Board of Deputies Community Briefing 14th March 2019 (optimized)

FOLLOW US FOR UP TO
THE MINUTE NEWS
Local councillors from North West learn about
Jewish community at Manchester seminar
More than 40 councillors from across the North West
of England learned about the Jewish community at a
Councillors' Seminar on Sunday organised by the
Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council
and the Jewish Representative Council of Greater
Manchester and Region.
There were a significant number of council leaders
and cabinet members in attendance, including the
Executive Mayor of Salford, Paul Dennett. Many of
the councillors were keen to learn more about the
Jewish community, especially in light of tensions
between the Labour Party and British Jews.
antisemitism and political turmoil. You can help Jews
in your area by signing up to the Jewish Manifesto
and its 10 Local Commitments, by consulting your
local Jewish representatives and listening to both
the aspirations and the fears of your constituents.”
Marc Levy, North West External Affairs Manager of
the Jewish Leadership Council, said: “It is vital that
our community engages with council leaders and
local councillors. I am pleased that so many
councillors have taken the time to learn more about
the Jewish community by seeing first-hand the
tremendous work being undertaken by so many of
our member organisations. I look forward to

The seminar covered a wide range of issues
including the Jewish social care sector, Israel,
education and the Strictly Orthodox Jewish
community. Sector leaders from different parts of the
Jewish community talked through their areas of
expertise.
Among the speakers were the Chief Executive of the
Nicky Alliance Day Centre, Michelle Wiseman, the
Principal of Broughton Jewish Primary School,
Rabbi Yehuda Perlman, the Director of We Believe in
Israel, Luke Akehurst, and the Director of
Community Services at The Fed, Bernie Garner.
Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Dr Sheila
Gewolb urged Manchester councillors to sign up to
the organisation’s Jewish Manifesto for Local
Government and support their Jewish
constituents. She said: “These are anxious times for
the Jewish community in the UK, with growing
continuing the discussion as to how we can work
together over the coming months.”
Jay Charara, Vice Chair and Public Relations of the
Jewish Representative Council of Greater
Manchester and Region said:" Considering the
current political climate and the increase of
antisemitism in British politics, we felt that it was
important to engage with local and regional
councillors from all parties in order to present a true
and accurate picture of the Jewish community in
Greater Manchester and wider region.”
Photo: Board of Deputies Senior Vice President
Sheila Gewolb with Executive Mayor of Salford
Paul Dennett. Photographer Howard Barlow.
For more photos from the event, click here.
Proposed EHRC Labour investigation confirms that
Labour leadership 'has a problem with anti-Jewish
racism'
Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has reacted to the news that the Equalities and Human
Rights Commission is considering launching a formal investigation into antisemitism in the Labour Party.
Marie said: “This proposed independent investigation confirms what the Jewish community has known for a
long time: that the Labour leadership has a problem with anti-Jewish racism which it is unable or unwilling
to solve. We welcome this development and hope it will now focus minds on the extent and depth of
antisemitism infecting the Labour movement.”
Read the ITV report here.
The Board of Deputies is recruiting a Jewish Community
Engagement Officer
The Board of Deputies is recruiting a Jewish Community Engagement Officer.
The successful candidate will be responsible for engaging with different parts of the Jewish community
around the UK, including synagogues and community organisations; will look at how the Board of Deputies
can better support Jewish communities, make its work understood by them and find opportunities to
mobilise grassroots community activism in support of the Board of Deputies’ objectives.
For a full job description and details on how to apply, click here.

President Marie van der Zyl hosted Friends of Israel groups from around the UK to express support for their
work and explore how we can work together to make the case for Israel. Groups from London, Brighton,
Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff were among those represented, alongside We Believe in Israel.
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg and International Relations Officer Marius Bischoff also attended
Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron joined HRH The Countess of Wessex to mark International
Women's Day at Buckingham Palace. The Countess of Wessex spoke passionately of her work on Preventing
Sexual Violence in Conflict. Gillian sits on the Foreign Office PSV multifaith working group.
ACTIVITY REPORT
INTERNATIONAL

The Board of Deputies hosted a briefing on the Israeli elections, with journalist Anshel Pfeffer and BICOM
CEO James Sorene. Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb introduced the discussion.
POLITICAL
Vice President Amanda Bowman and Parliamentary Officer Joel Salmon participated in a roundtable on
antisemitism with Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Communities Secretary James Brokenshire alongside
representatives from other Jewish organisations.
Parliamentary Officer Joel Salmon attended a roundtable in Parliament to discuss the two child cap on
Universal Credit. It was convened by Alison Thewliss MP and attended by other organisations campaigning
for the policy to be scrapped.
EDUCATION
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg attended Kantor King Solomon High School’s 25th anniversary
dinner.
Education Policy and Youth Engagement Officer Jake Berger met Peter Mitchell from the Evangelical
Alliance to discuss recent government consultations in the education sector.
COMMUNITY
Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb attended the annual JPR lunch at the House of Lords, hosted by
Lord Howard Leigh.
INTERFAITH
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg attended a dialogue between the Church of Scotland and the
Jewish community at the Church’s offices in Edinburgh.
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg and Interfaith and Social Action Officer Anthony Silkoff met
Philip Doyle, the new Director of Operations at the Council of Christians and Jews, to discuss Christian-
Jewish collaboration.
HERITAGE
Archives and Heritage Manager Dawn Waterman visited the disused Jewish cemetery at Coombe Down,
Bath and met Ann Cullis and Jane Briggs of the Friends of Bath Jewish Burial Ground.
Copyright © 2019 Board of Deputies of British Jews, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed on our
website, or because you are a deputy or designated under-35 observer of the Board of Deputies. If you would like to unsubscribe
from this newsletter, please click here.