Our Values

We are a community with a wide open door - warm, non-judgemental, diverse - and a compelling Jewish heart, full of inspiring Jewish learning, spirituality and people.

We value: hishtatfut, participation, and the etymologically related Shutafut, partnership. We see membership as “a challenge to the best in each of us”, as our Founding Principles and Policy - which still guide us - set out. We want each member to be involved, and the highest level of participation here is shaping our community in partnership with other members, our Rabbis and our professional team.

There are four core areas in which to participate.

• Jewish Learning/Torah: exceptional Jewish learning and skills - building for all ages and abilities.
• Relationships/Chaverim: build lifelong relationships in our community through our events and gatherings, so that it becomes like an extended family.
• Spirituality/Tefilah: lead some of our spiritual services, or sing from your seat, or read Torah.
• An Ethical Judaism/ Yehadut Musarit: be in a team that pursues Tzedek (justice), tikkun olam (changing the world and ourselves in smaller, everyday ways), or Chesed (committed to caring for each other).

These commitments are underpinned by the principle that every human is made b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God: every life is of infinite value, every person is equal and unique (Mishnah Sanhedrin).

We value:

• Torat Chesed, a learning of loving kindness – studying our tradition in a way that moves us to be more responsive, and doing acts of care that offer the finest learning.
• The Talmudic principle of Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba’zeh. All of the Jewish people are responsible for one another.  We feel bound to, and responsible within K’lal Yisrael, the Jewish collective around the world and in Israel.
• Jewish national self-determination in the land of Israel. We are a community with a Love of Zion (ahavat Tzion) and we wish for peace and human flourishing.     

We are proud to be the community of the Czech Scrolls, in 1964 having brought 1564 scrolls saved from the Holocaust but lying neglected in Prague to Kent House, before repairing those that could be repaired to be used around the world. We are delighted to be the home of the office and museum of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, with whom we retain the closest links.

Perhaps above all, as a community we are especially diverse and inclusive. This is a community in which to appreciate being with those who are different to you. We are beautifully cross-generational, and proudly egalitarian, with all members encouraged to lead in any and all area of synagogue life. We are LGBTQ+ inclusive. We are vibrantly international. We appreciate non-Jewish people who have put their lot in with our Jewish families and are delighted by the number of people who become Jewish here.     

The diversity of our community is reflected in different views we hold. We value Makhlocket Leshem Shamayim, rigorous discussion for the sake of heaven, and we follow in the footsteps of those who went before us in the House of Hillel - pleasant, humble, and thoughtful about others’ views. The views that have no place in our community are those that are intolerant or could be considered hateful.  

We are a community that maintains an independence of identity and practice.

We are, well, all of the above.