Birmingham Progressive Synagogue
Liberal-heritage synagogue in Birmingham, formed in 1935
| Birmingham Progressive Synagogue
| |
|---|---|
| Logo | 
|
| Type | Synagogue; registered charity (unincorporated) |
| Founded | 1935 |
| Registration ID | 242057 (Charity Commission) |
| Location | Birmingham |
| Registration | England and Wales |
| Website | http://www.bpsjudaism.com/ |
Birmingham Progressive Synagogue (BPS) is a Liberal-heritage synagogue at Roseland Way in Birmingham, formed in 1935 as Birmingham Liberal Jewish Synagogue and a registered charity (242057).[1][2] Its website says that in 2025 it celebrated 90 years of Liberal Judaism in Birmingham.[3]
History
Lawrence Rigal records a demonstration service on 14 December 1934, a decision by 57 people on 16 December 1934 to form a congregation, a temporary synagogue from February 1935, the minister’s salary paid by the Jewish Religious Union for the Advancement of Liberal Judaism until 1940, and the consecration on 4 September 1938 of a purpose-built synagogue in Sheepcote Street.[4] JCR-UK gives 1935 as the date formed and describes the Sheepcote Street building, designed by Ernest M. Joseph in Art Deco style in 1938, as closed and demolished in 2006 under an urban regeneration plan, with the congregation at its present address from September 2009.[1]
JCR-UK records that the congregation was known as Birmingham Liberal Jewish Synagogue until about 1970, that the Midland Reform Synagogue Movement merged with it in 1970 after about two years of existence, and that the Leamington & District Progressive Jewish Group was formerly a branch.[1] It lists Lawrence Rigal as minister from 1964 to 1967, David Zucker (1972–79), Pete Tobias (about 1992–94), Margaret Jacobi (1994–2023) and Lisa Barrett (2025 to date), and gives 160 members in 1938, 284 in 1990 and 200 to 299 households in the 2010 and 2016 surveys.[1] It also records an arrangement with the Birmingham Hebrew Congregation allowing use of the Witton New Jewish Cemetery.[1]
The website describes a synagogue “at the forefront of interfaith work in Birmingham” and records a project, “Welcome Here!”, funded through 2024 to welcome asylum seekers into the community, which began with an interfaith Tu B’Shvat tree-planting attended by about 80 people, including about 40 asylum seekers.[3]
Affiliation and governance
JCR-UK says the congregation was a constituent community of Liberal Judaism (formerly the ULPS) and its predecessor the Jewish Religious Union and became a constituent community of the Movement for Progressive Judaism on the movement’s formation on 1 January 2026.[1][5] JCR-UK gives the governing document as a constitution of May 1963 as amended and the charity as registered on 4 October 1966.[1] The register gives its object as “to provide a place of worship and facilities for religious education and instruction for Jewish people”.[6]
Charity, officers and accounts
The charity is registered with the Charity Commission as The Birmingham Progressive Synagogue, number 242057. The register records standard registration on 4 October 1966.[2]
The register address is BISHOPGATE STREET / ROSELAND WAY, BIRMINGHAM, B15 1HD.[7] The governing document is Constitution of may 1963 as amended 13 november 1969 and 16th may 1973. As amended on the 12th july 1998 as amended 24 july 2012 as amended on 05 April 2017 as amended on 02 July 2025 more.[6] Its registered objects are: “A) the advancement of Progressive Judaism; B) to provide and maintain a place of worship and to arrange and conduct religious services; C) to provide, arrange and conduct religious education; D) to make provision for the solemnization of marriages; E) to make provision for burial and cremation; F) to provide facilities for the instruction of proselytes under the rules of Liberal Judaism. G) to perform such other religious, social and charitable activities as the council shall from time to time determine; H) to do all such other acts and things as shall be conducive to the aforesaid objects.”[6]
Trustees
The register states that there is no trustee information available for this charity on 11 November 2026.[8]
Accounts
For the financial year ended 31 March 2025 the register records total income of £132,203 and total expenditure of £81,620.[9]
| Financial year end | Total gross income | Total expenditure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2021 | £134.25k | £94.16k | [10] |
| 31 March 2022 | £114.35k | £92.12k | [10] |
| 31 March 2023 | £93.11k | £101.50k | [10] |
| 31 March 2024 | £183.44k | £79.04k | [10] |
| 31 March 2025 | £132.20k | £81.62k | [10] |
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 David Shulman, Birmingham Progressive Synagogue, Birmingham, England, JCR-UK, amended 4 June 2024, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Birmingham Progressive Synagogue: governance, Register of Charities, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Birmingham Progressive Synagogue, Shalom and welcome to our Synagogue, bpsjudaism.com, accessed 11 November 2026 (opened with WebFetch; the site returned a bot-check page to direct requests).
- ↑ Lawrence Rigal and Rosita Rosenberg, Liberal Judaism: The First Hundred Years, London: Liberal Judaism / Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues, 2004, pp. 93–94.
- ↑ The Movement for Progressive Judaism, Applications open for candidates for MPJ Chair of Trustees, The Movement for Progressive Judaism, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Birmingham Progressive Synagogue: governing document, Register of Charities, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Birmingham Progressive Synagogue: contact information, Register of Charities, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Birmingham Progressive Synagogue: trustees, Register of Charities, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Birmingham Progressive Synagogue: overview, Register of Charities, accessed 11 November 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Birmingham Progressive Synagogue: financial history, Register of Charities, accessed 11 November 2026.