QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
This Q & A compilation will be updated regularly to keep all members fully up to date with the plans and progress. It is divided into a number of sections. If you have any questions or suggestions please contact the chair or one of the rabbis of your community.
The Vision
Q: What is the vision for a new, merged community?
A: Put simply, we believe we can do much more for the Jewish community in our area by working together rather than separately, bringing together the strengths of each congregation. We have a shared vision of a Jewish community centre as well as a spiritual centre, providing inspiring and engaging progressive Jewish religious services and learning opportunities, Jewish culture in its myriad forms, as well as social space; indeed a Progressive Jewish home for the large population of Jews of all ages in the area.
Q: Why merge now? What's the urgency? Is this about financial survival? Are we failing somehow? I thought we were doing fine. And if it's about money, are we just postponing the inevitable?
A: Both communities are financially strong. There is no urgency as such, but the timelines are to some extent driven by Radlett’s plans for building development and TLSE’s plans for community development after the appointment of their Director of Community Development, Rabbi Anna Wolfson. A successful merger would benefit both communities, so that 2+2=5.
Q: What is the planned timetable?
A: This website and the joint edition of Hakol are part of the consultation process for members of both communities. Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) of both congregations are planned for Thursday evening 29th January, at which the trustees (boards) of each community will be authorised to go ahead with the work needed to go ahead with a merger. If both congregations agree then detailed work will start to make the new community a reality. New working subgroups will look in particular at systems and technology, and at membership and community development.
There will another opportunity to review progress at the AGMs which are usually held in May, at which point the formal agreements to merge will be taken. From then onwards the role of the current steering committee may become closer to a board of trustees of the future merged organisation. The legal merger would happen towards the end of 2026, although any new building plans would take longer still.
You can see the planned timeline in more detail here.
Q: Is Hertfordshire Progressive Synagogues going to be the name of the new community?
A: This is very much a working title. A final name will be worked on as part of the post-vote merger process, with recommendations from the communications subgroup. There are many sensitivities to carefully consider.
Q: Will I lose my community? Will this all get lost in a bigger organisation?I have my friends here, my support network. We know each other. We've shared simchas and losses together.
A: No, we will just have more options available to us, which is to the benefit of all. A community is made up of people – our friends, people we have known for a longer time and people we have only just met. We can keep our friends and also make new ones!
Q: What about our Rabbi? I have a relationship with my Rabbi. They know my family, they've been there for us. Will they still be my Rabbi?
A: Our rabbis will still be here for us but we will all enjoy the benefit of an enhanced, stronger Rabbinic team and the continuity that comes with that. Already you may have seen the five rabbinic colleagues co-leading services and participating in activities at both synagogues and building relationships across our combined community. The rabbis will be able to bring their own individual special skills to a larger, exciting community.
Q: Will my voice still matter? In my own community, I know I can influence decisions. I can speak at AGMs. People listen. Will I just be one voice among many in a larger congregation?
A: Your voice is crucial. We want to know how you feel about our joint activities. We’d welcome your input in our working sub-groups. The purpose of merging is for there to be more activity, more opportunity for involvement, more potential to grow in the way you would like in the future.
Buildings
Q: What are the plans for both buildings? Will the new community be based in the Radlett Reform building?
A: We have a joint buildings sub-group exploring all the options, but this is a process that cannot be rushed. In the meantime, we have the benefits of really sharing two buildings rather than us separately having one building each, which gives us the scope to do far more than we can now. Once the decision to merge is agreed at the January EGMs the buildings sub-group will be able to commission detailed design work for potential development of the current Radlett buildings, and start a search in parallel to see if there are opportunities to move to a new location. Any final premises will be chosen based upon its accessibility and functionality to operate as a large community centre suitable for multiple services, function spaces and classrooms - neither building is perfect as it stands today.
Q: If we eventually consolidate to one site, how will that decision be made? I chose to join this synagogue partly because of its location. Will I have to travel further?
A: There will be no changes to our two sites at Elstree and Radlett while we collaborate. All our services, social, cultural and community events are open to members of both RRS and TLSE and so we hope it will increasingly feel like we are a community with the benefit of two homes. The buildings sub-group will look at whether it would make more sense to have a single location which is convenient, inviting, accessible and feels like home, for all of us now and for future generations.
Q: There is a small car park at Elstree, but what about at Radlett?
A: Although RRS does not have its own car park on site there is a large car park behind the shops, and behind the station, and various street parking options within a few minutes’ walk. Of course, the Radlett site is within walking distance for far more members of both communities than the Elstree site, and it is well served by both rail and bus services. The buildings sub-group has access and parking on their list of considerations for any future combined building.
Ritual, Rites & Practices
Q: How will Shabbat and festival services work, will it be Liberal or Reform?
A: As Radlett Reform and many other synagogues already do, there will be multiple services offered every week. This will give everybody an opportunity to choose the service that best suits them, Liberal or Reform, using the different prayerbooks. This approach will continue while we are on two sites, and once we are able to move in to a single building. Some of our services already use our own siddur booklets, which incorporate the best of both traditions. The Movement for Progressive Judaism has been clear that there is no plan to integrate siddurim, and we will be following this ethos.
Q: What happens to my traditions and way of worship? I've been coming to services for years. I'm comfortable with our liturgy, I know our melodies and I like how we do things. Will I still feel at home in this new community? Can I still use my familiar siddur? Will our specific customs survive?
A: During the collaboration phase, we have continued with our regular services both in Radlett and in Elstree, and we plan to continue that approach. We will still join together for some weekday festival services and events as we have done in the past. Our rabbis have already started taking turns to lead services at either synagogue. Both communities are Progressive which means that our services (liturgy, melodies, customs) have always changed a bit, even week to week! We’re nurturing what we already have in common as well as our diversity, and seeing how we might evolve together. We plan to continue to have two or more parallel services (with different liturgies) as we currently do, even if we are one merged community on one site. Perhaps just as important will be the opportunity for fresh alternative services as well as our regular services for those who enjoy those, and we have already seen some of these being used, for example at the Intergenerational Shabbat morning services.
Q. Are there any real differences between Reform and Liberal? What are the theological, liturgical and practical differences? How will decisions be made when we disagree? Who gets the final say on religious matters?
A: RRS and TLSE are already close in terms of these matters. Our rabbis all qualified at the same college and they, as a combined team, will have the say on all religious matters, supported by the Ritual, Rites and Practices team. Nationally, variations in practice between different Progressive synagogues are often more about the character, culture and location of the particular community than about whether they are labelled ‘Liberal’ or ‘Reform’. Over time our new community will undoubtedly (continue to) develop its own, shared ways of doing things.
Q: What will happen to funeral and burial arrangements?
A: The funeral and burial scheme arrangements for current members of RRS and TLSE will be unchanged. If we merge then future new members will also become members of our scheme/s, once we have agreed details with the Joint Jewish Burial Society (JJBS) and/or the LJ burial scheme.
Education, Cheder and Sunday Hub
Q: What are the plans for the Cheder / Religion School / BM classes / Kabbalat Torah?
A: For 2025/26 various events for our cheders are being planned jointly, typically 2-3 times each term. The RRS BM programme is well-established and very successful, and TLSE members will now be able to join this as a joint programme, leading to celebrating their BM in any service.
Legal and Organisation
Q: How can we vote to merge if we don’t know what the final merger will look like?
A: At the EGMs in January we will be asking you to vote to give each board of trustees the authority to work towards a merger of the two communities to create one large, flourishing progressive community. What the merged community will look like is then down to the joint boards, sub-groups and the wider members of the community to work out over the next 12+ months and beyond. We want as many people as possible to take an active part in shaping the community.
Q: How will we become a single charity?
A: The legal matters subgroup is taking detailed legal advice to make the creation of a new single charity as seamless and effective as possible. The appropriate confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements will be put in place, bearing in mind our responsibilities under GDPR. It is likely that Radlett Reform Synagogue will change its legal structure from being a 'charitable company limited by guarantee' to becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), which is a more modern form of charity structure - this will require a separate formal vote of its members. TLSE , which is already a CIO, would then merge into the CIO; and the name of the CIO will change to the new name for the merged community. These steps are designed to minimise the costs and any risks of making the changes. For our members the process will have no practical impact.
Q: I’m worried TLSE will be ‘swallowed up’ by Radlett Reform, how can we stop this from happening?
A: This is something that both communities have addressed from the outset and legal aspects of the merger will ensure that a ‘merger of equals’ is secured through a ‘protection of minority’ agreement. This will become part of the new community’s constitution. This is likely to include provisions for equal representation on the new board for former members of both RRS and TLSE, and small bodies of named former TLSE and RRS members respectively who will have to give approval for any disposal of the current buildings.
Q: Is this just RRS absorbing TLSE (or vice versa)? RRS as the larger community might naturally dominate, particularly if we combine on the Radlett site. How do I know this is truly a merger of equals?
A: When it comes to a decision on a merger, it’s a joint decision. The five sub-groups are made up with equal representation from each community, and the final merger will require approval from both communities. Both are committed to genuine partnership, not a ‘takeover’, so that we build on the heritage and strengths of each community.
Q: What happens to the existing employees?
A: The rights of all the current employees of both communities are protected under the TUPE regulations. We value all of them and want to make sure that they are happy and fulfilled in whatever future roles they might take in the new organisation. A combined staff organisation structure will be part of the merger discussions.
Q: What if we eventually decide not to merge? What's Plan B? Is this irreversible? What protections are in place if things go wrong?
A: We’re at the beginning of a project of closer collaboration, which benefits us regardless of a future merger decision. But there won’t be a full merger without your support. Once the merger takes place (if it does) then we believe the potential for the combined community will be even greater, but if it doesn’t happen what we will have lost will be an exciting opportunity.
Q: Liberal Judaism and the Movement for Reform Judaism have merged to form the Movement for Progressive Judaism. How does that impact TLSE and RRS?
A: Both TLSE and RRS are delighted by the formation of the new Movement for Progressive Judaism but that is completely separate from the collaboration and potential future merger of our two communities. The leaders of Progressive Judaism have been very excited by our collaboration as an example of our greater potential together, particularly in the area of Hertfordshire, and have sent their good wishes in an article elsewhere on this website.
