Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy

23/10/2026

Rabbi Charley Baginsky, Co-Lead of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, was in Glasgow last week attending the Association for Family and Systemic Psychotherapy conference, exploring what it means to ‘come as you are’ and bring our whole selves into the spaces we share.

Speaking about the importance of including faith and Jewish identity in conversations beyond religious settings, Rabbi Charley reflected:

“As a rabbi, I increasingly think some of the most important conversations about faith are happening outside religious spaces. It’s one of the reasons I make it a priority to be in these rooms, listening as much as speaking, and making sure faith is part of conversations where it might otherwise be absent.

“Because faith isn’t something we can neatly separate from the rest of our lives. And neither is being Jewish.

“There are questions here about power too. About who gets heard, who is allowed to be complicated, and who feels they have to make themselves smaller to belong.”

Rabbi Charley’s participation reflects our commitment to bringing Progressive Jewish perspectives into wider conversations about identity, belonging and the communities we build together.

23/10/2026

"Our 77 communities include some of the largest congregations in the country, but also small communities where a family might be the only Jews in their village. Both matter enormously. Both belong to the story of British Jewish life. Both challenge the assumption that there is one recognisable Jewish experience.

For some children, being Jewish means growing up surrounded by other Jews. For others, it means being the only Jewish child in their class, perhaps the only Jewish person anyone in their school has ever met. Some wear their identity openly and others are constantly deciding whether to mention it at all.

We cannot expect Jewish children to feel they belong if we fail to recognise just how many different ways there are to be Jewish."

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy in The Jewish News this week:

We cannot expect Jewish children to feel they belong if we fail to recognise just how many different ways there are to be Jewish

16/10/2026

Earlier this week, we had the privilege of speaking to the heads of the J7: Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism at a meeting organised by The Board of Deputies of British Jews and held in The Liberal Jewish Synagogue.

The morning gave us the opportunity to discuss not only the fight against antisemitism around the world, but also the ongoing work of creating thriving Jewish life across the UK and Ireland.

More here:

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy – the Co-Leads of The Movement for Progressive Judaism – spoke to the heads of the J7: Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism at a meeting (pictured) organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews. The J7 was set up in response to incr...

15/10/2026

By Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky Co-Leads, The Movement for Progressive Judaism The Movement for Progressive Judaism condemns the racism, Islamophobia, misogyny and violent language expressed by councillors and candidates of the Reform UK political party, as exposed by an ITV News inves...

04/10/2026

🗣️ "The Green Party has made antisemitism party policy and become a racist party."

Read our statement condemning the Green Party's 'Zionism is Racism' motion: https://progressivejudaism.org.uk/statement-condemning-green-party-zionism-is-racism-motion/

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FULL STATEMENT:

By Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy
Co-Leads, The Movement for Progressive Judaism

The Movement for Progressive Judaism condemns the Green Party’s adoption of the motion 'Zionism is Racism'. The motion is antisemitic in its formulation and intention. By adopting it, the Green Party has made antisemitism party policy and become a racist party.

Jewish self-determination is a right. Declaring it racist is an attack on Jews. The Green Party has chosen to brand Jews who hold this belief as racists and make their equal participation in the party conditional on renouncing it.

The Green Party would not presume to tell other minorities what their identity means and then use that definition to exclude them. Jews are entitled to the same respect. The party cannot impose its own meaning on a central part of Jewish identity, declare it racist and demand that Jews renounce it.

Zionism is deeply rooted in the lives of many British Jews, in our synagogues, youth movements, education and family relationships. These are parts of Jewish life, and treating them as grounds for suspicion, investigation or exclusion is antisemitic discrimination.

Jews do not have to justify their connections to Israel to be entitled to equal treatment. Nor should they have to disown their communities to participate in British politics. Support for this motion from some Jewish members does not excuse discrimination against other Jews.

The Green Party must reverse this policy. Its leadership is responsible for ensuring that Jewish members can participate fully without being required to renounce their Zionism or communal affiliations. A party that adopts an antisemitic policy cannot credibly claim to oppose racism.

We stand with Jewish members and our communities. We will challenge this policy and hold the Green Party’s leadership accountable for the discrimination it has endorsed.

By Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy Co-Leads, The Movement for Progressive Judaism The Movement for Progressive Judaism condemns the Green Party’s adoption of the motion ‘Zionism is Racism’. The motion is antisemitic in its formulation and intention. By adopting it, the Green Party h...

28/09/2026

THIS Sunday 4 October. 🟡

Remembering 7 October: For All We Lost will bring our communities together in person and online to remember those who were murdered, those taken hostage, and all those whose lives were changed forever that day.

The Memorial Service will take place in London on Sunday 4 October from 5pm. It is open to everyone and we warmly encourage you to join us.

We will be joined by Rabbi Yael Vurgan, Regional Rabbi for the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council, who supported communities close to the Gaza border directly affected by the terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023.

To register to take part, whether in person or online, please fill in the form below:
https://progressivejudaism.org.uk/remembering-7-october-for-all-we-lost/

24/09/2026

"The Jewish community in Britain is more diverse than it has ever been. In practice and observance, in culture, in politics, in language, in how people identify and express their Jewishness. And there is no sign of that changing. The reality of our community is diversity.

That is not a problem to be solved, but a richness to be celebrated."

Rabbi Josh Levy in The Jewish News this week. Read below:

The article attacking us was an attempt to suggest that one form of Judaism is the only valid form and to photoshop everyone else out

23/09/2026

We stand with Kehilat Kol HaNeshama, part of our sibling movement in Israel, after its synagogue was attacked again over Yom Kippur.

This was the fourth time in a month that the community had been targeted by Jewish extremists. Nobody should arrive for prayers on the holiest day of the Jewish year to discover that their synagogue has been broken into.

As Progressive Jews, we recognise the language that surrounds attacks like this. We hear repeatedly that our Judaism is not authentic and that we do not properly belong. We know, across the world, what that delegitimisation does. Eventually it stops being only words.

We welcome Yair Golan’s unequivocal condemnation. The Israeli Government and its representatives must be equally clear. These attacks need to be properly investigated, the people responsible held to account and Kol HaNeshama protected.

Progressive Jews should not have to fight for the right to pray safely in the Jewish state.

We send our love and solidarity to Rabbi Oded Mazor and the whole Kol HaNeshama community.

09/09/2026

Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Levy: No single response can speak for British Jews.

Read here:

As we approach the High Holy Days, we enter a season of teshuvah, of looking honestly at ourselves, taking responsibility and asking what must change. Yet there is a temptation, on days like these, to decide very quickly what Jews are supposed to think and how we should respond. An announcement is m...

08/09/2026

Open House is back this Thursday!

Join Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy from 8–9pm on Zoom for an informal chat about the Movement, our communities, and whatever’s on your mind.

Grab a drink, bring your questions and come along!

Request the Zoom link here: https://progressivejudaism.org.uk/events/open-house/