, we will come together as Progressive Jews from across the UK and Ireland, joined by wonderful rabbis, cantors, songleaders and educators – including some special guests from North America and Israel.
The programme, which you will find on the subsequent pages, truly has something for everyone – a diversity of learning, song, prayer and conversation.
For those who have attended an LJ Biennial or MRJ Chagigah in the past, much over these days will feel familiar: the hotel, the quality of sessions, the atmosphere of creativity and joy.
But so much has changed. This first conference has a new name for a new moment – Hineinu, ‘Here we are.’
Here we are as one Movement.
Here we are ready to study, sing, explore, dance, renew and refresh.
Here we are because we are stronger together.
Here we are, inheritors of a remarkable legacy, ready to build upon it.
Here we are, ready to help shape Jewish life, British society and the world our children will inherit.
Welcome to Hineinu.
RABBI JOSH LEVY AND RABBI CHARLEY BAGINSKY
CO-LEADS,
THE MOVEMENT FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM
SHIREI CHAGIGAH
16:00 Registration
Check in available from 3pm Reception
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
16:00
17:30-18:45
Come and meet new friends over tea and coffee in the County Bar.
For those who would like the opportunity to look around the venue, orientation tours will leave at 16:45 & 17:00.
HINEI MAH TOV: JOINING OUR VOICES TOGETHER
Begin our time together in song. Through a round-robin of melodies taught by musicians from across our community, we’ll warm up our voices, learn from one another, and create the sound of the gathering we hope to become. Come ready to sing and join in. In this opening session, we’ll sing much loved melodies, learn some new ones, and help shape the musical heartbeat of our conference.
County Bar
County
19:00 Dinner Restaurant
HARMONY: THE SOUND OF HEALING AND HOPE
As we gather on the first evening of our conference, we begin by acknowledging the weight many of us have been carrying in recent times and the courage we have needed.
20:30-21:30
21:45-22:30
Through shared song and harmony, we will create space to honour both struggle and resilience, discovering the strength that emerges when every voice is welcomed into the collective.
Together, as a newly formed movement, we will begin our journey with healing, connection, and a renewed sense of hope.
County
MA’ARIV
Led by Cantor Josh Breitzer and Mich Sampson Taylor
07:00-09:30
Breakfast in your hotel
If you are in the Mercure please head to the raised area in the restaurant which has been reserved for you. Restaurant
09:00-09:30 SHACHARIT
09:45-10:45
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
09:45-10:45
THE “AURAL TORAH” OF NUSACH
The way we sing a prayer has the power to signal the time of day, week, month, and year! Come and learn how nusach (traditional prayer chant) can help orient you and your community to the holiness inherent to every occasion for worship. No prior nusach knowledge needed.
PRAYER MELODIES TO YOUR COMMUNITY
Our communities are not inherently opposed to new melodies; people love to travel to new destinations, try new foods, and make new friends. The resistance to new melodies in worship is about context, the “why” behind the unfamiliar, and the way those pieces and moments are introduced to the congregation. Learn strategies, techniques and immediately usable techniques to bring diversity of melody and sound to your liturgy and worship.
OUR VOICES IN SERVICE OF OTHERS
Do you volunteer in your shul choir? Do you lead or participate in healing services? Are you part of a Companion Voices group - singing for people at the end of their lives - or do you gather in a Healing Song Circle to offer comfort and support?
Judith will hold this space to explore how our voices in song, however confident or unconfident we are in them, can bring comfort and solace to others – as well as to ourselves. Please come as you are, to sing, speak, to listen – all are welcome.
Led by Noah Aronson County
Cantor Josh Breitzer County
Cantor Rosalie Will Taylor
Judith Silver Oxford
09:45-10:45
11:00-12:00
09:45-10:45
EXPLORING AND EMBRACING THE JEWISH MUSICAL WORLD: NON-ASHKENAZI MELODIES FOR LITURGY IN OUR SIDDURIM
There is such beauty and richness to celebrate and treasure in the diverse music of Jewish communities with roots around the world. We’ll sing our way from Spain to Libya, from Turkey to ancient Babylon. We’ll discover contemporary interpretations of Persian and north African Jewish traditions, all for familiar texts found in the pages of our Liberal and Reform siddurim; who ever knew they needed a Moroccan “Y’did Nefesh” or a Bukharian “L’cha Dodi”? Come and learn some tunes of Jewish peoplehood!
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
11:00-12:00
IMPROVISING THE SOUND OF SACRED TIME
The traditional modes of Shabbat and the festivals are simultaneously musical scales, *and* the sound of sacred time, carrying the memories, emotions, and spiritual associations of the Jewish year. In this interactive singing workshop, we will explore these modes through guided vocal improvisation, drawing inspiration from the stylistic traditions of the Meshorerim (cantorial choirs). Using liturgical texts, attentive listening, and collective vocal exploration, we will discover how these musical languages shape Jewish prayer and connect us to generations of tradition.
REPERTOIRE THAT WORKS: MELODIES FOR HALLEL, Z’MIROT, AND COMMUNAL SONG
A singing session for anyone who leads, teaches, or simply loves Jewish song. We’ll explore melodies for Hallel, Shabbat Zmirot, and Niggunim with an eye toward what actually moves a room.
Cantor Sarah Grabiner Shrewsbury
Cantor Rachel Weston Oxford
Noah Aronson County
11:00-12:00
WHEN COMMUNITIES COMPOSE!
Join in this introduction to liturgical music written by Ark Synagogue members and developed through collaborative singing workshops. We’ll share the songs themselves, unpack the creative process behind them, and consider how communal composition can deepen participation and connection in prayer.
CIRCLE ROUND - KULANU
SHARIM B’YACHAD; ALL OF US SINGING TOGETHER
From Frère Jacques and London’s Burning, which we may have learned from a young age, to Mah Tovu or Hinei Mah Tov, sing a round and you can instantly and accessibly enjoy beautiful harmonies, immediate collaboration with others, and a magnificent combining of energy to create wonderful sounds!
Rabbi Rachel Benjamin will be joined by singer-songwriter, Judith Silver, for our workshop which will cover rounds that you will be able to use in services, or just for fun!
Ruth Colin Shrewsbury
Rabbi Rachel Benjamin and Judith Silver Taylor
12:15-13:15 Lunch Restaurant
Shema Koleinu; Hear Our Voices.
As Shabbat draws near, gather with members of the Shirei Chagigah teaching team to immerse yourself in the beauty of communal harmony.
13.30-14:30
We’ll breathe new life into melodies you may know, uncovering unexpected colours and textures as our voices intertwine. No experience of harmony singing is required: sing the melody, try a new part, or allow yourself to be carried by the sound around you. Together, we’ll offer a heartfelt - perhaps slightly new - song to God. County
FRIDAY SCHEDULE
14:45-15:45
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
14:45-15:45
NOAH ARONSON IN SONG
Noah never plays his songs the same way twice and the recordings are simply frozen moments in time. Come spend time diving deeper into Noah’s songs and learning how he uses them most effectively in songleading and prayer contexts.
COMPOSING SPACE
Whether you’re dreaming of composing a new melody for an existing text or lyrics you’ve written yourself, this is a safe and non-judgmental space to have fun and explore ways to do this.
Judith has been composing for over thirty years and some of her songs are sung here and across the pond in services, concerts, camps and beyond. With some of these as starting points, let’s see what we can come up with together. If you have the seed of an idea or a fully formed song you’d like to share, or anything in between, come along!
SECULAR SONGS, SACRED SPARKS: HOW MUSIC ILLUMINATES LITURGY
The boundary between sacred and secular may be thinner than we think. Popular music is rich with spiritual language, longing, and metaphors - what happens when we bring it into our sacred spaces?
In this participatory session, we’ll sing our way through selections of non-liturgical music, placing them in conversation with Jewish prayer. Together, we’ll explore how the language, themes, and emotional landscapes of these songs can open fresh pathways into our traditional texts, deepening the way we lead and experience prayer.
THE REVOLUTION IN NORTH AMERICAN SYNAGOGUE MUSIC
This presentation will give a close view of the revolution that transformed synagogue music in North America in the 1980’s and led to significant changes in music styles in synagogues, first in North America, and subsequently in the United Kingdom as well.
Noah Aronson County
Judith Silver Oxford
Cantor Zöe Jacobs Taylor
Rabbi Cantor Gershon Silins Shrewsbury
HINEINU BEGINS
16:00 Registration opens for Hineinu Reception
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Come and meet Rabbis Josh & Charley, members of the MPJ Board and new friends over tea and coffee in the County Bar.
16:00
16:30-17:30
For those who would like the opportunity to look around the venue, orientation tours will leave from the County Bar at 17:00 and 17:30
Alternatively start as you mean to go on and jump right into sessions County Bar
Our Movement Workers cannot wait to start the fun with the Netzer programme. Ages 5+ join as you arrive with a getting to know you activity and make new friends Chester
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
16:30-17:30
CRAFTING THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND
If you have never met Kathryn Michael and her craft arsenal, you are in for a treat. Armed with a selection of craft materials for you to explore during free time or if you are having a break from sessions, her craft area is a space to chill and create.
THE SACRED ART OF SONGWEAVING
In what ways can different musical styles be knit together thoughtfully and cohesively within a single worship service? How can awareness of rudimentary musical principles and familiarity with siddur texts inform the choices we make, both as prayer leaders and participants? Using our Thursday ma’ariv as an example, we will explore these and other intricacies. This session is geared towards those with a basic understanding of music theory and prayer liturgy.
Kathryn Michael County coffee side
Cantor Josh Breitzer Taylor
FRIDAY SCHEDULE
16:30-17:30
18:15–19:30
16:30-17:30
LEARN MUSIC FOR OUR BIG SHABBAT TOGETHER!
Worried you won’t know all the music we’re singing this Shabbat? Worry no longer! Come and join two of our most welcoming teachers, and get a head start on some of the “newer” tunes. All are welcome, regardless of musical experience, or whether you’ve just arrived. Ease your way into Shabbat with this relaxing musical opportunity.
HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR PRAYER, GAY-ER?
Join us for an experiential mincha using exclusively LGBT+ prayers, poems, and songs. For a people who have historically been told that God is not for them to know, queer Jews have a special and sacred relationship with the divine. Join us as we sing, learn, and discuss together to explore the benefits of including marginalised folks’ perspectives and practices within our Tefillah.
SPIRITUAL EXPERIMENTATION: EMBODIED, PARTICIPATORY PRAYER
How to leave the book behind and renew your connection to your prayer life! We’ll explore the ways in which Jewish prayer can engage body, heart, mind and spirit; how the deep structure of our prayer services take us through four aspects of human experience –physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual; and why Jewish prayer is an embodied spiritual practice hiding in plain sight.
Cantor Tamara Wolfson and Mich Sampson Winchester
Rabbi Lev Saul and Rhiannon Humphreys
Oxford
KABBALAT SHABBAT SERVICE
After the service we invite you to gather outside or in the bar while the room is set up for our Erev Shabbat dinner. The bar will be open for those who wish to buy drinks, and a seating plan for dinner will be on display.
Rabbi Naomi Goldman Shrewsbury
led by Rabbi Aaron Goldstein, Cantor Sarah Grabiner, Cantor Rosalie Will County
17:30 Sandwiches for creche and Netzer children Restaurant
20:00-22:30
Children’s listening service
So you don’t miss out on the fun. A member of staff will be positioned in the coffee area next to rooms 202-214
20:00 – 21:30 Dinner County
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
SHIRA: THE SOUND OF SHABBAT!
Celebrate Shabbat by letting your hair down and lifting your voice. Together, we’ll journey through beloved Jewish songs - old favourites and newer treasures - in a joyful, participatory session filled with harmony, energy, and connection. Expect to sing wholeheartedly, discover unexpected musical moments, and be carried from one song to the next as the energy builds, and then gently lulls us towards relaxation.
HANGING OUT IN THE BAR...
The County Bar will be open for those who wish to socialise with old and new friends.
LATE NIGHT LEARNING – THE RABBIS OF THE TALMUD AND THE MASK OF POWER
Rabbi Dr Elliott Karstadt
21:45–late
How did the Rabbis of the Talmud and Midrash think about power and the responsibilities that come with it? Before studying for the rabbinate, Elliott completed his PhD in the History of Ideas, focusing on political thought. Join him for this late-night session in which he will bring some of those western political ideas into conversation with some of the biblical and rabbinic texts.
A BISL SHABBES!
Rabbi Mark Solomon and Cantor Rachel Weston
Join Rabbi Mark and Cantor Rachel for a dose of Shabbes Yiddishkeit. Through a blend of performance, shared singing, and exploration of Yiddish folk, contemporary, and liturgical repertoire, we will create a warm and reflective musical space. We’ll slow down, listen deeply, and experience the richness of Yiddish culture and song as a pathway into Shabbes.
SCHEDULE
Taylor
County bar
Shrewsbury
Oxford
07:00-09:30 Breakfast in your hotel Restaurant
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
09:00-09:50
THE JEWS WE WELCOME - THE FUTURE OF JEWISH STATUS IN PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM
An increasing number of people are coming new to Judaism through our communities and our Batei Din. Why do they find Progressive Judaism so attractive at such a challenging time? How do we ensure that they are joining welcoming, inclusive communities? And how does our new movement align the different definitions of who is a Jew used by the former Reform and Liberal movements?
Panel discussion Winchester
09.00-09:50
These and other issues about the future of Jewish status will be discussed by Rabbi Anna Wolfson, Chair of the Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors, together with the heads of our two Batei Din, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain and Rabbi Mark Solomon. The panel will be chaired by Rabbi Josh Levy.
STREAM: COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP
SNAKES ON A PLAIN
What happened when Moses himself set up a bronze snake statue with healing powers? Surely it can’t have been idolatry or sorcery, but there’s something strange going on.
With student rabbis Rachel Berkson and Shamaya Mirviss-Carvajal, come and discuss with each other and our traditional commentators what to make of this account in our Torah portion.
STREAM: TEXT
Student Rabbis Rachel Berkson and Shamaya MirvissCarvajal
Lancaster
09.00-09:50
WHAT BINDS US? THE CURRENCY OF COMMITMENT IN PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM
Based on some sections of his recent book Living the Letters, this session will explore different ways in which non-Orthodox religious Jews grapple with the question of commitment. To what principles and behaviours are we bound? How does a commitment to the notion of autonomy square with the concept of being commanded? And is the notion of “informed choice” fit for purpose?
STREAM: PROGRESSIVE JEWISH THOUGHT
OPENINGS AND BOUNDARIES: RECLAIMING ASHER YATZAR FOR PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM
As Progressive Jews, we have often shied away from the explicit corporeality of the prayer for bodily functions and excretions. How might we reclaim Asher Yatzar for Progressive Judaism, as a means of celebrating the capabilities of our own bodies and holding space for their limitations? How can we be inclusive of all bodies who are not witnessed in the original text of the prayer, including women’s bodies, disabled bodies and transgender bodies?
STREAM: PRAYER AND LITURGY
FROM EXCLUSION TO INCLUSION: THE REFORM MOVEMENT AND GENDER JUSTICE
This talk offers an inside look at how the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) is advancing gender equality across Israeli society. From womenled congregational leadership and community resilience to groundbreaking legal advocacy through IRAC, and the ongoing fight for pluralism at the Western Wall, the IMPJ is working on multiple fronts to challenge exclusion and expand opportunity. Through compelling stories and concrete examples, this presentation highlights how gender equality is not only a moral imperative, but a defining part of the Movement’s vision for a democratic and inclusive Israel—and how partners around the world play a vital role in sustaining this work.
STREAM: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND VOICE (ISRAEL)
Rabbi Dr Michael Marmur Oxford
Student Rabbi Yael Tischler Taylor
Lesley Sachs Shrewsbury
09:00
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
COME AND MAKE YOUR OWN MEZUZAH TO TAKE HOME!
Join us for a fun craft session where children and their grown-ups can get creative together, decorating a mezuzah to display at home.
STREAM: FAMILY PROGRAMMING
CHUKKAT AND LEADERSHIP
The Red Heifer Principle: Leadership Means Making Space for Others. When to step up and when to step back? Learning from our Torah what makes the greatest leaders.
STREAM: EMERGING LEADERS
LEARN TO LEYN: HAFTARAH EDITION
Did you know that Haftarah has its own tune, different to that of Torah? Let’s learn to leyn [chant] some of it together and you’ll get all the resources you need to make this lovely practice your own. This session will make most sense if you know how to leyn Torah, but all are welcome!
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
Kim Coplee Warwick
Rabbi Kath Vardi Taylor coffee area
Mich Sampson Chelmsford
CHOICE OF SERVICES
7 WAYS TO BEGIN SHABBAT SHACHARIT; WE’LL JOIN TOGETHER FOR BAR’CHU AT 11AM
10:00-10:50
THE (UN)FAMILIAR SERVICE
Some Hebrew, some English, some participative singing, some Reform, some Liberal. You can use either siddur - or we have a very special Progressive synthesis you can try! Two familiar traditions to create something new.
10:00-10:50
CONTEMPORARY T’FILAH
A refreshing, joyful, musical way to begin Shabbat morning together. We’ll sing familiar and new melodies and come together for a soulful t’filah of blessings and psalms. This service will be led using Siddur Lev Chadash.
Rabbi Paul Freedman and Rabbi Gershon Silins Taylor
Rabbi Rebecca Birk and Cantor Tamara Wolfson Shrewsbury
10:00-10:50
INTERGENERATIONAL SERVICE
A service inclusive of everyone whether you have a child, are a grandparent or just fancy a service that embraces all ages.
SOULFUL SERVICE
A soulful service, filled with songs, chants and meditations to connect us to ourselves, the Divine and one another. We will begin by grounding ourselves in our own bodies and souls, allowing us to declare, ‘Hineini’ - ‘Here I am!’ We will move towards joining together as a community, allowing us to declare, ‘Hineinu.’
ROKA HAARETZ AL HAMAYIM – DANCING THE MORNING BLESSINGS
Awakening the body and spirit to the new day through gentle guided movement, music, voice and more. Using the “Rio Abierto” (Open River) method combined with Jewish music and with the structure of the Shacharit liturgy. The session is suitable for all physical abilities, please wear comfortable clothing and if possible – shoes you are happy to take off, and consider having a lighter breakfast.
POETRY FOR PRAYER
A quieter way to ease into Shabbat morning, with a little ‘white fire’ space for reflection around the ‘black fire’ of words. Instead of the traditional prayers, together we’ll read and reflect on modern poetry on the themes of those prayers. No Hebrew required, just open minds and hearts.
EXPLANATORY SERVICE
Why do we say what we pray? We will discuss the first part of the morning service and how it builds us up physically and emotionally for the start of the day. We’ll look in more detail at some of the morning blessings (Birkat HaShachar) and we will end by praying them and singing our Verses of Song (Psukei de Zimra).
Rabbi Anna Wolfson and Cantor Rachel Weston Warwick
Student Rabbi Yael Tischler and Rabbi Monique Mayer Oxford
Rabbi Gili Zidkiyahu Winchester
Rabbi Eleanor Davis Chelmsford
Rabbi Richard Jacobi and Rabbi Naomi Goldman Lancaster
11:00-12:40
CONTINUATION
OF OUR SHABBAT MORNING SERVICE
Join us for the rest of Shabbat Shacharit as we gather in prayer from the Bar’chu through to the end of the service. Through Torah reading and ritual, we will honour those who came before us and consider our responsibility to the generations still to come. The service will include a sermon from Rabbi Michael Marmur.
Torah Talk and Walk (bring an adult if you are under 5)
Led by Rabbi Rachel Benjamin, Cantor Josh Breitzer and Cantor Zöe Jacobs County
With Rabbi Anna Wolfson & Joe Grabiner Warwick
12:45-14:30 Lunch & Free Time Restaurant
14:00-18:00 Creche Warwick
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
14:30–15:30
PROGRESSIVE
JUDAISM, ZIONISM AND THE STATE OF ISRAEL
14:30-15:30
2026 saw the publication of the first MPJ book, “Progressive Judaism, Zionism and the State of Israel”, which brings together 40 essays on the topic, reflecting the breadth and depth of Progressive Jewish thought. In this special panel, three of the contributors, Rabbis Rebecca Birk, Lea Mühlstein and Adrian Schell will discuss their own essays, and how they understand the relationship between Progressive Judaism and Israel at this challenging time. Hosted by Student Rabbi Richard Greene.
STREAM: PEOPLEHOOD AND ISRAEL.
MOSES BROUGHT DOWN PHARAOHS - SO CAN YOU!
Let’s look at the exodus narrative as a story of revolutionary struggle, influenced by great religious thinkers from the 20th Century. We’ll get in-depth with our text to see what it can teach us about campaigns for justice today.
STREAM: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND VOICE
Panel Discussion Winchester
Rabbi Lev Saul Lancaster
14:30-15:30
KOLI SHAMATA (LAMENTATIONS 3:56); LISTEN TO MY VOICE
In turbulent times, our sacred texts offer us an example of how to cry out, to express our pain. When the world might draw us to despair, we can turn our voices to the ancient practice of lament. As we approach Tisha B’Av, we consider how reciting M’gilat Eichah (Lamentations) can be a cathartic, empathetic, embodied experience, speaking to our contemporary reality with sensitivity and poetry. In this session we will give voice to the full range of human emotion and experience, from ancient times to today. Employing both biblical and liturgical perspectives, we will see and hear our own experiences in the voice of our ancient sacred texts.
STREAM: TEXT
MAKING OUR PRACTICE AS PROGRESSIVE AS OUR POLITICS
Many Progressive Jews understand ourselves to be living through a transitional moment, entering a Third Era of Judaism in which rabbinic models and theology have become insufficient to address contemporary experience. This is especially apparent with regard to gender equity, LGBTQA+ inclusion, and liturgy addressed to an imperial deity. This session will provide an opportunity for us to explore how we might better align our practice with our values, working together to create a more expansive and inclusive Judaism.
STREAM: PROGRESSIVE JEWISH THOUGHT
EMERGING LEADERS LEADING IN THIS MOMENT
The last few years have seen enormous changes in the landscape of the UK Jewish community, driven by both global events and local changes, including the creation of The Movement for Progressive Judaism. In this session participants in the Emerging Leaders Programme will have the opportunity to explore some of the challenges and opportunities of leadership in this moment with Rabbi Charley and Rabbi Josh, the Co-Leads of The Movement for Progressive Judaism.
STREAM: EMERGING LEADERS
Rabbi Dr Deborah KahnHarris and Cantor Sarah Grabiner Oxford
Rabbi Drorah Setel Shrewsbury
Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky Chelmsford
From 15:00
14:30–15:30
TEFILLATEINU TASTER SESSION
Might you be interested in MPJ’s new Tefillateinu programme – developing prayer leaders for Progressive Jewish communities? This is an opportunity to learn or revise some of the fundamentals of service leading; to find out what the core Tefillateinu programme entails; to identify any gaps to work on ahead of starting the programme; and to see if this feels like the right programme at the right time for you.
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
SWEAT YOUR PRAYERS
Come experience full bodied prayer. We have all tasted the fruit of singing as a pathway to communing with the Divine. Movement is the next frontier to connecting more deeply with your personal spiritual journey as well as sharing joyful moments in community.
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
SEUDAH SHLISHIT WITH RHYME TIME IN THE CRECHE
STREAM: FAMILY PROGRAMMING
15:30-15:45 Break
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
15:45-16:45
THE FUTURE OF PROGRESSIVE LITURGY
Rabbi Anna Gerrard County
15:45-16:45
Come and lift the curtain on how Progressive siddurim, machzorim, and creative liturgies are made. Hear from three rabbis who have been in the liturgical “room where it happens” as they reflect on the decisions that shape how we pray. We’ll explore the evolutions and revolutions of different liturgical communities, from the UK to Israel and around the world. How did we get to this moment and what does the future hold for progressive prayer? Chaired by Cantor Sarah Grabiner, with Rabbis Eli Tikvah Sarah, Paul Freedman and Daniel Burstyn STREAM: PRAYER AND LITURGY
Noah Aronson Taylor
Rabbi Anna Wolfson Warwick
Panel Discussion Winchester
15:45-16:45
AGAINST THE TIDE: LEADING THROUGH CRISIS, DEFENDING DEMOCRACY, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY
In Israel, just as communities begin to rebuild, another crisis often arrives. This talk offers an inside look at how the Israel Movement for Reform Judaism (IMPJ) navigates this relentless reality— strengthening communities in times of war, defending democratic values in the public sphere, and supporting rabbis and leaders on the ground. Through powerful stories and lived experience, it captures the tension between exhaustion and resilience, struggle and hope—and what it means to lead, to serve, and to keep building forward even as the ground keeps shifting beneath our feet.
STREAM: PEOPLEHOOD AND ISRAEL
BEYOND THE BEDSIDE: BIKKUR CHOLIM - CREATING A CARING COMMUNITY.
Together we will explore the practice of Bikkur Cholim and the essence of Jewish care. Caring for the sick asks us to recognise that God is present directly at the bedside, being with the ill and the carer. The workshop examines what this means in reality and how it shapes our approach to spiritual and pastoral care.
Encountering suffering often leaves us searching for the right words. Participants will learn how to respond authentically when facing someone in pain. The simple act of listening stands out as our most powerful response. Real examples from practical hospital and community work will illustrate how to do this holy work, but also how to look after yourself.
Strong communities rely on dedicated care groups to support those who are ill. The session covers ways to build and sustain these networks within your own congregations - from finding the right volunteers, to supporting the clergy, from safeguarding to setting up a robust support system.
STREAM: COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP
Lesley Sachs Chelmsford
Rabbi Adrian Schell and Lynette Chazen Oxford
15:45-16:45
15:45-16:45
“I SAW MY GOD IN THE CAFÉ” (LEAH GOLDBERG) – ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD IN HEBREW POETRY
In this session we will explore several poems – through English translations, but also through the rhythm and sound of the Hebrew. We will compare between contemporary and classic approaches and seek for echoes of our own experience of connecting with the sacred.
STREAM: TEXT
LIVING THE LETTERS: AN ALPHABET OF EMERGING JEWISH THOUGHT
Published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2025, Michael Marmur’s Living the Letters suggests a vocabulary with which contemporary Jews might express themselves. In the session Michael will delve into such questions as: how is theology like peanut butter? Why is the Hebrew alphabet hugely significant? And what is the meaning of tradition? The book is available free on Kindle and in other electronic formats: https://link.springer.com/ book/10.1007/978-3-031-81041-1
STREAM: PROGRESSIVE JEWISH THOUGHT
JEWISH SONGS OF PRAYER WHICH ARE INSPIRING
The opportunity to sing together on Shabbat afternoon.
This SAB/SATB session is aimed at singers who sight-read music to some extent. Together we will sing a few of Alan’s favourite sung prayers.
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
DESERT ISLAND LITURGY
We all know that music is personal to each of us, and there are certain prayer melodies we love... and those we love to rally against! Join this session for a bring-and-share discussion on the Jewish music that works so well for us, and some of the melodies we’d prefer not to hear as much!
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
Rabbi Gili Zidkiyahu Shrewsbury
Rabbi Dr Michael Marmur County
Alan Byers Lancaster
Cantor Tamara Wolfson Taylor
17:00-17:45
Seudah Shlishit and keynote address
As the Movement for Progressive Judaism gathers for its first national conference, there could be no more fitting keynote speaker than Rabbi Gilad Kariv. For many years, he has been a friend, partner and source of inspiration to Progressive Judaism in the UK, embodying the conviction that Jewish values belong not only in our synagogues and study halls but also in the public square.
At a moment when Israel faces profound challenges and Jewish communities around the world are wrestling with questions of identity, democracy, peoplehood and hope, Rabbi Kariv brings a rare combination of moral leadership, political experience and Progressive Jewish vision. His keynote will invite us to think not only about the future of Israel, but about the role Progressive Judaism must play in helping to shape the future of the Jewish people. As we begin this new chapter together, his voice challenges us to ask what leadership, courage and hope demand of us now.
Followed by a group photo.
17:00
Pasta in the restaurant for Creche and Netzer age children
(they are of course welcome to also have BBQ later!)
Creche closes 6pm with families havdallah.
Netzer crew and Rabbi Anna and Cantor Tamara + families’ team Warwick
Rabbi Gilad Kariv MK County
18:00-19:00
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
18:00-19:00
ALL ELSE IS COMMENTARY LIVE: THE FUTURE OF PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM
Join Rabbi Elliott Karstadt for the first ever live recording of All Else is Commentary. For this special recording, he will be joined by Lesley Sachs, Rabbi Lea Mühlstein, Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy, as together they reflect on the question of the future of Progressive Judaism - in the UK, in Europe, and in Israel. Panel
PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM IN RURAL ISRAEL: BEYOND THE BIG CITIES
Progressive Judaism in Israel has been part of rural life since the early 20th century. Kibbutzim Yahel and Lotan were among the first of Israel’s Progressive Jewish communities. Since the Supreme Court decision in 2012, more than a dozen Progressive rabbis have been serving regional councils. In 2019, Rabbi Daniel, a long-time member of Kibbutz Lotan, was appointed Regional Rabbi for Hevel Eilot, the southernmost regional council in Israel.
What does a rabbi in Israel do, away from the big cities and synagogues? What are the challenges of Jewish life in rural Israel? And what is the future of the Reform Kibbutzim from the perspective of a Kibbutzbased rabbi?
STREAM: PEOPLEHOOD AND ISRAEL
MACHLOKET MATTERS: THE ART OF DISAGREEMENT IN JEWISH TRADITION
Before rabbinic Judaism, Jewish life was fractured. The Talmud’s compilers, drawing from Pharisaic traditions, sought to limit further division by preserving multiple viewpoints. This session explores how disagreements were handledand what can be learned from it.
STREAM: PROGRESSIVE JEWISH THOUGHT
Rabbi Daniel Burstyn Oxford
Rabbi DavidYehuda Stern Shrewsbury
18:0019:00
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR... RABBI
How can we help our Rabbis and Cantors be prepared for the challenges of the future? Rabbinic seminaries might get them ready for their first position in congregations, or elsewhere, but over the years they find they need so many skills that can’t be acquired until they are in the profession. Join Rabbi Mark Goldsmith and Rabbi Andrea Kulikovsky as they explore what effective Rabbinic and Cantorial continued professional development might look like. What have they discovered that Leo Baeck College could not have prepared them for? Rabbi Andrea Kulikovsky is rabbi at The Ark and Rabbinic Admissions Advisor at LBC. Rabbi Mark Goldsmith is Senior Rabbi at EHRS and celebrates his thirtieth year in the community Rabbinate this year.
STREAM: COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP
TEFILLATEINU LIVE: PLAN AND LEAD A SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE
“A rabbi, a cantor, and a group of enthusiastic lay leaders walk into a conference room...” What happens next is up to you! Join us to plan and prepare a creative and collaborative Tefillah experience for conference participants to enjoy on Sunday morning at 8:45. You will be guided and supported by Cantor Rosalie Will and Rabbi Anna Gerrard. All levels of service leading experience are welcome.
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
CHANGE THE JEWISH WORLD: SING AT ORDINATION!
Every year, Leo Baeck College ordain brilliant new rabbis who will become part of and lead our new Movement. Join this session and learn the music we’ll be singing at this year’s ordination ceremony (on the afternoon of July 5th at Alyth Synagogue) and become part of our choir for the day. Add your voices and your harmonies. (Sight-reading skills are not necessary, but a propensity for joy and enthusiasm are essential!)
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
SINGING AS PERSONAL PRAYER
Need to take a breather on this busy day? We’ll sing gentle niggunim [wordless melodies] and simple texts, and explore how these can be used to create a personal prayer practice to help ground us, soothe us, and delight us every single day.
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
Rabbi Mark Goldsmith and Rabbi Andrea Kulikovsky Chelmsford
Rabbi Anna Gerrard and Cantor Rosalie Will Lancaster
Cantor Zöe Jacobs Taylor
Mich Sampson Worcester
19:00
EVENING PROGRAMME
BBQ, BOUNCY CASTLES & FESTIVAL FUN
The ultimate recipe for a brilliant evening —think sizzling grills, giant inflatables and a lively festival atmosphere.
If raining dinner is in the restaurant Rabbis Jonathan Romain & Eli Tikvah Sarah will be signing copies of their books and the book stall will be open for business.
Children’s listening service
20:00-22:30
21:00-22:30
20:30-21:15
Restaurant Terrace, County & Outside
21:30-22:15
So you don’t miss out on the fun. A member of staff will be positioned in the coffee area next to rooms 202-214
NOAH ARONSON IN CONCERT!
And just when you think it couldn’t get any better the Main Stage springs into life with Noah Aronson in Concert. Take your seats for an unforgettable evening culminating with Havdallah. County
BITE-SIZE LEARNING
IS ANYONE LISTENING? BRINGING SHEMA INTO YOUR LIFE WITH MUSSAR
Everywhere you turn it seems like no one listens anymore. Changing this begins with us. In this session you will tap into the Jewish ethical tradition of Mussar to open your ears, your mind, and your heart.
STREAM: TEXT
THE LOST TRIBES
Recognition of the Beta Israel in Ethiopia and the Benei Menashe in India along with the many groups who claim Jewish heritage in Africa and the American continents gives a new dimension to the question ‘Who is a Jew?’ Rabbi Sybil will focus on communities in Africa to examine this question and ask if our definitions today are really fit for purpose.
STREAM: PEOPLEHOOD AND ISRAEL
Rabbi Monique Mayer Winchester
Rabbi Sybil Sheridan Winchester
22:30 HAVDALAH County
07:00 - 10:00
Breakfast and Check Out (by 10:30am)
If you are in the Mercure please check out and bring your luggage to Staverton for storage Restaurant
EARLY MORNING OPTIONS
07:30 Run Club
With Student Rabbis Richard & Stacy Reception
08:30-09:30
THE SUNDAY MORNING NEWS: WORLD WAR 3.0: FOUR YEARS IN?
In addition to being Chair of North West Surrey Synagogue, Dr Lynette Nusbacher is a historian, strategist, and one of Britain’s authoritative voices on global security; and she believes the Third World War has already begun.
In this talk for those who like to begin their Sunday mornings with the Sunday papers or news programmes, she will set out the case that the conflicts in the Ukraine - and Iran theatres are not separate crises but interacting fronts in a single, already-unfolding global war; and what that means for Britain, for the West, and for the Jewish world.
Lynette speaks here as both analyst and community member.
8.45-9:30 SHACHARIT
Planned and led by YOU
Dr Lynette Nusbacher Winchester
Along with Rabbi Anna Gerrard and Cantor Rosalie Will County
09:00-12:00 Creche open Including creche lunch @11.30 Warwick
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
09:40-10:40
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
09:40 –10:40
MAKING A DIFFERENCE BEYOND OUR GATES: PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
We are delighted to welcome Rabbi David Saperstein to Hineinu. David has been described as ‘the most influential rabbi in America’ by Newsweek magazine. He is director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, which works to educate, inspire, and mobilise the Progressive Jewish community in the US to advocate for social justice. He was director and counsel of RAC for 40 years. In this conversation, hosted by Rabbi Josh Levy, he will discuss why it matters that Progressive Judaism seeks to make a difference beyond our own communities, how we can best have impact on the world around us, and the state of the Jewish and wider faith world today.
STREAM: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND VOICE
BREAKING BINARIES. A PROGRESSIVE RABBI ENGAGES WITH CONTEMPORARY
ISSUES
What can we learn from Jewish teaching and practice when we look beyond binaries? My new book examines ‘threes’ and ‘betweens’ in Jewish teaching, rites and relationships, and goes on to apply a triangulating approach to contemporary issues, like gender, Jewish status, interfaith engagement, and the ecological crisis. This session is for explorers.
STREAM: PROGRESSIVE JEWISH THOUGHT
THE “OLAM HABA” OF TEFILLAH
As we begin to process our experience of singing and praying together this past weekend, how can clergy and lay leaders work together to envision, create, and implement a vibrant tefillah culture in their home communities? Bring a thought partner (if you can!) and a willingness to think boldly about what tefillah could be like – and what it would take to bring it about.
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
In conversation with Rabbi David Saperstein Winchester
Rabbi Eli Tikvah Sarah Lancaster
Cantor Josh Breitzer County
09:40-10:40
IT TOOK A LOT TO GET CLAUDE MONTEFIORE ANGRY – THE FOUNDING CONFERENCE OF THE WUPJ
This year marks the centenary of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, founded in London in 1926. That founding conference, in the then brand new building of the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, was not without its controversies and bust-ups. In 1928 the WUPJ’s second conference was in Berlin, in the Prussian parliament building. Join Rabbi Mark Goldsmith to find out what the tough issues were and also the extraordinary achievements of the past 100 years which has made the WUPJ the largest single Jewish organisation in the world, with 1.8 million members in 50 countries.
STREAM: ISRAEL AND PEOPLEHOOD
‘WHO REVIVES THE DEAD’
Reform and Liberal liturgy have always struggled with the notion of resurrection, which is described in the second paragraph of the Amidah. Do you change it, fake it or take it as read? This text study session will look at why the prayer was written, why Moses Maimonides was both defensive and discomfited, and what Progressive thinkers have made of it in the past two hundred years.
STREAM: PRAYER AND LITURGY
MI SHEBEIRACH: MUSIC, HEALING AND THE JEWISH IMAGINATION
How did healing become such a significant part of contemporary Jewish services? This session explores the evolving place of healing in Jewish communal life and the unique role music has played in that transformation. We’ll look at the legacy of Debbie Friedman’s Mi Shebeirach, co-written with Rabbi Drorah Setel, and consider how a single melody helped open new possibilities for prayer, vulnerability, and care within our congregations. Along the way, we’ll share and learn music that can enrich healing services and accompany people through times of illness, uncertainty, grief, and renewal.
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
10:40-11:00 Check Out if you haven’t already
Rabbi Mark Goldsmith Oxford
Rabbi Sybil Sheridan Shrewsbury
Rabbi Drorah Setel and Cantor Tamara Wolfson Taylor
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
11:00-12:00
CHOICE OF SESSIONS
11:00-12:00
THE STATE OF ISRAEL IN 2026 AND BEYOND: FINDING HOPE IN A TIME OF CHALLENGE
Israel is living through one of the most complex and painful periods in its history. The questions facing Israeli society touch on democracy and security, religion and state, peace and conflict, identity and belonging.
Chaired by Rabbi Charley Baginsky, this panel brings together Lesley Sachs and Rabbi Dr Michael Marmur to explore the realities of Israel today and the possibilities for its future. Drawing on their diverse experiences of leadership, activism, scholarship and public life, they will reflect on where hope can be found, what role Progressive Judaism can play in shaping a more pluralistic and democratic future, and how we sustain our commitment to Israel even in its most difficult moments.
STREAM: PEOPLEHOOD AND ISRAEL Panel
LEADING (PROGRESSIVE) JEWISHLY
How can we ensure that our synagogue communities are being led, managed, governed in line with the values of Progressive Judaism? When it can be hard enough to ensure we meet legal requirements, why should we go further?
Let’s explore some aspects of this together and see what answers or better questions emerge!
STREAM: COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP
A SHORT GUIDE TO CROSSING A VERY NARROW BRIDGE
Rebbe Nachman taught that life’s challenges are like crossing very narrow bridges - and the key is not to be afraid. But fear is real. This session explores Jewish wisdom to help us face life’s crossings with clarity, confidence and courage.
STREAM: TEXT
Rabbi Richard Jacobi Taylor
Rabbi DavidYehuda Stern Oxford
11:0012:00
LOVE - THE REST IS COMMENTARY
A famous “on one leg” description of Judaism’s essentials starts with love, and so will this session. We’ll explore how Progressive Jewish theology rooted in love might shape the Jewish choices we make, from the fundamentals of choosing to be Jewish in challenging times, to which mitzvot we take on and how we show up in the world.
STREAM: PROGRESSIVE JEWISH THOUGHT
SONGS OF RESISTANCE: PRAYING WITH OUR FEET - SINGING IN THE STREETS
We will share repertoire, strategies, and best practices for leading interfaith and social justice music in complicated times. How can we sing our values, use music to build bridges, and create sacred communal music moments that bring diverse communities together for common cause.
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
HOW DO I GET THEM TO SING THIS?!
An opportunity for us to share ways of helping groups of singers to learn rounds and harmony parts – whether we have years of experience or are just starting out and gathering ideas.
Judith has been teaching songs for a long time. She has some tried and tested techniques to share – as well as a few really fun songs to demonstrate them, of course! – and looks forward to all that will emerge from the group too.
STREAM: SHIREI CHAGIGAH
CLOSING CEREMONY & AWARDS
12:1513:15
As we bring Hineinu to a close, we want to celebrate, sing and reflect. We will honour the first recipients of The Movement for Progressive Judaism Awards, raise our voices together and then take a moment to consider what we will carry home from this weekend
In your hands are seeds for the future of Progressive Judaism. Every movement is built twice: once in the moment, and then again in what we choose to carry home. The question is not simply what you have experienced at Hineinu, but what you will sow from it when you return home.
Rabbi Eleanor Davis Shrewsbury
Cantor Rosalie Will County
Judith Silver Chelmsford
Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Cantor Zöe Jacobs County
13:15–14:00 Lunch Restaurant
Safe journey home!
OUR PRESENTERS
NOAH ARONSON is a musical keynote performer who creates emotionally transformative experiences of connection and presence. Blending music, storytelling, humour, and truth, he brings rooms into a rare state of collective aliveness — where silence is electric, hearts open, and people feel profoundly connected to one another. A Berklee-trained composer and one of the most influential Jewish artists of the last two decades, Noah’s work now bridges spiritual, creative, and secular spaces. His performances aren’t concerts or talks — they’re immersive moments that dissolve barriers and awaken a deep sense of belonging. He has released eight albums, toured globally, and continues to redefine what it means to use music as a catalyst for human connection.
RABBI CHARLEY BAGINSKY is Co-Lead of The Movement for Progressive Judaism, having previously been Rabbi for Kingston Liberal Synagogue, before joining the Liberal Judaism team and combining this with four years at South Bucks Jewish Community. Together with Rabbi Josh Levy, she led the project to bring The Movement for Reform Judaism and Liberal Judaism together. She was ordained at Leo Baeck College, having spent several years before this working in Israel, including a period at Leo Baeck, Haifa, where she also studied at Haifa University.
RABBI RACHEL BENJAMIN lived in Los Angeles from 1984 to 1994, where she gained an MA in Jewish Studies at Hebrew Union College. She was ordained in 1998, at Leo Baeck College, and has served as Rabbi at Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue, the Progressive Jewish Community of East Anglia, South Bucks Jewish Community, The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, and Mosaic Liberal Synagogue. Jewish Music is one of Rabbi Rachel’s passions. She led the Creative Music Workshop for the Liberal Judaism Day of Singing in 2003, is an active participant in LJ (now MPJ) music events, and is looking forward to Shirei Chagigah 5786! Rabbi Rachel ‘retired’ in October 2024 but retains contact with The Liberal Jewish Synagogue, supporting their pastoral work, and with Mosaic Liberal Synagogue as Rabbi Emerita.
STUDENT RABBI RACHEL BERKSON is a third year Rabbinic student at Leo Baeck College. Before joining the college she travelled round Europe working as a scientist and educator, and volunteering with small Jewish communities in her spare time.
RABBI REBECCA BIRK read theology at Bristol and Harvard Universities. She has been the Rabbi to Finchley Progressive synagogue since 2012. She has also been visiting Rabbi to Progressive Jews of Stockholm in the Great Synagogue, Stockholm 2000-2021. She is passionate about relational Judaism and the building of communities in this image. She has had particular success leading campaigns for Syrian Refugee resettlement in her local council, the first Conservative Borough to do so.
CANTOR JOSH BREITZER, president of the American Conference of Cantors, sings and teaches in communities throughout North America and around the world, earning recognition by The Forward as one of the best new Jewish music voices. He has served Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, NY since his 2011 ordination from Hebrew Union College, where he also holds the title Clinical Instructor in Cantorial Arts. An alumnus of the Clergy Leadership Program of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Cantor Josh strives to model in all his work how to weave traditional and contemporary liturgical settings into a holistic, compelling prayer experience.
RABBI DANIEL BURSTYN has been a member of Kibbutz Lotan since 1990. He splits his time between physical and spiritual service. He is an active member of Rabbis for Human Rights, Maram - the Israeli Reform Rabbinical Association, CCAR, and Ohalah – the association of Jewish Renewal Clergy. As a Regional Rabbi for the Israeli Reform Movement, he teaches youth and adults in his kibbutz and in the Arava Region, with a special focus on Judaism and Ecology. For the past few years, he has been active on the editorial committee for the new Israeli Reform High Holiday machzor.
LYNETTE CHAZEN In October, Lynette will have completed 35 years working at Alyth. In recent times, she has been working as Head of Community Care & Life Cycle, facilitating projects and programmes that aim to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of the community, and offering pastoral care alongside the rabbis. Lynette co-founded and previously chaired the MRJ Welfare Forum and later remained part of the MRJ Adult Social Care Group.
RUTH COLIN has been directing music at The Ark Synagogue (Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue) for over 25 years. She is a cellist, instrumental music teacher, coaches adult and youth choirs & ensembles. (ruthc@arksynagogue.org)
RABBI ELEANOR DAVIS is part of the clergy team at Finchley Reform Synagogue. She began as a flute and piano teacher, later enjoying Rosh Chodesh groups and adult Jewish education. After studying at Leo Baeck College, visiting communities around the UK and Ireland as a student rabbi, she was ordained in 2024 (and remains fascinated with all things lunar).
RABBI PAUL FREEDMAN is Senior Rabbi of Radlett Reform Synagogue (currently merging with The Liberal Synagogue Elstree) and a member of the Board of The Movement for Progressive Judaism. He has been involved in the production of both Liberal and Reform liturgy in the UK, most recently as co-editor of the new Reform High Holyday machzor.
RABBI ANNA GERRARD is the Rabbi of Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community and works for the Movement for Progressive Judaism as the Rabbinic lead on their new Tefillateinu prayer leadership training programme. Rabbi Anna trained for the Rabbinate at Leo Baeck College in London and at Hebrew Union College and Machon Schechter in Jerusalem. She has worked as the Outreach Director for Liberal Judaism and as the Jewish Chaplain at Clifton College in Bristol. Rabbi Anna is passionate about community building and development, creative liturgy, and lifelong learning. She lives in Gloucestershire with her teenage son and their little dog Cleo.
RABBI NAOMI GOLDMAN is the Rabbi at Kol Chai Hatch End Reform Jewish Community and was ordained in 2017. She is also a member of the Liberal Jewish Synagogue and a founder member of the Ruach Chavurah a Jewish Renewal community in North London. Before entering the Rabbinate she was a BBC journalist for 18 years. Naomi is interested in Jewish mysticism of all kinds and the ways in which Jewish practice can be a part of a cycle of healing and renewal. She occasionally teaches on the vocational track at Leo Baeck College.
RABBI MARK GOLDSMITH has served four Progressive congregations since he gained Semichah from Leo Baeck College in 1996 and is currently Senior Rabbi of Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue having been past chair of the Reform Assembly and the Liberal Conference of Rabbis and Cantors. He is Co-Chair of Darkeinu, the European Union for Progressive Judaism’s conference to celebrate the Centenary of the World Union for Progressive Judaism which takes place next weekend in London. He probably wouldn’t exist had his parents not decided that they would get engaged when they were together at a WUPJYS (World Union Youth Section) conference in Scotland in 1959!
RABBI AARON GOLDSTEIN Rabbi Aaron Goldstein became Senior Rabbi of The Ark Synagogue in the summer of 2008. As well as serving his Congregation, he has been a passionate supporter of twin Congregations in Israel and Ukraine, and the Ark’s tradition of maintaining the legacy of the Jews of Czech and Slovak towns where its Torah scrolls came from. Before his role at The Ark Synagogue, Rabbi Goldstein was Head of Community Development for Liberal Judaism from 2002, following his ordination from Leo Baeck College. He helped to establish a number of new congregations and supported the development of many other small and medium sized communities. He was a champion of inclusion work especially for mixed households and Equal Marriage. You can find Aaron on his bike @ cyclingrabbi, in his allotment or reading (in translation) Japanese novels.
CANTOR SARAH GRABINER was ordained at HUC in New York in 2019 and worked at Radlett Reform Synagogue, before serving as the associate director of HUC’s Year in Israel programme in Jerusalem until 2025. She is currently working at Alyth and Finchley Reform Synagogue, and teaching Liturgy at Leo Baeck College. Sarah has degrees in Hebrew from Oxford University, Sacred Music from HUC, and Linguistics from UCL and is writing her PhD thesis at UCL on “Prayer Book Jewish English,” the language of translation in Hebrew-English siddurim.
STUDENT RABBI RICHARD ALLEN GREENE is a multi-award winning journalist, a member of Finchley Progressive Synagogue and a rising second-year rabbinic student at the Leo Baeck College in London. Born in Chicago, Richard took off for Europe after graduating from Carleton College in Minnesota. He was an English teacher in Prague for several years, then became a journalist, working for the Prague Post, BBC, Politico and CNN in his career. He was CNN Jerusalem Bureau Chief 2023-2024, and led the CNN team that won an Emmy for Breaking News Coverage of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
RHIANNON HUMPHREYS is an experienced youth worker, informal educator, and song and prayer leader, who finds joy in bringing people together for immersive educational and community experiences. Currently the Song Leader and heading up the B’nei Mitzvah programme at FRS, they enjoy creating meaningful music tefillah that engages both young people and adults. Rhiannon also leads the Tefillah team for the Queer Yeshiva (UK), providing radical and restorative learning and praying environments for queer Jews.
RABBI RICHARD JACOBI is fortunate to be rabbi of the community of the East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue, which he has served since before ordination in 2008. He also teaches Leadership and Management Skills to final year rabbinic students at Leo Baeck College.
CANTOR ZÖE JACOBS first learned about Jewish music and leadership at the URJ Kutz Camp: it shaped the person she became. After ordination from HUC’s ‘Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music’, and the gift of many years learning at Hava Nashira, Zöe became the first ordained cantor in the Movement for Reform Judaism. She has spent 18 years working with and learning from her communityFinchley Reform Synagogue – as well as for the Reform Movement, who allowed her the opportunity to envision and establish Shirei Chagigah back in 2011, as a way of encouraging more people to take seriously the power of leading music in community, and even consider the cantorate as a profession!
RABBI PROFESSOR DEBORAH KAHN-HARRIS has served as Principal of Leo Baeck College (www.lbc.ac.uk) since 2011, where she also teaches Tanakh (particularly the Megillot). She holds a PhD in Bible from the University of Sheffield and has served both as a congregational rabbi and university student chaplain earlier in her career. Her most recent book is Polyamory and Reading the Book of Ruth (Lexington Books: 2024). She is currently working on parashat Behar for the new Reform Torah Commentary (CCAR Press, forthcoming).
RABBI GILAD KARIV MK made history by becoming the first ever Progressive Rabbi elected to Israel’s Knesset (Parliament) in 2021. Since then, he has been considered one of the Knesset’s most outstanding members with his parliamentary initiatives, speeches and legislative efforts making him a leading voice of Progressive Zionism in Israel. Rabbi Gilad has put our shared values into action by advancing legislative proposals and speaking out in areas including civil rights, the rule of law, freedom of religion, combating violence, and promoting a shared society.
RABBI DR ELLIOTT KARSTADT has been part of the clergy team at Alyth Synagogue since 2020, when he was ordained at Leo Baeck College. Before studying for the rabbinate, he completed his PhD in the History of Ideas, focusing on political thought. He is the host of All Else is Commentary: A Podcast of Jewish Ideas.
RABBI ANDREA KULIKOVSKY serves as Rabbi of The Ark Synagogue in Northwood, London, and as Admissions Advisor at Leo Baeck College. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, she came to the rabbinate after more than two decades of leadership in Progressive Jewish communities across Latin America, including serving as Executive Director of the Union for Progressive Judaism in Latin America (UJR) and in senior leadership roles at ARI in Rio de Janeiro and CIP in São Paulo. Andrea is passionate about Jewish learning, community engagement, and exploring how digital communication and technology can foster meaningful Jewish connection and belonging.
RABBI JOSH LEVY is Co-Lead of The Movement for Progressive Judaism, having previously been Principal Rabbi at Alyth where he was rabbi for 15 years. Together with Rabbi Charley Baginsky, he led the project to bring Liberal Judaism and The Movement for Reform Judaism together. He was ordained at Leo Baeck College, where he is a Lecturer in Rabbinic Literature, focusing on the Progressive Jewish relationship with Halakhah, with a particular interest in how we approach matters of Jewish status.
RABBI DR MICHAEL MARMUR is Professor of Jewish Theology at Hebrew Union College/Jerusalem having previously been Dean of the Jerusalem campus. After 20 years in administrative capacities, he concentrates his energies on teaching and writing. His most recent book is Living the Letters: An Alphabet of Emerging Jewish Thought (2025). Michael was born and raised in the UK, was ordained in the Israel Rabbinic Program of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem in 1992, and for six years following his ordination, worked as rabbi and teacher at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa. He served for three years as Chair of the Board of Rabbis for Human Rights and is still a member of its Board.
RABBI MONIQUE MAYER grew up in California and received rabbinic ordination from Leo Baeck College. She is a practitioner and teacher of Mussar—a Jewish ethical practice in which one develops one’s character to become a good and decent human being. Rabbi Monique serves the Bristol & West Progressive Jewish Congregation and was the author of Liberal Judaism’s service-leader training programme.
STUDENT RABBI SHAMAYA MIRVISS-CARVAJAL is finishing their first year of Rabbinical training at Leo Baeck College. He was previously in the leadership team for Queer Yeshiva, aimed at bringing LGBTQ+ into Talmud learning, alongside Rabbi Lev Saul and Joanna Rubens. They have an MA in Hebrew & Jewish Studies from UCL and in The Religious Roots of Europe from Lunds Universitet.
RABBI LEA MÜHLSTEIN is Senior Rabbi of The Ark Synagogue, UK. She serves as Chair of the European Union for Progressive Judaism and is active in international Zionist and Progressive Jewish leadership. Born in Germany and ordained at Leo Baeck College, her work brings together Jewish learning, social justice, interfaith engagement and advocacy for Progressive Judaism in Europe and Israel.
DR LYNETTE NUSBACHER is Chair of North West Surrey Synagogue. She is also a historian, strategist, and one of Britain’s authoritative voices on global security. Drawing on a career that has taken her from military history to the heart of British national intelligence, Lynette brings a rare analytical framework to the question of where the world stands today. She spent a decade in the Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence, directing strategic foresight for two National Security Strategies and serving as Devil’s Advocate to the Joint Intelligence Committee, the role responsible for challenging received assessments and identifying what the intelligence picture might be missing. She holds a doctorate in modern history from Oxford and has taught strategy at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
RABBI DR JONATHAN ROMAIN is a writer, broadcaster and Convenor of the Reform Beit Din, having previously served Maidenhead Synagogue for many years. His MBE was for his work in pioneering a more welcoming attitude to mixed-faith couples. He has written more than 20 books and his latest is A Better Death: The Case for Assisted Dying (Reaktion Press).
LESLEY SACHS was born in South Africa and grew up in Haifa from the age of 5. She has served as Executive Director of The Israel Women’s Network, Director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), Vice President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, and founding director of “Project Kesher Israel”, an organization which empowers Russian- speaking immigrant women. She was Executive Director of Women of the Wall for 10 years leading the organization to unprecedented growth and worldwide success. As of October 2025, Lesley holds the position of Chairperson of the Progressive movement in Israel.
MICH SAMPSON is Music Director at East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue, and supports many other Progressive communities in using sung prayer to inspire, delight and soothe. In recent years she has been excited to lead choirs, mentor prayer leaders, create a monthly meditative song circle, and hold night-time prayers on Zoom. She loves to teach leyning, having completed her studies in trope with the European Academy of Jewish Liturgy (EAJL).
RABBI LEV SAUL is the rabbi of Kingston Liberal Synagogue. He co-founded the Queer Yeshiva, is a Patron of the British Shalom-Salaam Trust and sits on the Board of UK Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights.
RABBI DAVID SAPERSTEIN is director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, having served as its director and counsel for 40 years. During the second term of the Obama administration, he became the first rabbi in American history to be designated a U.S. Ambassador when he was appointed the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. A former President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, he is a senior advisor to the Union for Reform Judaism.
RABBI ELI TIKVAH SARAH was ordained in July 1989 by Rabbi Lionel Blue, Z”L, under the auspices of Leo Baeck College. An LGBT+ pioneer and campaigner for equal marriage, Eli has also been engaged in interfaith dialogue and actively committed to Israeli-Palestinian coexistence for decades, and has written extensively on these areas. Author of Trouble-Making Judaism (2012), Eli’s new book, Breaking Binaries: A progressive rabbi engages with contemporary issues, was published in March 2026. Rabbi of Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue for twenty years, following retirement in April 2021, Eli became Emeritus Rabbi of the congregation.
RABBI ADRIAN M SCHELL (BA, MA, PGCERT) serves as the rabbi at The Wimbledon Synagogue. Alongside his congregational leadership, he works as a qualified hospital chaplain for the GESH Hospital group in Southwest London. He brings extensive experience in pastoral care to his community and the wider public, combining his rabbinic role with a deep commitment to supporting patients and their families through medical crises.
RABBI DRORAH SETEL moved to the UK six months ago to serve as the rabbi at North West Surrey Synagogue. She is best known as the co-author, with Debbie Friedman, of the “Mi Shebeirach” prayer, now widely sung in congregations throughout the world.
RABBI SYBIL SHERIDAN was ordained at Leo Baeck College in 1981 and served both Liberal and Reform congregations over the course of her career until her retirement in August 2025. Sybil continues to teach and to write on a number of themes, mostly in connection with women in Judaism and interfaith.
RABBI CANTOR GERSHON SILINS is rabbi of The Liberal Synagogue Elstree. He was ordained as a cantor in 1990, receiving the degree of Master of Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College in New York. In 2015, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Sacred Music (honoris causa) in recognition of his years of service to the American cantorate. His essay, “The Discussion of Music in Lawrence A. Hoffman’s The Art of Public Prayer” appeared in The CCAR Journal. He was ordained as a rabbi by Leo Baeck College in 2019. He served as assistant rabbi at The West London Synagogue and previously was on the Rabbinic Team of Liberal Judaism, serving communities in Lincolnshire, Norwich, Stevenage, Peterborough and Manchester.
JUDITH SILVER is a composer, teacher, song leader, playwright and performer. She works both within and outside the Jewish community, often in interfaith settings, and is passionate about the healing power of song and the human voice. In January 2014, Judith founded Companion Voices, to bring singing to the bedsides of people at the end of life – and it is her vision to make this accessible to all who might welcome it. To date, there are twelve groups around the UK, due to rise to 15 by the end of the year. (Please do get in touch if you’d like to get involved, whether as a singer or sharing other skills and experience you have. Judith wrote her musical play ‘Mum Thumb’ in 2019, inspired by experiences shared with her Mum, Anne, who developed dementia in the later years of her life and died in 2017. www.judithsilver.com www.companionvoices.org www.mumthumb.org
RABBI DY (DAVID-YEHUDA) STERN brings warmth, creativity and scholarship to his role at Radlett Reform Synagogue. With a background in Film, Jewish Education, and rabbinic training at Leo Baeck College, he works to strengthen communities through kindness as a core Jewish value. His writing and podcasts explore spirituality, meaning, Jewish belonging, and how Jewish life engages with the wider world.
BECKY TEIGER has been an active member of Sinai Synagogue, Leeds for the last 20 years, working to sustain and develop Sinai as a thriving Reform community at the heart of communal life. She brings together years of lay leadership experience, together with professional expertise in community engagement and development, empowering members to take on voluntary roles and engage more meaningfully in community life. A graduate of the Jewish Leadership Council’s Dangoor Senior leadership programme, Becky served on the Advisory Board for the formation of the Movement for Progressive Judaism and is passionate about bringing diverse voices to the leadership table. Becky is married to Simon, a video producer/ photographer, and they share their home with a very vocal 9 year old and a fluffy cat!
STUDENT RABBI YAEL TISCHLER is passionate about the power of Jewish ritual and story to heal, inspire and transform individuals, communities and the world. She has completed her rabbinic coursework at Leo Baeck College and will be officially ordained as a rabbi in July 2026. In 2016, she co-founded Yelala, a constellation of work that celebrates Earth-centred, feminist Jewish spirituality and reclaims the practices of Jewish women, femme and folk ancestors. For the last 2 years, she has served as the rabbinic leader of Makor Hayim Synagogue. She was ordained as a Kohenet (Hebrew Priestess) in 2019, a Jewish spiritual leadership role that focuses on creative ritual and the integration of the Divine Feminine into Jewish religious life.
THANK YOU TO THE NLPS TRUST FOR SUPPORTING MPJ’S EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAMME
RABBI KATH VARDI holds a BA in Religions and Theology (Jewish Studies), a MA in Rabbinic Theology and an MPA in Faith Leadership as well as being a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Managers. She returned to study as a mature student having previously worked as a mental health nurse in the NHS and charity sector. Following graduation she went to Leo Baeck College in London and gained semicha in 2017. She was rabbi at NWSS Surrey for 8 years before returning home to Manchester and becoming rabbi of Menorah Reform Synagogue.
CANTOR RACHEL WESTON is a cantor, song collector, educator and performer of Yiddish song and Khazones. She received cantorial ordination and a masters in sacred music from New York’s Hebrew Union College, and has a masters in performance and ethnomusicology from SOAS. She has coordinated and taught Yiddish song and niggunim workshop programmes for the Jewish Music Institute UK, SOAS, Kleznorth, Klezfest London, WOMAD festival, the London and Brighton Yiddish choirs, Klezkanada (Montreal), Yiddish New York, and Yiddish Summer Weimar. Rachel is also a community workshop facilitator and leads music workshops for elders with dementia and their caregivers. Following her ordination, she was the cantor of Sinai Synagogue in Leeds, and currently divides her time as cantor of Southgate Progressive Synagogue and Kehillah North London in Stoke Newington.
CANTOR ROSALIE WILL is the first cantor in the 165 year history of Chicago Sinai Congregation. She brings more than 25 years of experience in training songleaders, leading worship, and creating joyful singing communities. She consults congregations on issues of worship, music, and synagogue transition, travels for congregational residencies, and coaches clergy in the field. Cantor Will is founder of Sing Unto God, a non-profit dedicated to elevating the practice of communal singing, and the producing organization for Hava Nashira, the seminal songleader conference founded by Debbie Friedman z”l and Cantor Jeff Klepper in 1992. She continues to support the URJ on issues of worship and music, including many years as the Director of Worship for the URJ Biennial. Cantor Will is the author of a narrative trade book with Transcontinental Music Publishing entitled Songleading: A Work of Art.
RABBI ANNA WOLFSON is The Director of Community Development at The Liberal Synagogue Elstree and Chair of the Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors. Anna has worked as a rabbi at Mosaic Jewish Community, Beit Klal Yisrael and Norwich Liberal Jewish community as well as spending time as the Progressive Jewish Students (PJS) Chaplain. She has a passion for developing inclusive and open community spaces and allowing people to explore their own Jewish journeys.
CANTOR TAMARA WOLFSON was born and raised in New York, where her love of Jewish music and prayer was first ignited by her childhood cantor. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Jewish Studies from American Jewish University in Los Angeles before pursuing cantorial studies at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. Ordained in May 2018, Cantor Wolfson moved to the United Kingdom, serving as Cantor at the Ark Synagogue, Kehillah North London, and Alyth, before being appointed Cantor and Music Director of Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue in January 2024. Cantor Wolfson is passionate about reimagining the modern cantorate and adapting hazzanut for female prayer leaders. Above all, she values participatory singing and building community through music.
RABBI GILI ZIDKIYAHU is the rabbi of Nottingham Liberal Synagogue. She is an 8th generation Israeli, ordained in HUC Jerusalem, with a love of Ivrit and a passion for Hebrew poetry and how it enhances our spiritual experience.
GROUND FLOOR
Some of the members of the MPJ Launch Board at a recent meeting
The Movement for Progressive Judaism exists because communities, clergy, lay leaders and members had the courage to imagine something larger than the institutions they inherited.
They understood that what unites us matters more than what separates us and that the future is stronger if we build it together.
This gathering is far more than just the inaugural conference of a new organisation. It is a symbol of our coming together. It marks an important moment in the new chapter that we are writing together in the story of Judaism in the UK and Ireland.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend.
The Launch Board of The Movement for Progressive Judaism
