Attorney General says RSY-Netzer shaped his worldview and commitment to justice
Lord Hermer tells MPJ dinner his Jewish youth movement years sparked lifelong commitment to justice, pluralism and tikkun
The Attorney General, Lord Richard Hermer KC, has credited his formative years in RSY-Netzer with shaping his worldview, values and the eventual path into public life, telling the Movement for Progressive Judaism’s inaugural dinner that the youth movement taught him a model of Jewish responsibility that continues to guide his work.
Speaking in conversation with Rabbi Rebecca Birk of Finchley Progressive Synagogue, Hermer said he had been “captivated” as a teenager from the very first RSY national weekend he attended, describing it as an environment that profoundly influenced his sense of ethics and obligation. “What I got from RSY-Netzer was the sense of Jewish values and, in particular, the concept of tikkun,” he said, explaining that its teachings on tikkun atzmi (repairing oneself), tikkun ha’am (repairing the Jewish people) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) had remained central throughout his life.
He reflected on how those values shaped his political and moral instincts as a young activist, recalling how his concern for injustice abroad, including apartheid in South Africa, had come directly from his Jewish upbringing and his youth movement education. “My desire to do something was absolutely informed and fuelled by my Jewish values,” he said.
Hermer spoke warmly about his broader Jewish journey, from his time on RSY-Netzer’s Israel Tour – where one of the participants was MPJ co-lead Rabbi Josh Levy – to a gap year in Israel and later involvement in UJS and the European Union of Jewish Students. Jewish life, he said, had been “absolutely integral to my being”.
Discussing his own beliefs, Hermer described himself as culturally Jewish and “agnostic”, noting with humour that calling himself an atheist felt “arrogant”. He referenced the influence of Martin Buber, praising both the philosopher’s theology of “I-Thou” relationships and the enduring wisdom of his Chasidic stories.
In a political reflection unusual for a serving Cabinet minister, Hermer stressed the importance of pluralism at a time of growing social polarisation. He said that, despite differences in party politics, he recognised shared values across Parliament – adding with a pause, “Not all.” What must endure, he argued, was a commitment to dignity and mutual respect. “The way we treat everybody is about respecting the dignity of other human beings,” he said. “Tikkun – in the sense that we would understand it – has never been more important.”
Rabbi Birk introduced him as a powerful example of the ethos Progressive Judaism aims to embody, praising his journey from RSY-Netzer to one of the most senior legal roles in government.
Hermer was among the headline speakers at the Movement for Progressive Judaism’s launch event, attended by more than 350 guests and marking the formal unification of Reform and Liberal Judaism.
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