Membership

Whether you’re established in the area, just moved in, studying or visiting, Beit Echud, the Milton Keynes & District Reform Synagogue (MKDRS), offers you a warm welcome.

MKDRS is 45 years old in 2023! Our small and friendly congregation is based in Milton Keynes but attracts members from a wide area in Bucks, Beds and Northants. MKDRS is affiliated to the national Movement for Reform Judaism, though it would be true to say that our membership represents a wide spectrum of religious observance. Some of our members are in mixed-faith relationships and we very much welcome non-Jewish partners.

We keep in contact with our members through a weekly email newsletter, our Facebook group 'MKDRS Members and Friends' and our quarterly magazine, Listen.

Ours is a diverse, active and happy community. We hope you will join us.

Martin Neville and Lou Tribus
Co-Chairs MKDRS

Meet a Member! Lois Charles - Why I joined MKDRS....

When I got married, my then husband and I could not afford the price of the houses in London and initially looked in the Luton area. After careful consideration we decided to move to Milton Keynes. At first we had no intention of joining a shul but, when our daughter was born, we decided to find the nearest shul to Giffard Park and were surprised to learn that there was a Reform Shul in Milton Keynes.

After contacting the Shul about joining we took our daughter along to a Cheder class which was then based in a school in Bletchley. When I arrived with my daughter we were made to feel very welcome; so much so that I ended up taking the “Gan” which was made up of children who had older siblings in Cheder! The children I taught in the “Gan” were the first ones to learn Ivrit and Classical Hebrew through play.

I can definitely say that, of all the Shuls I have visited, MKDRS is one of the friendliest Shuls I have been to. As soon as you walk through the door you are welcomed with open arms and introduced to everyone who was present - obviously you weren’t expected to remember everyone’s name straight away!

I particularly like going to the Shul's Kabbalat Suppers as the topic of conversation is never the same twice and it's a great way to meet members of MKDRS socially. I would recommend anyone looking for a small friendly shul to consider MKDRS.

Lois Charles

Jayne Robinson - Why I joined MKDRS

I grew up in Edgware in a very Jewish environment and lived my whole life in NW London. We had bought a really nice house in Elstree , my husband and I were both working long hours and my 1 year old son was in full-time nursery. Things were really stressful but, as we had substantial outgoings, I had no choice but to work full time.

When I missed my son taking his first steps, I knew something had to change. We started to look for a cheaper area to live, to enable us to reduce our outgoings so I could give up work for a while and spend more time with my little boy. I was concerned that moving away from London would mean I would miss my family and friends and cried every time we came up here to view houses, but we decided to go for it, as our son's quality of life was our priority.

In 2007, we moved to a lovely village, just outside MK, and only fifteen minutes' drive away from the synagogue. I started my own business, which has enabled me to work more flexibly. We bought a house which was similar in size to our house in Elstree, but enabled us to reduce our mortgage by more than half! I believe we definitely made the right decision to move away - we have everything we could possibly want here; the air is cleaner, there is less traffic, there is countryside and fields all around us but the amazing amenities of MK are right on our doorstep.

As for the shul, I couldn't be happier. My son has been attending Cheder since he was five years old. He has made some lovely friends and is currently preparing for his Bar Mitzvah. The community is warm, friendly, not ostentatious or judgmental and extremely welcoming. And as I have recently discovered, Bar Mitzvah venues, as well as house prices, are cheaper up here too!!!!

To anyone who has ever thought about whether there is Jewish life outside NW London, let me assure you that there most definitely is! MK is an awesome place to live and we definitely made the right decision