FAITH leaders from across Herefordshire and beyond will be uniting this weekend to celebrate the return of a former rabbi to her role as head of the Jewish community in the region.

Anna Gerrard will resume the role as lead rabbi of the Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community (3CLJC), which was created in 2018 when Gloucestershire and Herefordshire’s Jewish communities merged.

After ten years in post, Rabbi Anna left the community four ago to take up the role of Jewish chaplain at Clifton College in Bristol. Now, 3CLJC celebrates her return with a civic and interfaith service on Saturday, March 16.

The deans of Gloucester and Hereford Cathedrals will be joined by MP Richard Graham and other faith leaders and community representatives at an interfaith service this Saturday celebrating Rabbi Anna’s return to the role.

Chair of 3CLJC, Mark Walton, says: “We wanted to celebrate how far our small community has come and share a little bit of our culture with our friends and neighbours. We already have excellent relationships with a number of faith communities across the three counties. This service is an opportunity to build further new ones. We have been delighted with the response to our invitations and look forward to welcoming our guests to our Shabbat morning service and lunch.”

Rabbi Anna lives in Gloucestershire and is committed to building an inclusive and modern Jewish community for all those with Jewish connections in this region.

She said: “This community has been a part of my life and my family’s life for many years. It was good for me to take on different challenges and learn from other branches of the Jewish community, but I am delighted to be returning to this role.

"The community is still thriving and growing, with members of all ages and Jewish backgrounds. It is a Jewish home for so many people and I am proud to serve them once again.”