WUPJ Asia Summit 2026: How 30 Leaders from 10 Communities Are Shaping the Future of Progressive Judaism in Asia
This week, the United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong became a meeting point for something larger than a conference.
For four days, 35 delegates from 10 Progressive Jewish communities and the WUPJ leadership across Asia came together for the 2026 WUPJ Asia Summit. They arrived from places with very different realities, sizes, and challenges, but with a shared question: how do we build a stronger, more connected future for Progressive Judaism in this region?
There was a feeling in the room from the beginning that something is shifting. Progressive Jewish communities across Asia are growing. Some are small and emerging, others more established. Some operate in environments where Jewish life is highly visible; others in places where it develops quietly. What they share is a sense of momentum, and a need for deeper connection.
The Summit created space for that.
“Learning from other delegates and sharing insights from Singapore and Shanghai has been really meaningful. Having seen both larger and smaller communities, I feel like I can bring a broader perspective. I’m really looking forward to what comes next.”
Five priorities for Progressive Judaism in Asia
Across sessions, conversations focused on five core areas: strengthening relationships between communities, exploring a shared regional structure, expanding access to leadership development and resources, responding more effectively to local needs, and deepening connection with the global WUPJ network.
These were not abstract discussions. They were grounded in lived experience. Leaders spoke openly about what is working, where support is needed, and what sustainable growth could look like in their specific contexts.
Shared learning, prayer, and spiritual depth
Moments of shared learning and prayer played an equally important role in shaping the experience and creating community. WUPJ President Rabbi Sergio Bergman led discussions on concrete actions for local and global cooperations. Rabbi Stacey Blank, Director of the Center for Education and Leadership Development, facilitated sessions on spiritual needs and practical steps for setting goals and achieving outcomes, opening conversations about how communities grow not only in numbers but with purposeful sustainability.
Shabbat services were led by UJC Hong Kong clergy Rabbi David Kudan and Cantor Yvon Shore. A Shabbat morning Torah study, led jointly by Rabbi Kudan and Rabbi Amnon Ribak of UHC Singapore, brought together voices from different communities around a shared text.
A new shlichut opportunity for Asia
Another key moment came with the presentation of a shlichut opportunity for Asia. WUPJ young adult leaders and educators Daniella Beswick and Jamie Hansen invited participants to consider what it would mean to have dedicated leadership supporting Progressive Jewish communities across the region. The conversation that followed made it clear: this is something many are ready to explore further.
Building trust beyond the sessions
Connection also happened outside of formal sessions. Havdalah and a shared dinner on a traditional Hong Kong junk boat created space for something less structured but equally important: trust, familiarity, and the kind of relationships that make collaboration possible long after the Summit ends.
Throughout the gathering, WUPJ President Rabbi Sergio Bergman, WUPJ Chair Phyllis Dorey and WUPJ Vice Chair Daniel Kirwin set the tone for open dialogue and collaboration — listening closely, engaging in conversations, and reinforcing the message that Asia is an integral part of the global Progressive Jewish story.
Hong Kong: A hub for Progressive Jewish Asia
The planning of the summit was a close collaboration between the WUPJ and the UJC Hong Kong, under the leadership of UJC Chair Elyse Silverberg and Summit Co-Chairs Jason Golush and Nina Yang. The summit took place at the JCC of Hong Kong and the UJC synagogue, meeting local dignitaries such as Rabbi Asher Oser of the historical Ohel Leah Synagogue and Amir Latti, the Israel Consul General in Hong Kong. We learned about important resources like the Hong Kong Jewish Film Festival and the Hong Kong Holocaust and Tolerance Foundation.
What comes next
By the end of the Summit, participants left with more than ideas. They left with clearer direction, concrete next steps, and a stronger sense of belonging to something larger than their own communities.
One participant reflected:
The Asia Summit was the starting point.
And if there was one message that carried through every conversation, it is this:
Asia is ready.