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APRIL 27, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
From left: Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy are the two leaders of the
U.K.’s new Progressive Judaism movement.

UK’s Liberal and Reform Movements Merge as Progressive
Judaism In a major development for British Jewry, the United Kingdom’s Liberal and Reform
Jewish movements are joining to create a unifi ed Progressive Judaism movement
after working separately for more than 120 years, JTA.org reported.

The historic project, a culmination of decades of discussions and rapprochement,
is to be led by the Reform movement’s newly-appointed CEO, Rabbi Josh Levy —
who is leaving his role as principal rabbi of Alyth (or the North Western Reform
Synagogue) in London — and Liberal Judaism CEO Rabbi Charley Baginsky.

The union was made possible in part by the decision of the U.K. Reform
movement in 2015 to accept patrilineal Jews — or Jews with a Jewish father but
not a Jewish mother — as full members of communities. That American model is
embraced by the Liberal movement, but most European Reform organizations
require patrilineal Jews to convert to become full members of their communities.

Paul Langsford, co-chair of the Reform movement, assured members of both
groups that “no one will be asked to change their synagogue name, their Reform
identity or change their prayerbook.” He added that input from members was
welcome and would help shape future policies.

The London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research reported that, as of
2021, there were 271,327 self-identifi ed Jews living in England and Wales, up from
259,927 in 2001. They make up 0.46% of the total population of both countries.

Credit Suisse Impeding Probe Into Nazi Bank Accounts, US
Lawmakers Say
The Senate Budget Committee accused Credit Suisse of impeding an investigation
into former accounts at the bank that were held by Nazis, including many who fl ed
to South American countries after World War II, JTA reported.

On April 18, the committee released two reports, one by an independent ombuds-
man the bank hired to oversee the investigation and one by a forensic research
team. The bank fi red the ombudsman, American lawyer Neil Barofsky, in November,
months into his investigation.

“Credit Suisse’s decision to stop its review midstream has left many questions
unanswered, including questions about the thoroughness of its prior investi-
gative eff orts, the extent to which it served Nazi interests and the bank’s role
in servicing Nazis fl eeing justice after the war,” Barofsky wrote in his fi ndings,
according to reports.

Jewish organizations have long claimed that in addition to playing a key role in
fi nancially supporting Nazi Germany, Credit Suisse held onto money looted from
Jews long after the war. In 1999, the Swiss bank paid Jewish groups and Holocaust
survivors a settlement of $1.25 billion in restitution for withholding money from Jews
who had tried to withdraw their funds. ■
— Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
Courtesy of Liberal Judaism via JTA.org
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