Chag Ha-Sukkot, ‘The Feast of Tabernacles’ (Leviticus 23:34), also known in biblical times as Chag Ha-Asif, ‘the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16), became Z’man Simchateinu, the ‘Season of our Rejoicing’ in rabbinic teaching because of the command to ‘rejoice’, reiterated in the Torah (Lev. 23:40; Deuteronomy 16:14). And yet, just five days before Sukkot: Yom […]
PRAYER FOR REFUGEES AT PESACH Eternal God, our Creator and Liberator, as we celebrate together at our seder and rejoice in our many blessings, we pause to remember those across the world whose lives are blighted by the curses of poverty and persecution. We think of the many millions in flight from tyranny, violence and […]
Introduction Hello everyone. I’m sorry I can’t be with you in person. As someone designated ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’, I need to keep Covid-safe. I have been asked by Rebecca and René to speak about individual and personal theology, so here is my take on the theme. An LSE Sociology graduate-come-Marxist anti-racist activist turned radical feminist […]
Shabbat shalom everyone. It’s an honour and a great pleasure to be invited to speak today at this first European Union for Progressive Judaism Pride Shabbat morning service. I would like to take this opportunity to express heartfelt solidarity for all those living in countries where LGBTQ+ people do not have the protection of equality […]
Dearest Friends, It’s so very kind of you to arrange this Zoom hour with me – in particular, since the ongoing coronavirus crisis and the additional demands it has placed on me in my role as Rabbi has meant that I’ve not been able to attend executive meetings for several months. I would like to […]
Friends, thank you for inviting me here this evening on the occasion of your AGM, which is taking place during Interfaith Week. It’s a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to you. There are so many urgent issues to address. In the immediate future, Brexit still unresolved, we face a General Election in four […]
ALL-NIGHT CHEESECAKE & REFRESHMENTS STUDY MARATHON Led by Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah CLIMATE CHANGE & OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR THE WORLD Saturday 8th (PM) – Sunday 9th (AM) June 2019 Brighton & Hove Progressive Synagogue, 6 Lansdowne Road, BN3 1FF Start: 8 PM (last entry: 10 PM). Finish: 5.30 AM on the beach (Participants will […]
We want to wish all of our candidates well… It is not an easy time to be involved in public life… Is it any wonder that women are still underrepresented in local and national government given the abuse that comes with putting your head above the parapet. We want to thank Councillor Yates, Councillor Mac […]
[I wrote this paper last year. I’m posting it again in the context of the recent re-emergence of the issue of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party – ETS] Good evening everyone and thank you for inviting me to participate in this meeting. I would like to contribute to our discussion about how we can change […]
It’s February: the shortest month of the year and the last month of winter, reminding us that spring is just around the corner. So, a time for looking forwards. This year, February has also been a moment for looking backwards 100 years to 6th February 1918 and the Representation of the People Act, which gave […]