Who are we?

In 1948—49 a small group of Jews of Leicester were seeking an alternative to Orthodox Judaism. In 1950 the Liberal Jewish Group affiliated to the Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues, later renamed Liberal Judaism. Initially services were held in members’ homes and hired halls.

In the 1960s the name was changed to the Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation and bi-weekly services were held in the Friends Meeting House until the present building was bought in 1995 and refurbished to become a synagogue.

Our building

Our building dates from 1885 and was used as school until the community purchased it in 1995. It has been adapted to be fully accessible, a ramp for wheelchairs and a loop system for the hard of hearing.

Latest update on annexe building works

As you can see from the outside, progress on the Annexe continues apace (after a delay due to poor weather and slow arriving supplies). The wall panels & roof are up and work is progressing well on the toilets but right now, the best bit (we think) is the ceiling.

The next stage is to select for the builder certain items such as suitable, sustainable flooring, light fittings, signs etc which are covered in the original quote.  However, in addition, Miriam is drawing up a list of furnishings so that as many people and groups as possible can get the maximum benefit from the building. We hope to receive some support with funding for these items but much of the cost will have been paid for by the support by you of the Ceilidhs, Klezmer and summer party events. We will, of course, let you know when we have a date for the grand opening.

I know that the builders have tried to keep disruption to a minimum and keeping the pavements clear remains a priority. If you have any thoughts or comments to contribute please contact Miriam as chair of the Annexe subcommittee.

We have a full calendar of activities and weekly services: Click here to see our services.

The building is available for hire subject to consultation. The following groups use the premises regularly:

• The Shalom Club – weekly luncheon club for older Jewish residents of Leicestershire
• Singing for Pleasure
• Pre and post natal exercise
• Musical activities for pre-schoolers

Whom do we welcome?

LPJC extends a warm welcome to everyone including:

• Jews by birth (matrilineal or patrilineal) and by choice
• Jews in inter-faith relationships; non-Jewish partners are invited to become friends of the congregation
• single Jews, couples or families
• LGBT Jews – lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender
• Secular and cultural Jews who may feel estranged from their roots

Neve Shalom

New synagogue chairs thanks to a generous grant from a Leicester City Council Ward grant.

You may have noticed our fifty new blue chairs in the hall. These have replaced older ones, which were a little worse for wear despite valiant efforts to keep them clean. Whilst our own congregation uses the new chairs, they will also benefit the many community groups that use the hall as well as events that take place there.  A congregation member helped to source the chairs at manufacturers’ price (thank you Barry) and a generous grant from Knighton ward covered the majority of the total cost.

Resting on new chairs after exhausting Klezmer dancing