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Introduction
My name is Simon Gomberg and I am a Liberal Jew. I am 15: there is not a very large Jewish community near my home, so my nearest synagogue is the Birmingham Progressive Synagogue. There are some other synagogues in Birmingham.
Liberal Judaism was founded in 1902CE and is a version of Judaism that incorporates old traditions with new beliefs and practises, in comparison to the original Orthodox Judaism. To be Jewish, one must be born of at least one Jewish parent or to have converted.
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| Belief
Liberal Judaism commits to the belief that there is only one God who is indivisible, transcendent and immanent, Creator and Sustainer of the universe and a God of justice and mercy who demands that human beings shall practise justice and mercy in their dealings with one another. Liberal Judaism also prides and devotes itself to Jewish literature; the Torah, Mishnah, Talmud and Midrash, which we use as sources of great wisdom, guidance and inspiration. The Torah was given to the Jewish people by God on their way from slavery in Egypt to Israel, the Promised Land.
Liberal Judaism, when focusing on the youth, has coming of age ceremonies that are highly important. We still practise the Bar Mitzvah, and also the Bat Mitzvah for girls (as equality between men and women is a massive part of Liberal Judaism), which was the original coming of age ceremony for children, and is taken at the age of 13.
However, a new ceremony takes place in Liberal Judaism, which is considered the more important coming of age ceremony and takes place at the age of 15, as this age is thought to be a more realistic age to become an adult. This ceremony is called Kabbalat Torah. (קַבָּלַתחוֹרָה)
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Belonging
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Liberal Judaism stresses the fact that it believes in individual autonomy and sincerity in observance. This means any member of Liberal Judaism has the freedom to be part of our religion in their own way, be it attending synagogue every week and following all the traditional rules or just being part of the community. Therefore the dietary laws (kashrut) and Sabbath observance (sh'mirat shabbat) are not enforced on any member of our religion.
Being part of Liberal Judaism affirms in me that actions matter more than words. This is highlighted in the saying Tikkun Olam which literally means, repairing the world. Looking after the world and our surroundings is a big part of Liberal Judaism as everything around us is of God's creation and therefore deserves respect. Tikkun Olam can just be putting litter in the bin or the planting of a tree, of which projects in Israel are abundant.
For me belonging to Liberal Judaism is much more than just praying to God. It is about education of our own and other religions so we have a better understanding of the people around us but also how we have come to be who we are. The synagogue is where we get to learn about our history, language, culture, etc. but also the place where our community meets and shares our love for our religion. I belong to the Liberal Judaism youth movement which puts on summer camps and weekends throughout the year where I can meet and become friends with Liberal Jews from all over the world. The last summer camp I went on was a sunny 2 weeks in a boarding school in the south-west of England. |
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| Being
Being part of Liberal Judaism affects my everyday life, from moral stances to my day to day actions. As Liberal Judaism is a relaxed religion, i.e. it has adapted to the British way of living, I act no different from my gentile friends. I see my English and Jewish heritage on an equal par and take pride in both. Also due to the fact that Judaism is a minority religion and has been a persecuted religion, I do not tolerate discrimination and I stand up for anyone being treated differently for their religion, culture, etc..
Liberal Judaism does not have one set of agendas that everyone follows; each person belonging to Liberal Judaism is unique and relates to their religion in different ways. For some, Israel plays a major part in their religion and for others just praying to God is what they focus on. For many the social side of Liberal Judaism, the music, the food and the dancing, all contribute greatly for their whole Liberal Judaism experience. For me, many things add immensely to my Liberal Judaism; friends, music, food, Hebrew, being part of a small group of people, the history, and so much more.
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