Founded in 1953, Finchley Progressive Synagogue is rooted in the values of Liberal Judaism. The Synagogue's vision is of a community in which members, visitors, and their families will find these values realized in worship, life-cycle observance, learning and social activities.
We affirm the need for an inclusive approach to Jewish identity, welcoming sincere proselytes and all who have a good claim to be regarded as Jewish, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation. Non-Jewish partners are welcomed at every service, event and class held by our community.
Finchley Progressive Synagogue believes in an open, supportive and welcoming Judaism. Let us welcome you.
In this section you can find out about what our Synagogue has to offer. About our Rabbi, Services, what we offer our children, the family and 'grown-ups', as well as other social activities and much more. If you would like to see some pictures inside and outside our Synagogue please click here.
Members Memoirs - the first page of personal history from one of our members.
We have a full time Rabbi, Neil Janes, who began working with us in June 2006. He studied at the Leo Baeck College and plays a full role in the life of our community. He is passionate about developing a Liberal Judaism that is compelling and exciting, based on a love of learning, meaningful worship and social justice. .
In addition to the regular services, FPS offers diversity in alternative forms for worship. We are always ready to listen to members' views on devising and experimenting with new forms of service that preserve traditional values. Our monthly magazine Shofar will keep you informed of opportunities to participate in these.
Participation by members is a feature of all FPS services, whether the occasion is a very special Life Cycle event (celebrating a marriage, a bar or bat mitzvah, a baby naming), or marking a recurring event like a birthday or wedding anniversary, or simply offered as a personal mitzvah.
We use the prayerbook Siddur Lev Chadash which contains services and prayers for weekdays and Sabbaths, festivals and various occasions. A liturgy that reflects the special ethos of Liberal Judaism combining the best in Jewish tradition with much that is innovative and creative. The use of gender inclusive language, both for God and for humanity, places this Siddur at the core of a Movement that speaks to the world of today.
For the High Holydays we use the recently published Machzor Ruach Chadashah.
Ivriah, Sunday Morning Religion School
Under the supervision of our Director of Education, Stephanie Schissler and Rabbi Neil Janes, the teachers at Ivriah aim to provide a warm and friendly environment for all our children. Our objectives are to instil in our children a love and respect of Jewish life and values with the emphasis on enjoyment and participation with a good deal of fun thrown in. With these objectives always in mind, Ivriah's curriculum covers The Bible and Jewish literature, customs and traditions, festivals, Shabbat, life cycle, history and Hebrew.
Children join Ivriah at 6 through to 15 after their Kabbalat Torah. Children from the age of 4 may join Gan, our Sunday kindergarten, which is held at the same time.
Take a look at the Ivriah pages to see some of the children's work. Click here for more detailed information about Ivriah.
Kabbalat Torah
Kabbalat Torah is the culmination of the children's formal religious education. At the age of 14 yrs students attend classes on a Sunday morning, which are led by the Rabbi where the children take part in lively discussions on modern day Judaism. Kabbalat Torah is a firmly established religious observance in the Liberal Jewish movement. It was introduced because the founders of Liberal Judaism felt that at the age of 13 students were too young to declare a commitment to the community and to end their formal education. At the age of 15 it is felt that they are able to have a more mature understanding of Jewish values.
Shabbat PAL (Play and Learn)
This is for all children aged between 2 and 6 accompanied by a parent, grandparent or other responsible carer. The Play and Learn sessions are held on the first Shabbat morning of every month from 11am to 12.30pm during which time we enjoy various activities relating to Shabbat and the Jewish festivals, stories and structured playtime
Chaverim
...meaning 'Friends'. This is a parent teacher association which works closely with the Head teacher to liaise with parents and helps to run fun activities in and around the synagogue for families of Ivriah. They also host a regular coffee morning at the synagogue for parents to get to know each other better
Chavurah Suppers
The chance for the whole community to get together to share Shabbat dinner on Friday night at the Synagogue. We begin each time with a short service, share our dinner and then sing along with our own Synagogue Klezmer Band. They take place every few months.
Basic Judaism
This is our thorough course in Judaism, its teachings and practices. It is run on Sunday mornings and is open to anyone seeking a foundation course in Jewish knowledge, whether starting from scratch or needing a refresher. Join in at any time
Adult education - T'vunah
We also offer adult learning, with home study sessions, e-learning and classes throughout the year. T'vunah is our evening institute which is held on Wednesday evenings. We aim to have something for everyone, from basic Hebrew through Jewish history, philosophy and sociology to stress management and relaxation. Click here to see the current programme
Breakfast Shiurim
These are held regularly in the Synagogue on Saturday mornings prior to the Shabbat morning service. While enjoying a full Israeli breakfast, you can listen to guest speakers discussing Jewish and secular issues, pastoral matters and also participate in the discussions which can sometimes be very lively.
The Choir
Franklyn Gellnick, our Music Director, our choir sings at services over the High Holydays and other occasions during the year when requested. If you enjoy singing, and would be interested in joining us, Franklyn would be delighted to hear from you.
The Boyd-Stone Resource Centre
We have many novels written by Jewish authors and a number of biographies about well known Jewish persons. The section on Israel is large and contains books with excellent photographs as well as current weekly newspapers in English. There are Bibles in Hebrew and English and biblical commentary. There are of course books on Judaica, the Festivals, rites and practices and rites and reference books that can be studied on the premises. We are also in the process of building up a children's section. Several computers, all connected to the internet and loaded with Jewish software, are in the resource centre.
The Monday Afternoon Club
The retired members of the Synagogue meet two afternoons a month for tea and sandwiches. They have various activities including Bingo, Guest speakers, an Entertainer once a month, parties for that special birthday, luncheons at Chanukah and summer outings for tea. There is a warm and friendly atmosphere and new members are always welcome
These are just some of the many activities going on in our Synagogue. To list but a few more, the FPS Klezmer Band which performs at the Chavurah Suppers, our Contact group which keeps in touch with members who would appreciate a little help and, there is a Social Action Group which jumps into being on issues outside the community and of course, there are all of our services on Shabbat and the festivals.
Among the many committees in the synagogue, our Social committee arranges functions through out the year, which have included, Wine tastings, live bands, Jewish comedy evenings, Old Tyme Musicals and the usual contentious Supper Quiz.
All of the above are usually publicised in our monthly synagogue magazine, Shofar, a monthly magazine which includes articles written by our members on various issues, news and information on activities in the Liberal Jewish communities, and what’s on at FPS.
This is just a part of what goes on at FPS. We have many enthusiastic members of the Synagogue who sit on various committees and also the Synagogue Council which is democratically elected at the Annual General Meeting.