Nine months ago, The Liberal Synagogue Elstree and Radlett Reform Synagogue started talking about the possibility of a merger. We rapidly realised that this would be an exciting opportunity, good for the members of both synagogues and for the wider community. Since then, a steering group and five separate working parties have developed both the big vision for what such a merger would bring, and a lot of the details of how it would work.

 

The proposed merger of Radlett Reform Synagogue and The Liberal Synagogue Elstree will bring together the strengths of our two communities to create a warm, inclusive and dynamic home for progressive Jewish life in Hertfordshire.

 

With our shared values and a shared future, we will be able to offer richer opportunities for learning, worship, culture and connection, welcoming progressive Jews of every background and stage of life. While honouring and protecting the traditions, rituals and values of both existing communities, we also recognise the need to give the next generation space to engage with Judaism in ways that speak to them. Our proposed merger provides the flexibility and resources to support traditional worship alongside new forms of Jewish expression, to uphold Tikkun Olam and social justice as a core value and to ensure that Jewish life remains vibrant, relevant and deeply meaningful for generations to come.

 

Our vision is to become a vibrant cultural Jewish centre and synagogue community for Hertfordshire and its surroundings.

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OUR BIG VISION

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In Radlett Reform and The Liberal Synagogue Elstree, we have two well established synagogues that serve Reform and Liberal Jews living in Bushey, Elstree, Borehamwood, Shenley, Radlett, Watford, St Albans and further afield into Hertfordshire.

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Our synagogues are in the enviable position of being based in an area where Jewish life is thriving. Hertfordshire has one of the fastest growing Jewish populations in the UK. We have an abundance of Kosher and Kosher-style restaurants and delis on our doorstep, access to a selection of Jewish nurseries, primary schools and secondary schools, and public spaces filled with people proud to be Jewish. We live in an area where young Jewish families are moving to and where Jewish grandparents from around the country are relocating to in order to be near their grandchildren.

We therefore have a unique opportunity to evolve in order to form one of the largest progressive Jewish communities in the country with the resources to build an entity that blends the traditional offerings of a synagogue with the modern offerings of a community centre. With a blueprint to serve the needs of Jews of all ages no matter how they engage with their Judaism.

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What this will look like is of course an ongoing discussion, and one that we will want all members to help shape, but what is clear to us is that the best opportunity we have to thrive is by coming together as one, building it together from the ground up.

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It is a vision that embraces community development opportunities and encourages greater engagement across every generation. By pooling our resources and expertise, we can extend our reach across our geographic catchment area and reach out to those who may not yet belong to a synagogue, or who are inactive members in a synagogue, but share our values and outlook. By bringing together a rabbinic team with a diversity of skills and expertise, we can offer a depth and breadth of leadership that ensures we support every member of our community. This includes supporting our Progressive Jewish children who are in Orthodox Jewish schools, ensuring that they too feel affirmed in their identity.

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The community we propose to build is one that rejects a “one size fits all” approach. Instead, we will develop a range of services and activities that reflect the richness of Jewish life, providing many entry points for connection. We will also create a stronger voice for Progressive Judaism in Hertfordshire, ensuring that we are represented both within the Jewish world and in the wider community. We see this future as one where we are able to support our students in universities, ensuring they feel part of their home community even while they are away. It is one where we have the capacity for more creative pastoral care, meeting people in the moments that matter most and offering new ways to connect.

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This coming together will sustain our community today and will build Jewish life for the next generation. At the heart of it all is our commitment to Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, and our desire to play a bigger role in the local community through interfaith initiatives and by shaping the public perception of Judaism in positive and meaningful ways.

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 It will also give us an opportunity to create a new space that serves our own new community in a way that hasn’t been possible before, whilst also attracting the wider Hertfordshire Jewish community to engage with our space as part of day-to-day life as a hub for Jewish and Jew-ish life.

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Together, we can create a community that is both deeply rooted and forward looking, reflecting our values while opening doors to new possibilities. A home for us all.

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