The Movement for Reform Judaism

I was lucky enough to be offered sabbatical leave from my local authority post where I am Senior Psychologist and lead integrated services for early years. And so the new year opened for me with a surprise 'happy sabbatical party' made by my 'old' colleagues, followed next day with a welcome lunch from new colleagues in the DEPD.

My wider professional profile includes teaching pre-school to post-graduate, founding and leading an English as a Second Language Department, Teacher Training, Lecturing in Educational Psychology, working as a Counsellor/Psychologist in the University of Birmingham, leading a Family Therapy team and working as an Educational and Child Psychologist and Forensic Psychologist in the field of child protection.    

My professional involvement in the Jewish world began as receptionist for the Aliyah Department of the Sochnut. Whilst training as a teacher I taught at Ealing Liberal Synagogue, and then Wembley Synagogue where I worked with Rabbi Albert Friedlander.   After graduating from the WUJS Institute in Arad, I studied at the David Yellin Seminary in Bet Hakerem, and received an Israeli teaching qualification.  

Marriage took me to the north of England, and in addition to my day job in Child Guidance, I worked for the Jewish Memorial council with Jewish pupils in boarding schools. As my family grew I was active in founding a pre-school group, teaching Jewish Studies at the King David School, Birmingham, contributing to the communal counselling service and to Mosaic, an adult Jewish education programme. I have been part of a Jewish Interest in Social Work Education Group which produced and launched a training pack for non-Jewish professionals working with Jewish children and families, contributed regularly to the quarterly journal 'Jewish Renaissance' and inspected Jewish education in Jewish schools for Pikuach since 2000.  

I represented my synagogue on the Board of Deputies between 1999 and 2004 and served on the Communities Division, especially contributing to the Circumcision Defence Group and attending the World Jewish Conference. I gave evidence to the All-Party Inquiry into Anti-Semitism, (2006) and was Guest Editor for the International Journal of Human Rights, contributing a paper on omissions of anti-Semitism in anti-discriminatory training in the UK, which is a special research interest of mine. I am delighted to have this opportunity of working at Leo Baeck College, and am enjoying each day.  

I wish you all a Happy Pesach, and hope to meet with you at the July Conference

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