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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
Print | Digital |



healthy living
Israel to Boost Medical Talent in
Periphery Through Aliyah
Noa Amouyal | JNS.org
Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90 va JNS.org
B ar and bat mitzvahs tend to be
a formative moment for the child
being celebrated, but not for the attend-
ees. This certainly wasn’t the case for
Miriam Barker, who was fascinated by a
childhood friend’s bar mitzvah that she
attended in middle school.

Between the singing and the
dancing, Barker was able to appreciate
the beauty behind the coming-of-age
custom. “It was a beautiful introduction to
Judaism, and I was really touched by
how the Jewish people really value
passing on tradition. I also read a lot
about the Holocaust, and the Jewish
people’s story of resilience against
all odds really resonated with me,”
she said.

Barker herself became a successful
adult against the odds. Born in China
and adopted at age 2, Barker was
raised Baptist by a single mother.

As a teenager, she distanced herself
from the church, but as she grew into
young adulthood both she and her
husband—whom she also met in middle
school — found themselves searching
for God within the Jewish faith.

“I started being more open to the
idea of a higher being. My husband
introduced me to his rabbi and I listened
to YouTube channels about Judaism.

During Purim 2020, my rebbetzin spoke
to me about Esther and how she stood
up for the Jewish people and how
there can be duality in customs — after
all, you fast but then it’s followed by a
celebration. This idea of being joyous
and connecting with God everywhere
really resonated with me. It was then
I knew I wanted to be Jewish until the
day I died,” she said.

With her conversion made offi cial last
year, Barker recounted her journey into
Judaism on the sidelines of MedEx, an
event for medical professionals consid-
ering aliyah hosted by Nefesh B’Nefesh.

Israeli doctors perform a cardiac catheterization on a young Palestinian girl at the
Wolfson Medical Center in the central Israeli city of Holon on April 11, 2018.

Some 400 medical professionals
attended the annual event earlier this
month in Teaneck, New Jersey, where
they received expedited processing and
networked with Israeli medical profes-
sionals, employers and on-site licensing
offi cials. The event was geared toward
those in the advanced stages of aliyah
as well as young professionals contem-
plating a similar move in the future.

Tony Gelbart, co-founder and chair-
man of Nefesh B’Nefesh, said, “MedEx
is an integral part of our aliyah vision.

It is not enough to simply help olim
[immigrants] move to Israel, we must
make the journey as streamlined as
possible. Through this in-person event
in New Jersey, MedEx paves the way
for medical professionals across North
America to cut through bureaucracy to
enable physicians and medical profes-
sionals to concentrate on building
their professional and personal lives in
Israel.” In cooperation with Israel’s Aliyah and
Integration Ministry, The Jewish Agency
for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and
Jewish National Fund-USA, alongside
Israel’s Health Ministry and the Israeli
Medical Association, Nefesh B’Nefesh
launched the MedEx stand-alone event
to enable medical professionals to
take major steps toward transferring
their North American medical licenses
before making aliyah — all in person
and in one dedicated location.

This year’s event at the Glenpointe
Marriott in Teaneck off ered that stream-
lined experience to physicians, nurses,
dentists, physician assistants, podia-
trists, psychologists, ophthalmologists,
pharmacists, occupational therapists,
physiotherapists, speech therapists,
audiologists, dietitians/nutritionists,
dental hygienists and medical labora-
tory professionals.

Barker, a registered practitioner,
hopes to make aliyah with her husband
in the next year and a half. While she
made some useful connections at
MedEx, she realizes there’s still a lot
ahead of her before she moves to
Israel, where she hopes they will settle
somewhere in the north.

As a nurse, her presence in the
periphery will be particularly welcomed,
considering Israel is experiencing a
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