As we light the Chanukah candles tonight, let us reflect on the miracles we encounter every day, even in the face of difficult obstacles. This photo was taken in Warsaw in 2017 in the Nożyk Synagogue. The Polish Jewish community managed to rebuild itself from…
The European Union for Progressive Judaism (EUPJ) joins the WUPJ, IRPJ, URJ, and all other Progressive Reform movements across the globe in expressing our opposition to the appointment of Brigadier General Effi Eitam (retired) to the position of Chair of the Executive of the Yad…
By Bill Echikson, EUPJ Brussels Director Earlier this month, an Islamic State “sympathiser” shot dead four people in the busy Seitenstettengasse Street of the Austrian capital’s Old Town. The shootings took place almost in front of the city’s main Jewish synagogue, the 19th century Stadttempel….
By Bill Echikson, EUPJ Brussels Director It was past midnight. The music blared. In the middle on the buzzing dance floor, Eric Mark and his wife Miriam swayed and swung to the beat of the jitterbug. Eric was already 90-years old. When Eric left us…
By Bill Echikson, EUPJ Brussels Director After a long, sad history fleeing pogroms and persecution, Jews are lucky to live in an era where this danger has, for the most part, vanished. Almost all of us live where we want, at home, abroad, or in…
The European Council of Jewish Communities will host its first e-Summit for European Jewish leaders who will come together to discuss the challenges faced by communities and organisations due to COVID. The e-Summit will start on Saturday, 21 November at 18.00 (CET) and will conclude…
The first criminal conviction in an antisemitism case in South Africa may have an impact on how the courts will rule in pending cases where Jews are the subject of attack. Great news for South African Jews – and hopefully an example to be followed by the rest of the world.
By Bill Echikson, EUPJ Brussels Director When Amsterdam’s Liberal Jewish community moved into a modern new synagogue in the southern part of the city in 2004, tensions between Dutch Jews and Muslims were rising. The September 11 attacks, Mideast tension, and the murder of Dutch…
By Bill Echikson, EUPJ Brussels Director After the Spanish Inquisition and the 1492 expulsion, Jewish life in Spain vanished. But slowly, over the past 150 years, Judaism has returned, especially in Barcelona. An estimated 7,000 to 10,000 Jews support six synagogues in the city, three…
Although 2020 has been a difficult year globally, there have been some positive steps to counter antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia. You can see some of the positive developments thus far in this video and learn more about NOA here.