Our History: A Timeline of
Progressive Judaism

The Haskalah, also known as the Jewish Enlightenment, begins in Berlin and spreads across Europe – heralding a new era of Jewish thought and integration.

Progressive Judaism is born with the founding of Jacob’s Temple – the first Reform synagogue – in Seesen, Germany. Services, liturgy and rituals are made more accessible.

Two girls have a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony at the Beer Temple in Berlin. The practice spreads in Germany, France and Italy, with the term Bat Mitzvah first used in 1847.

Twenty-four families from Britain’s Sephardi and Ashkenazi congregations form the West London Synagogue of British Jews, introducing modernised practice and teaching. Further Reform communities follow in Manchester and Bradford in 1857 and 1873.

Britain’s first Reform prayer book is introduced. Forms of Prayer Volume I: Daily and Sabbath Prayers modernises and shortens the Shabbat service, with an English translation.

In America, which got its first Progressive synagogue in 1824, Congregation Beth-El of Albany introduces ‘family pews’ – the Progressive practice of everyone sitting together.

The first recorded UK use of the term Progressive Judaism (in the Jewish Chronicle).

Liberal Judaism begins to form. A service takes place at Marylebone’s Great Central Hotel in 1902, with The Liberal Jewish Synagogue founded in 1911. Building on innovations of the UK’s Reform communities, further advances are made in equality and accessibility.

The World Union for Progressive Judaism is created in London. It now serves an estimated 1.8 million members in more than 1,250 congregations across 50 countries.

The practice that Jewish status can be inherited from either parent (whether mother or father), where the child is brought up as Jewish, is introduced.

Leo Baeck College is established as Britain’s first Progressive rabbinic seminary. The College has since ordained more than 200 Progressive rabbis.

Following the 1935 ordination of the world’s first woman rabbi, Leo Baeck College begins accepting female rabbinic candidates. Britain’s first woman rabbi is ordained in 1975.

British Progressive Judaism embraces the UK’s first openly LGBTQI+ rabbi. In 1984, openly LGBTQI+ students enter the rabbinic programme at Leo Baeck College.

Progressive clergy begin to lead wedding blessings for mixed faith/dual heritage couples. From 2012, these take place in synagogue, as part of a full inclusion of mixed faith families.

Liberal Judaism’s Siddur Lev Chadash is the first prayer book in Europe to use gender-inclusive language for God. Words subsuming women under men are also changed.

Reform Judaism releases Seder Ha-T’fillot: Forms of Prayer – Britain’s first Siddur containing a complete transliteration (Hebrew words written in English) for Shabbat.

Already conducting blessings for LGBTQI+ couples, Progressive synagogues start to host full equal weddings after campaigning for a change in the law to be able do so.

Britain’s Reform and Liberal communities vote to unite as into one Progressive Judaism for the UK and Ireland – the culmination of 250 years of history, progress, innovation and change.