Our Congregation

The United Hebrew Congregation of Singapore is an egalitarian, inclusive, participatory community of progressive Jews and their families from around the world. 

Our History

This is the origin of our Progressive congregation, the United Hebrew Congregation (Singapore). In 1991 some expatriate Jews living in Singapore began to get together. They were mostly English-speaking, from the United States, Canada, Australia and UK. Most were Ashkenazim.

Our group got its start when two women, Natalie Barkan and Sandy Lessig, began to organise a few simple functions for those expatriate Jews in Singapore: first a Shabbat dinner, then a Yom Kippur break-fast where 60 people appeared out of the woodwork, and then more Shabbat dinners and occasional services, holiday celebrations, children's activities and then religious classes, High Holiday services, adult education sessions, Passover Seders.

In 1992 we ran our first High Holiday services, conducting them on our own. The following year we contacted the URJ (Union of Reform Judaism, formerly the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the American version of the AANZUPJ). We asked if they could find a rabbi who would be willing to come to Singapore for the High Holidays for just expenses. This turned out to be one of the most important events in the formation of our congregation.

Rabbi Lennard Thal, then the Regional Director of the Pacific Southwest Council of the URJ, agreed to come with his wife Linda. Lenny and Linda's superb developmental and educational skills and warm personalities fit perfectly with our needs. Although Lenny has retired as Vice President of the URJ, we consider him to be 'our' rabbi. Since 1993 he has come every year to Singapore to lead our High Holiday services, and will return again this year for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Succoth, and Pesach. Accompanying Rabbi Thal on his visits to Singapore is Linda, a nationally recognised expert in Jewish education in her own right.

Over the years we have been greate for the handful of Jewish professionals who have visited us in Singapore. One visitor in our early years who also helped spur our group's development was Temple Beth Israel's Rabbi, John Levi. In his new 'retirement' Rabbi Levi will be helping to develop Progressive congregations in the Pacific Rim, and we look forward to continuing to receive his assistance.

Realizing our progressive approach to Judaism did not fit well into existing organisations in Singapore, we decided to form our own official society. The United Hebrew Congregation (Singapore) received government approval between Rosh Ha'Shanah and Yom Kippur in 1995. We became the third Progressive congregation to be formed in Asia, after Rodef Shalom in Bombay and the United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong.

Today, although we have no full-time rabbi nor permanent building, we have many of the accoutrements and activities of a Progressive congregation. Most importantly, we have a Torah on permanent loan thanks to a programme of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ). We have High Holiday and Shabbat prayer books, haggadot, tallitot and our own inscribed kippot. We work with the local Orthodox community to run a joint religious school.Our congregation is formally affiliated with the WUPJ and informally with the AANZUPJ.

We also have special events, including the first ever Netzer weekend in Asia. On their way back from Israel to Australia last March, two leaders of Netzer Australia, Joe Azoulay and Adam Carpenter, spent a wonderful weekend in Singapore leading our adults and children in serivces and other events.

What we always need and value most is what most small congregations lack - enough willing and capable leaders, and enough funds. Since many of our members are expatriate employees of multinationals, we have unique demographics that put a different spin on these common problems.

Our members are talented people, or their companies would not have selected them for posting to Singapore. Some view their stay in Singapore as temporary, and so divide their energies and resources between UHC and their congregation 'back home'. In addition, most are very busy with a heavy travel schedule for work and adjusting the family to life in Singapore. Financially, we have no long-term debt (like a building), but neither do we have long-term assets (like endowments).  We manage year-on-year through our members' generosity -- making things work through our volunteer efforts, dues, and donations.

Looking forward, we are witnessing the increasing importance of Asia to our world.  And we expect Jews - including Progressive Jews - will be there participating, and our congregation will grow from strength to strength.