Limmud Bristol and South West has cancelled a discussion on the impact of Covid on the community because the proposed United Synagogue representative refused to appear with the local Liberal rabbi.

A volunteer for the city’s Limmud day on June 19 said the US participant — who is not a rabbi — declined to sit on a panel with Rabbi Monique Mayer of the Bristol and West Progressive Congregation.

However, the JC understands that the decision for him to withdraw was taken higher up in the US.

The US has declined to comment.

“I am very sad that this has happened,” Rabbi Mayer said. “This was an opportunity for all congregations to learn from each other post-pandemic and I think would have been of great benefit to our entire Jewish community.”

She was “still very much looking forward to Limmud, where I will be presenting a session on mussar [ethics] and meeting up and learning from friends and colleagues from all branches of Judaism”.

Limmud head office said it had made a mistake in not consulting the US over the composition of the panel before details of the session were circulated. A spokesperson described “the situation with the panel at Bristol [as] an unfortunate piece of miscommunication”.

Nothing had changed “in the way that Limmud works with either the United Synagogue or Liberal Judaism and we continue to have a positive working relationship with both”.

The organisation “always promises to allow presenters to participate to the extent that they feel comfortable and it is entirely the prerogative of every speaker to decide where that line lies”.

Bristol is one of the smallest Jewish communities to host a Limmud.

More than 30 presenters will feature in its programme, including Michal Nahman, an anthropologist at the University of the West of England, whose interactive cookery class will also examine Mizrahi identity.

Izzy Posen, originally from Stamford Hill, who studied at Bristol University, will speak on Yiddish culture in the Chasidic community and model-making and creative dance will be among children’s activities.