Finchley Progressive Synagogue

Finchley Progressive Synagogue (FPS) is a Liberal Judaism congregation in North Finchley in the London Borough of Barnet. The Rabbi is Rebecca Birk. Synagogue membership is around 350 families.[1]

Finchley Progressive Synagogue
Religion
AffiliationLiberal Judaism
LeadershipRabbi Rebecca Birk
StatusActive
Location
LocationHutton Grove, North Finchley, London Borough of Barnet, England, UK
Geographic coordinates51.61358638300669°N 0.18194325523524418°W / 51.61358638300669; -0.18194325523524418
Architecture
Completed1964
Website
www.fps.org

History

Finchley Liberal Jewish Congregation was first established in 1953. The congregation initially met at North Finchley Library, in private houses and at Moss Hall School. The existing synagogue in Hutton Grove was built as Finchley Liberal Jewish Synagogue in 1964, and received the name 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]

FPS 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]

References
  1. "Finchley Progressive Synagogue". JCR-UK. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  2. Baggs, A P; Bolton, Diane K; Hicks, M A and Pugh, R B Finchley: Judaism, in A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 6, Friern Barnet, Finchley, Hornsey With Highgate, ed. Baker, T F T and Elrington, C R. (London, 1980), p. 91. Republished online at British History Online. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  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. 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.
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