Karen Newman, Chair of Liberal Judaism and
Paul Langsford, Chair of the Movement for Reform Judaism
It has been nearly a year since the full-time process of bringing our two organisations together began. We want to recognise how much work has been done in this time and the significant milestones we have achieved.
As we reach the end of this first year, this is an opportunity to reflect on, and share, what has taken place.
When the work began, we decided to prioritise three areas.
1. The ‘in principle’ conversation with our communities
Communities are at the heart of our movements, so the most important first step was to discuss with them the creation of one Progressive movement. Our CEOs have spent much of the last 12 months on the road speaking with communities about this goal, which they write about elsewhere in this booklet.
Everything we have done has been with the recognition that, as member organisations, the voice of our members is crucial. We have sought to move fast enough to ensure that we keep momentum and do not paralyse the work of movement, while at the same time moving slowly enough to ensure that we travel together. This has been a wonderful journey and one which needed an investment of time.
2. Foundational features of the new movement
Alongside the ‘in principle’ conversation about the process, we recognised that we also needed to work on what the new movement would look like. In particular, there were three foundational areas that we needed to explore without which the creation of a new movement could not take place. Three groups were established to make recommendations on these areas. In summary:
a) Financial contributions: We are committed to ensuring that, for the first three years of the new movement, this should not cost communities more than would be the case under current models. This will require us to raise funds in other ways, and we are committed to greater fundraising and exploring new income streams. Once the new movement has been created, we will have the opportunity to look together at future modelling.
b) Governance: The group looking at this saw that the core principles of governance in both movements were very similar. Over the coming weeks we will begin to draw up governing documents based on their recommendations, that reflect the centrality of community voice, while ensuring that the trustees of the new charity are accountable and responsible for the new movement.
c) Membership agreement: Good practice in the charity sector requires that membership organisations have membership agreements for the protection of all parties. The group looking at this recommended that the agreement for the new movement be ‘light touch’, and provide an opportunity for a clear articulation of the benefits and responsibilities of membership.
3. Working together
In order to ensure that the two movements remain effective, we have begun to model our new working practices, already putting in place a partial operational coming together. We have a shared communications team, are building a shared youth and student infrastructure and new recruitments are being made together. Wherever we can, we are beginning to collaborate and share more. Our two staff teams meet weekly and our programmes are being shared across both movements.
Additionally we continue to work together on shared interests like Leo Baeck College; where we have a mutual commitment to an independent academic institution training a new generation of rabbis for UK communities.
As the chairs of the two existing movements, we have been impressed by the difference this initial coming together has already made internally and externally.
Externally, there is a greater recognition of the central place of Progressive Jewish life within the UK Jewish community and the national discourse of this country. Too often in the past there were tables where we were not present, or sometimes did not even know existed. We are now beginning to be recognised as having an important role to play in lifting up the values and voices of a diverse and pluralistic Jewish community.
Alongside this we have seen first-hand the difference that sharing resources and experience has for our communities. It has been a privilege to witness new conversations between communities, where new ways of sharing resources are being conceived. The possibilities that lie before us are exciting and inspiring.
There is still a long way to go, and we recognise that the final decision is in the hands of our member synagogues. Nevertheless we want to recognise how far we have come and how much has already been achieved by a commitment to work together differently.
- Photo: Karen Newman and Paul Langsford, pictured with Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky.