Re-dedication of Prayer House in Glasgow

On Sunday 22 April Glasgow Reform Synagogue (GRS) held a re-dedication ceremony for its newly refurbished Prayer House at Cardonald Cemetery, now with a connection to the electricity grid, enabling new lighting and heating, plus the installation of fixed seating, painting and other repairs.

Members and invited dignitaries were in attendance, with the re-dedication service led by Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner, Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism, who came up from London especially for this event. Some words were also offered from Ruth and Donnie Leighton, Donnie having had been the GRS Burials Director for some years.

After the re-dedication, those assembled adjourned to the synagogue for a reception that ended with recognition by GRS Chair Babeth Naddell of the long service of members Philip Kraven, Natalie Millar, and Eileen Carroll, as well as GRS’ 50 years in its current building on Ayr Road.

Rabbi Janner-Klauser then presided over a Q&A session ‘GRS: The Way Forward’, with discussions about the congregation’s searches for a new rabbi and community development worker to engage with young families; and its relationship with the the Movement for Reform Judaism and the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council.

Babeth Naddell said: “Many thanks go to project managers Steven Anson and Philip Kraven, with Simon Taylor and Jonathan Green, for spearheading and seeing the refurbishment through to completion and to all whose efforts made for a successful celebratory day!”