Faith leaders unite to celebrate return of Rabbi
FAITH leaders from across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire have united to celebrate the return of a former Rabbi to her role as head of the Jewish community in the region.
Anna Gerrard resumes the role as Lead Rabbi of the Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community (3CLJC), which was created in 2018 when Gloucestershire and Herefordshire’s Jewish communities merged.
After ten years in the post, Rabbi Anna left the community to take up the role of Jewish Chaplain at Clifton College in Bristol. Now, 3CLJC has celebrated her return with a Civic and Interfaith Service.
The Deans of Gloucester and Hereford Cathedrals joined Gloucester MP Richard Graham and other faith leaders and community representatives at an interfaith service to mark Rabbi Anna’s return to the role.
Rabbi Anna lives in Gloucestershire and is committed to building an inclu- sive and modern Jewish community for all those with Jewish connections in the region.
Anna said: “This community has been a part of my life and my family’s life for many years and it was good for me to take on different challenges and learn from other branches of the Jewish community.”
“I am delighted to be returning to this role. The community is still thriving and growing with members of all ages and Jewish backgrounds. It is a Jewish home for so many people and I am proud to serve them once again,” Anna adds.
Chair of 3CLJC, Mark Walton, said: “We wanted to celebrate how far our small community has come and share a little bit of our culture with our friends and neighbours. We already have excellent relationships with a number of faith communities across the three counties and this service is an opportunity to build further new ones. We have been delighted with the response to our invitations and look forward to welcoming our guests to our Shabbat morning service and lunch.”