Finchley Progressive Synagogue

Finchley Progressive Synagogue
Religion
AffiliationReform Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusSynagogue
LeadershipRabbi Rebecca Birk
StatusActive
Location
LocationHutton Grove, North Finchley, Borough of Barnet, London, England
CountryUnited Kingdom
Finchley Progressive Synagogue is located in Greater London
Finchley Progressive Synagogue
Location of the synagogue in Greater London
Geographic coordinates51°36′49″N 0°10′55″W / 51.61359°N 0.18194°W / 51.61359; -0.18194
Architecture
Date established1953 (as a congregation)
Completed1964
Website
fps.org

Finchley Progressive Synagogue is a Liberal Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in North Finchley in the Borough of Barnet, London, England, in the United Kingdom.

The rabbi is Rebecca Birk. Synagogue membership is approximately 350 families.[1]

History

Logo of the congregation

Established as the Finchley Liberal Jewish Congregation in 1953, the congregation initially met at North Finchley Library, in private houses and at Moss Hall School. In 1964 a synagogue in Hutton Grove was built as Finchley Liberal Jewish Synagogue, and was renamed as Finchley Progressive Synagogue in 1971.[1][2]

Previous rabbis at FPS have been Charles Familant, S. Gerstein, Frank Hellner (1966–1999), Rabbi Mark Goldsmith (1999–2006) and Rabbi Neil Janes (c. 2006–2010). The current rabbi, Rebecca Birk, took up office in 2011.[1]

Current activities

The synagogue has actively campaigned on behalf of Syrian refugees,[3] working together with Citizens UK and Middlesex University Students Union. In October 2015 Barnet Council became the first Conservative-run local authority district to resettle refugees under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme,[4] agreeing to admit 50 Syrian refugees.[5] The synagogue has continued to provide support to the refugees,[6] and in October 2018 the Council pledged to continue to offer sanctuary to child refugees.[4]

Finchley Progressive Synagogue has been characterised as an 'urban eco synagogue'. It was one of four synagogues which established the 'eco synagogue' concept in January 2018, with a mix of adult education about climate change and practical environmental initiatives such as minimizing food waste.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Finchley Progressive Synagogue". JCR-UK. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  2. ^ Baggs, A. P.; Bolton, Diane K.; Hicks, M. A.; Pugh, R. B. (1980). "Finchley: Judaism". In Baker, T. F. T.; Elrington, C. R. (eds.). A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6, Friern Barnet, Finchley, Hornsey With Highgate. London. p. 91. Retrieved 25 July 2020 – via British History Online.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ Unwin, Rosamund. How we can help Syrian refugees: compassionate Londoners offering asylum seekers food, shelter and spare rooms, Evening Standard, 4 September 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Liberal shul helps secure Sukkot sanctuary for child refugees". Jewish News. 23 September 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Joy for rabbi and campaigners as council agrees to take in 50 Syrians". The Jewish Chronicle. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  6. ^ Doherty, Rosa (22 June 2018). "How the Jewish community is helping refugees". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  7. ^ Cranston, C. A. (2019). "Eco churches, eco synagogues, eco Hollywood: 21st-century practical responses to Lynn White, Jr.'s and Andrew Furman's 20th-century readings of environments in crisis". In Slovic, Scott; Rangarajan, Swarnalatha; Sarveswaran, Vidya (eds.). Routledge Handbook of Ecocriticism and Environmental Communication. Taylor & Francis. pp. 36–53. ISBN 978-1-351-68269-5 – via Google Books.