Hundreds of Jewish LGBTQI+ people and allies took to the streets of London on Saturday, marching together as part of the Jewish bloc at Pride.
For The Movement for Progressive Judaism, Pride is a public expression of our belief that every person is created b’tzelem Elohim – in the image of God.
MPJ Co-Lead Rabbi Charley Baginsky said: “We spend a lot of time marching these days, and often it’s against something. Today was a joy because we were marching for something.
“I was proud to be at Pride with The Movement for Progressive Judaism and our members and communities. Visible. Joyful. Unapologetically ourselves. To paraphrase Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, our feet were praying.”
This year’s Jewish bloc at London Pride – and at similar events around the country – was made possible through the work of many organisations and volunteers.
Particular thanks go to Rabbi Adrian Schell and the volunteers from Progressive communities who have worked tirelessly in previous years, and again this year, to make the Progressive Jewish presence visible and heard.
We are deeply grateful to Pride in London, whose team went above and beyond to ensure our community felt safe, supported and welcomed throughout the day.
Rabbi Adrian said: “This space belongs to us, as Jews, as much as anyone else. We are a wonderfully diverse community.”
Our thanks also go to CST for their tireless work before and during the event, working closely with organisers to ensure the march could take place safely, and to the Metropolitan Police for their professionalism and support on the day.
We also thank Alyth Synagogue, which provided an accessible minibus so that everyone who wanted to march could do so, with special thanks to our volunteer driver, Jack Baum.
We also thank Keshet UK for their leadership in bringing the Jewish bloc together, alongside Sapphic Shabbat, The Hineni Project, Keshet Italia and the Board of Deputies, whose support helped make the day possible.
If you have a Pride story or photos to share, please email media@progressivejudaism.org.uk.
