Union for Progressive Judaism Information

The UPJ supports and develops Progressive Judaism in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. To be a Progressive Jew is to be a partner in a community committed to connecting with the past, engaging with the present and planning for the future. The UPJ is the roof body that resources 23 congregations, schools, youth groups and communal organisations across Australia, New Zealand and Asia, serving about one fifth of the region's affiliated Jewish community. Our role is to support and develop Progressive Judaism in the region so that our congregations and affiliates are best able to maintain and increase their strength and vitality. Although our region is geographically distant from other Jewish centres, we have a deep Zionist attachment. The UPJ ensures that our vital Jewish community connects strongly with Israel and with the world Jewish community through the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), the Australian Reform Zionist Association (ARZA), and other Zionist organisations. The constituency of the UPJ is active in supporting the annual UIA campaign with a specific interest in the Progressive Trust. The Union for Progressive Judaism is a member of the World Union for Progressive Judaism (www.wupj.org). The World Union for Progressive Judaism was founded in London in 1926. It is the umbrella organisation for the Reform, Liberal, Progressive and Reconstructionist movements, and serves 1,200 congregations with 1.7 million members in 42 countries. The World Union for Progressive Judaism strengthens Jewish life in Israel and worldwide by establishing and supporting modern, pluralistic congregations and organisations, developing Jewish communal and youth leadership and advancing social justice.