Britain’s senior Reform rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner to step down

JTA — Britain’s senior Reform movement rabbi, Laura Janner-Klausner, has led the movement in supporting refugees, fighting anti-Semitism, working for LGBT rights and making the progressive case for Israel.

Now Janner-Klausner, who has led Reform Judaism since 2012, is leaving that post. She will step down on October 1, the movement announced.

Reform Chair Geoffrey Marx said she “has made Britain better.”

Janner-Klausner will begin working on a doctorate in digital theology at Durham University at the start of the coming academic year, according to a statement posted on Reform Judaism’s website.

Read more: UK Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner’s book on resilience could hardly be more timely

She said her research “will be looking at the experience of Jewish young adults who are involved in online communities and seeing how this impacts on their perception and participation in our in-person community activities. I am also going to be training leaders in resilience, especially in times of crisis.”

The statement said “Reform Judaism will now take a period of time to review and consult before announcing its intentions.”