Glasgow’s Community Futures Project has highlighted a lack of barmitzvah education in the city.
Fiona Frank — who has been seconded from the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) to co-ordinate responses to the consulation document — said that participants in an informal meeting on Sunday “had a chance to talk about what they wanted and to have their views heard.The highlight of discussion was people’s requirement for barmitzvah education to be run by the city’s Orthodox synagogues. Currently Glasgow’s Reform synagogue and Lubavitch are the only ones to run barmitzvah education.”
The meeting at the Jewish Community Centre in Giffnock was part of the second phase of the Community Futures consultation. The Glasgow Jewish Representative Council has organised focus groups, meetings and surveys to help formulate future provision for the city’s Jewry.
There was also discussion about how best to promote debate about Israel within the community.
In a closing statement, rep council co-vice-president Paul Morron told the gathering that the consultation was”not just empty promises. Looking ahead, we are a shrinking community and we need to influence changes.”
Closing on February 24, the consultation survey has attracted 230 responses.
A report on Ms Frank’s findings will be published in March. The representative council’s final report is due in May.
