Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community

Congregation Data

Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community

The congregation was known as Gloucestershire Liberal Jewish Community (GLJC) until 2019, when it changed its name and incorporated members of the former Herefordshire Jewish Community (HJC). Initially, it appears the intention was to form a new congregation by the merger of GLJC and HJC,⁽ⁱ⁾ but ultimately there was no formal merger and GLJC changed its name in order to "recognise [its] growth beyond Gloucestershire’s county borders into neighbouring counties and in particular welcoming members of the Hereford Jewish Community".⁽ⁱⁱ⁾

The congregation holds services generally one Friday and one Saturday morning per month, and on festivals.⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾ Centred in Gloucestershire, the congregation holds services in various locations throughout the counties, including Cheltenham, Gloucester, Hereford, Southam, Prestbury, Woodmancote and Bishops Cleeve.^(iv)

2008 or 2009^(v)

Active

Liberal / Progressive

A constituent community of Liberal Judaism.

https://www.3cljc.org.uk/

Rabbi Anna Gerrard (part time) - the first minister of the Congregation - from November 2011 to 2020, having served as student rabbi from 2009.^(ix)

Rabbi Danny Rich (part time) - from 2020 until present (September 2022)^(x)

The congregation publishes a Newsletter every six months.

National Reports and Surveys:^(xiii)

2010 - listed as having under 50 members (by household)

2016 - listed as having 50 to 99 members (by household)

Other^(xiv)

2016 - over 100 members

2019 - over 150 members

On 15 September 2014, the congregation was incorporated as a registered company, named The Gloucestershire Liberal Jewish Community Limited (company no. 09219225)^(xv), a private company limited by guarantee without a share capital, to which all the assets of the previous unincorporated entity were transferred on 1 October 2014.^(xvi)

The company is also a registered charity (no. 1159055), registered on 3 November 2014.^(xvii)

As of January 2021, there was notice of a formal change of name being registeered for either the company or charity, but the congregation's annual report to the regulatory authorities for the year ended 30 September 2019 refers to the congregation also being known as Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community.

Gloucestershire - link to register office website

Herefordshire - link to register office website

Worcestershire - link to register office website

Cemetery Information:

The congregation has its own designated section at the Cheltenham Municipal Cemetery, Bouncer's Lane, Prestbury, Cheltenham, opened in April 2009. The section is described as "All-Inclusive Jewish", meaning that "Jews of all denominations and people of mixed faith can be buried side-by-side."^(xix)

(For additional information, see also IAJGS Cemetery Project - Cheltenham)

Notes & Sources (↵ returns to text above)

• (i) Liberal Judaism news report dated 30 May 2019. Initially it . ↵

• (ii) The quote is from the congregation's website, accessed 4 January 2021. ↵

• (iii) The congregation's website, accessed 4 January 2021. ↵

• (iv) These towns, apart from Hereford, were listed in GLJC's annual report for year ended 30 September 2018, filed with Charities Commission, p. 3. ↵

• (v) The congregation's annual report for year ended 30 September 2015, filed with Charities Commission, p.3 gives the date as 2008, However, the congregation's website, accessed January 2021, states that the congregation originally started in 2009. ↵

• (vi) to (viii) Reserved.

• (ix) Although Liberal Judaism report dated 15 November 2011 and newsletter of the Herefordshire Jewish Community June/July 2019, reporting that 18 May 2019 was Rabbi Gerrard's last Sabbath service with the congregation, according to the congregation's website, accessed 15 January 2020, she continued to serve as the congregation's minister. Rabbi Gerrard trained in Jerusalem and was ordained by Leo Baeck College in 2011. ↵

• (x) Congregation's website, last accessed September 2022. ↵

• (xi) and (xii) Reserved.

• (xiii) Report on Synagogue Membership in the United Kingdom in 2016, published by the Institute of Jewish Policy Research (JPR) on behalf of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and which can be viewed on the website of JPR. Click HERE for link to the report. ↵

• (xiv) The congregation website, accessed in the year shown. ↵

• (xv) Companies House website, last accessed 4 January 2021. ↵

• (xvi) The congregation's annual report for year ended 30 September 2015, filed with Charities Commission, p. 3. ↵

• (xvii) Charities Commission's website, accessed 4 January 2021. ↵

• (xviii) The former Registration Districts were: Gloucester - from 1 July 1837 until 1 April 1937; Gloucester City - from 1 April 1937 until 1 April 1974; and again Gloucester - from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 2006. Any registers would now be held by current register office (situated in Gloucester).. ↵

• (xix) Gloucestershire Live website, 21 April 2009. ↵