Community of Faith

“Jewish faith is not mysterious. It is born neither in private experi­ences nor abstract theologies but in institutions: the Jewish home, the Jewish school and above all the Jewish community, the place where we assemble as a microcosm of an entire people in the presence of God. In this story of Jewish identity, the United Synagogue holds an honour­able place. It did so in the past. I pray that it does so long into the future.”– Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

For the 125th anniversary of the United Synagogue, during his time as Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks wrote Community of Faith, a penetrating evaluation of the role of the synagogue in Jewish life today.

The book explores the choices faced by religious leadership in the modern world and the ways in which the synagogue embodies a living community of faith. It analyses the importance of morality and faith for Jewish individuals and the community, and suggests ways in which the synagogue can be renewed as a centre of meaning and belonging.

It examines one such community in particular, the group of British congregations [IO1] known as the United Synagogue. At the heart of the United Synagogue is an idea – one which governed and inspired Jewish communities for many centuries but has proved difficult to sustain in the modern world. In this book, Rabbi Sacks describes the history and theology of this idea and shows why its importance extends far beyond the boundaries of Anglo-Jewry.