Rabbi Pete Tobias
Rabbi
Tobias grew up in the Elstree area attending Haberdashers' Aske's
School for Boys. Having trained at what was then Wall Hall College,
he worked as a primary school teacher before training for the
rabbinate. After graduating from the Leo Baeck College in 1990, Pete
served the Birmingham Progressive Synagogue and the Glasgow New
Synagogue (Reform) before joining TLSE full time in September 2003.
Pete is frequently in the media, contributing both to the Guardian newspaper and previously as a regular speaker on Radio Scotland's "Thought for the Day". He is now broadcasting on Three Counties Radio and on Shalom FM, and on the Terry Wogan show on Radio 2. Pete has extensive experience working with young people, having been Joint Director of Liberal Judaism's summer camp Kadimah and more recently as Program Director for the Union of American Hebrew Congregations' Camp Newman Summer camp. Pete also admits to being an ardent supporter of Watford FC since the early seventies!
When announcing his appointment Pete said, "I am very excited about joining TLSE. As well as the opportunity to serve such a vibrant community, I am returning to the Liberal Movement and to my 'home patch'. While it has been, on the one hand, a huge emotional wrench to leave Glasgow New Synagogue where I made many friends and saw the community flourish and grow over 7 years, I am looking forward to leading TLSE along a similar path of growth and development in the years to come".
For a selection of Rabbi Pete Tobias' sermons and broadcasts click here.
Student rabbi Neil Janes
Student rabbi Neil Janes assisted us during 2003. Neil took two Shabbat morning and one shabbat evening service each month. He is spending the third year of his rabinnic studies (2003-4) in Israel.
Rabbi
Jonathan Black 
Rabbi Jonathan Black was our Rabbi for over 14 years, from 1988 to 2002. At the end of 2002 Jonathan left to take up a rabbinic appointment at the Leo Baeck Centre for Judaism in Melbourne, Australia.