Biography Narrative

Jeff Berger leads the Rambam Sephardi Synagogue and teaches at the Judith Lady Montefiore College Semikha Porgramme. Rambam Sephardi Synagogue provides religious services and pastoral care for Jews living in the Hertfordshire area, to create a model spiritual community that is an example of religious tolerance, intelligence and inclusion. For their young families, a key mission is to provide a nurturing atmosphere, ensuring children grow up with a healthy understanding of their religion, as well as a respect for those from different backgrounds. At Judith Lady Montefiore College, Rabbi Berger teaches hermeneutics and rabbinic practice. Rabbi Berger attended the 2013 Cambridge Co-Exist Leadership Programme and 2015 Arianne de Rothschild Fellowship. Previous fellowships include; US Department of Education, Japan Iron & Steel, and Nippon Glass. Jeff holds advanced degrees in Asian Studies and Business Administration and did post-graduate study at Stamford’s Inter-University Center in Yokohama and at Keio University. He appears on BMTV’s Ask the Alim, on BBC Radio2’s Pause for Thought, and is published in local newspapers. He speaks publicly at Limmud Conference, to adult-education groups and in local schools throughout the year. Rabbi Berger’s great passion is working with people of diverse backgrounds to create and promote ‘Good’. He’s married with two children.

Interreligious Activities and Initiatives

KAICIID FELLOWS ALUMNI UK Chapter

There are 2 main aims of this Initiative.

First, to scope-out a Strategy & Gap Analysis in the UK IRD field; to investigate where a partnership between KAICIID and UK Fellows and their institutions can best work together to deliver opportunities to coordinate capacity in combating hate crime & racial discrimination, and in building an IRD curriculum.

Alumni would develop an action plan, to include a training programme facilitated by KAICIID fellows and partner organisations on themes of:

• Identity
• Self-other dichotomy
• Prejudice & violence, and
• Conflict resolution & peace-building

Second, the national chapter would also serve to widen IRD in regions and major cities where interfaith doesn’t engage fully with non-Abrahamic faith communities.

We hope our platform would enable better resource sharing and mentoring among existing and new UK Fellows alumni, and create synergies to tackle larger issues that might be too broad for a single fellow or their institution to work on.

Camp Unity Borehamwood

Camp Unity is a Borehamwood-based organization that provides children and their families with opportunities to meet other cultures and foster friendships, leading to greater community cohesion and the celebration of diversity. It will meet outdoors this summer and will have 2 follow-up meetings in the 12-months ahead. Two of our focus areas will be sustaining the ecology and celebrating diversity.

A Daylong Interfaith Dialogue

A one dat IFD/IRD workshop addressing concerns between different faith communities in the United Kingdom with the 5 major faith communities.