Herefordshire Jewish Community and Gloucestershire Liberal Jewish Community are to amalgamate.
The merged congregation will be known as the Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community. It will be launched on July 20 with a service led by Liberal Judaism senior rabbi Danny Rich and student minister Lev Taylor.
It is hoped Mr Lev will serve the combined congregation on a regular basis and he told the JC: “I am so excited to start work with this dynamic and exciting community. This merger ensures that all Jews throughout the Three Counties will have a friendly place to call home.”
Established 27 years ago, the Herefordshire community also draws membership from Worcestershire and Monmouthshire. But it has struggled to maintain attendances at services and, with a council of only four long-serving members, decided that merger was the way forward.
