Union of Progressive Jews – Liberal Jews in Germany
The Union of Progressive Jews in Germany was founded in 1997 to:
- To represent the progressive congregations and communities in the German-speaking world as a religious community to the outside world
- To protect the fundamental teachings of Judaism and to promote the study of Jewish tradition in harmony with modernity
- To promote the emergence and cooperation of progressive Jewish communities in the German-speaking world
- To arouse active interest in progressive Judaism among those who have so far been far removed from religious life
- To represent members vis-à-vis the World Union for Progressive Judaism – WUPJ, the world’s largest Jewish religious organization uniting congregations with 1.6 million members in 46 countries, and to promote cooperation with the progressive Jewish world community.
Members of the Union of Progressive Jews in Germany are liberal Jewish communities and Chavurot (groups) as well as the rabbinical seminary Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam, the Stiftung Liberales Judentum Hannover, arzenu Deutschland and TaMaR Germany. Associate members are the Jewish Liberal Community Or Chadasch in Vienna and the Liberal Jewish Community of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Further liberal municipalities are currently being founded in Germany.
The Union of Progressive Jews in Germany includes the youth department UpJ Netzer for children and adolescents aged seven to 18 and Tamar Germany from 18 to 35 years.