Conference of European Rabbis launches initiative to support smaller Jewish communities
Community Package costing £63 a month over three years offers halachic advice including checking mikvaot and inspecting Torah scrolls
One of Europe’s most prominent associations of Orthodox rabbis has this month launched a new, first of its kind programme to deliver religious services to Jewish communities.
The Conference of European Rabbis (CER), representing over 700 Jewish mainstream orthodox communities across Europe, will use the ‘Community Package Initiative’ to particularly support those groups in smaller or remote areas, ensuring that vital religious support is accessible to every community across the continent.
The CER’s “Community Package” costs a total of 2,700 Euros or £2,272, payable in monthly installments of 75 Euros or £63, over three years.
It includes a detailed inspection of Mikvaot every three years, complete with a comprehensive report and a self-check testing kit for water compliance, as well as consultation, halachic advice, and a port of call to answer any halachic questions.
The package also includes expert, routine checking of Torah scrolls and their electronic registration, to help prevent theft and forgery, as well as acting as a liaison with sofrim (Torah scribes) should a new Torah scroll need to be written.
Additionally, the package offers unlimited access to “Birur Yahadut” (Jewish Status Determination), managing enquiries and providing expert rabbinic opinion regarding complex cases.
The CER says the package can be tailored to suit the specific needs of each community. For example, if it already employs a local Sofer Stam, or Jewish scribe, they can substitute the service for Torah classes, lectures by prominent speakers, or Brit Milah services in remote areas.
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), said: “Our Community Package Initiative represents a significant leap forward in our commitment to supporting Jewish communities across Europe. By making these vital services available to even the smallest and most remote communities, we are ensuring that every Jewish community has the resources to sustain its religious practices and traditions.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
