York Liberal Jewish Community is here to support our members and their families through all the key moments in their lives: the birth of a child, a bar, bat or b’nei mitzvah, an affirmation, a marriage or a death and burial.
We are also able to offer the same support to non-members for an additional fee. Contact us here for more information.
Births
We love being able to offer baby blessings as part of our regular Shabbat morning services for boys and girls. Please contact us at info@jewsinyork.org.uk to discuss your requirements.
Circumcision
York is extremely lucky to have a fully trained, medically qualified mohel (circumciser) amongst its members. Our mohel is a full time GP and serves the UK Progressive Jewish community across the North of England. For further information about this service and the background to this tradition, please click here.
Coming of Age
After fifty years without a Bar Mitzvah in York, we are delighted in recent times to have held a number of coming of age ceremonies for our members’ children, including what we now understand is the world’s first B’nei Mitzvah ceremony (gender neutral). We also offer Bar and Bat Mitzvah, which treat boys and girls equally in all regards.
If your child is approaching 13 and you are considering a Bar/Bat/B’nei Mitzvah for them, please contact us immediately to discuss your requirements. In addition to hosting the service itself, we can arrange additional lessons to help them prepare their Torah portion (for an additional fee). Please email info@jewsinyork.org.uk for further information.
Marriage
We are delighted to help organise a Rabbi to conduct a Chuppah (Jewish Wedding Ceremony) and/or to advise on other details. Rabbis will typically need to charge for their time as they are not retained by the community for this purpose, but this also means that you will have a choice of Rabbis to lead the service Contact info@jewsinyork.org.uk for more information.
Conversion and Affirmation
There are many Jews by choice within our community. If you are considering a converting and would like to do this under the auspices of Liberal Judaism, please contact us to discuss it with our conversions coordinator Hava Fleming, or another member of our community in the strictest confidence. You can email us here or call the number on the website, to discuss what is involved and your options.
Once one of our members has been accepted by Liberal Judaism’s Beit Din (Rabbinic Court), it is traditional to hold a small ceremony as part of a Shabbat morning service to mark the occasion. Please contact us to arrange.
Death and burial
We are now able to offer members of the Community the opportunity to have a Jewish funeral in York. The designated YLJC burial area is at Fulford Cemetery, Fordlands Rd, Fulford. Further details are on their website: www.fulfordparishcouncil.org.uk/cemetery/
Plots within our cemetery can be purchased at any time by contacting our burial committee. Non-members may also be buried in our cemetery for three times our annual membership fee.
Our service can also include provision of a rabbi/student rabbi to lead the funeral, Chevrah Kaddisha (preparing the body) and advice about or even oversight of the funeral, as you wish.
For more information please contact us on the number on this website. In an emergency, you can also contact us on 0300 102 0062 at any time.
Full details of our burial service will soon be posted here.