In mid-March, the recently appointed chair – Rabbi Lea Mühlstein – and co-vice chair – Jonathan Eaton – of the European Union of Progressive Judaism reached out to me with a question: would I be interested in serving as EUPJ Envoy to the European Union? I was flattered, who wouldn’t be, but I know all too well where the ego can lead so I was also very cautious. This grand title, which started as ‘ambassador’ then morphed into ‘emissary’ and finally landed on ‘envoy’, came with assurances of minimal, but nevertheless important input as a representative of progressive Jewish values in a forum occupied by predominantly orthodox voices.
After personal deliberation – guided in part by some advice from people with experience in the EU landscape – I accepted the position. My primary task is to attend a monthly round-table convened by the European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life and to provide feedback on important initiatives and opportunities to the EUPJ for further action.
My commitment to IJC remains unchanged and I’m looking forward to flying the IJC flag whenever I get the chance!
Rabbi Brian
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