Introduction

Many small Jewish communities around the world do not have Rabbis to guide them on a regular basis.  They are usually very self-sufficient on a week to week basis.  From time to time, however, questions may arise for which they need the knowledge and experience usually provided by a Rabbi (Rabbis in the Progressive Movement - Reform, Liberal, Reconstructionist, Renewal etc), undertake a rigourous training program, usually at leats five years post-graduate, which includes not only the traditional sources such as Bible, Talmud and Midrash, but also Practical Rabbinics, Counselling and Congregational Practice.

In the regions of the world covered by the Union for Progressive Judaism (Australia, New Zealand and Asia), we have in place a system of 'Consulting Rabbis'.  Congregations in our movement that do not employ their own Rabbi, either temporarily or permanently, are allocated a 'Consulting Rabbi' who is working in another congregation in the region, and is familiar with the rules and practices of the region (to which, in our case, those congregations are obligated with regard to matters of Jewish status). 

For ease of access, quick reference, and for general interest, I have put up some responses to questions that have been asked, or could have been asked, by congregations.  I have been a Progressive Rabbi for over 25 years, graduating in 1988 in London, and since 2003 I have been working in this region, based at the Leo Baeck Centre for Judaism in East Kew (http://lbc.org.au/), in Melbourne's Eastern Suburbs, and have been Consulting Rabbi for several of our smaller congregations over that time.  I also supervise the on-line 'Introduction to Judaism' course which you'll find more about at http://pjv.org.au/education/introduction-judaism-0, and which has been useful to several of our smaller congregations who don't have many of their own adult education courses.

In that connection, I have produced a Hebrew learning course, Hebrew from Zero, designed for adult self-learning, available from Amazon at
http://www.amazon.com/Hebrew-Zero-unique-easy-Edition/dp/1466462183/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1382330375&sr=8-4&keywords=jonathan+keren-black
or Fishpond at http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Hebrew-from-Zero-Jonathan-Keren-Black/9781466462182
and also edited an introduction to Progressive Judaism called 'Judaism for the Twenty-First Century', available from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Judaism-Twenty-First-Century-Rabbi-Tobias/dp/1456307576/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1382330375&sr=8-3&keywords=jonathan+keren-black
or Fishpond at http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Judaism-for-Twenty-First-Century-Rabbi-Pete-Tobias-Rabbi-Jonathan-Keren-Black/9781456307578
These, as well as the prayer book 'Mishkan T'filah World Union Edition' are also available from the synagogue office, +613 9819 7160 (9am to 2pm M-F) or email office@lbc.org.au

Finally - why is this blog dated 2013?  That is my 65th birthday - and a way to ensure that this Introduction stays at the top of the list even as new items are added after today!  So I lied to the system - but for a good reason.  Sorry!