Board of Deputies Community Briefing 30th January 2020 copy

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COMMUNITY BRIEFING
Board of Deputies hosts representatives of
oppressed Uyghur minority at community
roundtable discussion
The Board of Deputies this week hosted a
roundtable discussion which brought together
representatives from across the Jewish community
to meet and listen to Dolkun Isa, the President of the
World Uyghur Congress – the representative group
of the oppressed Muslim minority in China.
Dolkun Isa and his colleague, Rahima Mahmut,
spoke movingly about their experiences in China.
we are marking Holocaust Memorial Day and the
liberation of the most notorious concentration camp,
it is intolerable that the Uyghur Muslims are being
persecuted on this scale. It is the responsibility of all
of us in the Jewish community to stand up and make
our voices heard in their support.”
Attendees included representatives from Jewish
youth movements, synagogue denominations,

Dolkun told the meeting that more than 5,000
mosques had been destroyed and copies of the
Quran have been burned. He said the oppression
was on a massive scale and estimated that 1,200
camps had been set up by the Chinese authorities to
hold between 1.8 and 3 million Uyghur citizens. One
camp holds 140,000 people.
He said: “In this time of grave crisis, it is essential to
build a stronger cooperation between different
groups. Uyghurs need global support from all human
beings.”
Following the event, Board of Deputies Vice
President Amanda Bowman said: “In the week that
activists and the Jewish human rights organisation
Rene Cassin.
Rahima Mahmut will be speaking at an event in
Parliament tonight entitled A warning for humanity:
How can communities unite to protect the Uyghurs?
Read the Jewish News report here.
Photo: (left to right) Rahima Mahmut, Dolkun Isa,
Board of Deputies Vice President Edwin Shuker,
Amanda Bowman
Orla Guerin report on BBC news was ‘crass and
offensive’
Board of Deputies Vice President Amanda Bowman has condemned BBC International Correspondent Orla
Guerin for linking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a report on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Amanda said: “In an otherwise moving report on the experiences of a Holocaust survivor, Orla Guerin’s
attempt to link the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the horrors of the Holocaust was crass and offensive. Her
lack of impartiality on the Israel-Palestine conflict has long been a matter of concern and it is questionable
why the BBC would even use her for this sensitive assignment. As we approach Holocaust Memorial Day,
the Jewish community is within its rights to expect an apology.”
Stephen Fry, Priti Patel, Emily Maitlis and others mark
Holocaust Memorial Day with #WeRemember tweets
To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, the Board of Deputies joined the World Jewish Congress’s global
#WeRemember social media campaign, which marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-
Birkenau. Those who sent their photos with #WeRemember posters to the Board of Deputies twitter
account included actor and writer Stephen Fry, Home Secretary Priti Patel, journalist and presenter Emily
Maitlis, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, World Jewish Congress
President Ronald Lauder, Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Post-Holocaust Envoy Lord Pickles,
comedian Ivor Baddiel, Imam Qari Asim, plus Board of Deputies Honorary Officers and staff.
Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl was in Jerusalem for the commemoration of the 75th
anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. She later travelled to Poland for the ceremony at
Auschwitz-Birkenau where she was joined by Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron.

Stephen Fry commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau with a
#WeRemember sign, as part of the World Jewish Congress's global campaign. See more photos here
ACTIVITY REPORT
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb, Vice Presidents Amanda Bowman and Edwin Shuker, Treasurer
Stuart MacDonald and Operations Director Judy Silkoff attended the UK Commemorative Ceremony for
Holocaust Memorial Day 2020
Vice President Edwin Shuker addressed a Holocaust Memorial Day civic service in High Wycombe
entitled "Changing the Future by Confronting our Past".
Finance Director Brian Markeson attended the HMD2020 event at the House of Commons, addressed by
Adama Dieng, the UN Secretary General's Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.
Education Development Manager Sara Perlmutter attended a Holocaust Memorial Day Memorial event
in Barnet attended by over 500 Barnet residents, hosted by Middlesex University. Holocaust survivor Ivan
Shaw lit candles and spoke movingly about his experiences.
Education Development Manager Sara Perlmutter attended the Hertsmere Borough Council Holocaust
Memorial Day event. Mayor Rabbi Alan Plancey led a procession of lanterns through the streets to
Hertswood Academy where the ceremony took place.
Education Policy and Youth Engagement Officer Jake Berger attended a lecture at University College
London to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.
Chief Executive Gillian Merron, Holocaust survivor and Deputy Sir Ben Helfgott and Deputy Russell
Conn attended an International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2020 event hosted by
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Israeli Embassy. See a photo from the event here.

EDUCATION
Education Development Manager Sara Perlmutter supported the training for volunteers and the launch
event of the Anne Frank Exhibition with help from Deputy Haim Ben-Zion. At the launch, The Lord
Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Robert Voss, spoke movingly about the Holocaust and his family. The exhibition
is open until February 20.
Howells School from Cardiff visited London for a Jewish Living Tour. They visited a synagogue and
covered topics covered include of Jewish life cycle events, festivals, Shabbat and kashrut before eating a
kosher meal and visiting Jewish shops. The tour was concluded by a visit to JFS school. Head Teacher
Rachel Fink spoke to student and senior teacher Simon Rinkoff led the table discussions with JFS and
Howell students.
Education Policy and Youth Engagement Officer Jake Berger had a policy catch up with officials at the
Department for Education.
Education Policy and Youth Engagement Officer Jake Berger delivered a session about the UK Jewish
community and Board of Deputies to Yavneh College’s advanced leadership sixth form course.
Education Policy and Youth Engagement Officer Jake Berger caught up with David Landau of Chinuch
UK.
POLITICAL
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg and Public Affairs Officer Daniel Sugarman attended the AGM of
the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Jews. Around 15 MPs and peers from the
Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Scottish National and Democratic Unionist parties attended. The
Board of Deputies was reappointed as the secretariat of the APPG.
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg and Public Affairs Officer Daniel Sugarman met Liberal
Democrat peer Lord Monroe Palmer to talk about the lie of the land in the House of Lords.
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg met colleagues from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and
Local Government to discuss government efforts to remember the Holocaust, tackle antisemitism and
promote community cohesion.
INTERNATIONAL
Senior Vice President Sheila Gewolb, Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg and International
Relations Officer Talia Ingleby met Hungarian Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky to discuss
commemoration of the Holocaust, the situation regarding the Marom Aurora Centre, tackling antisemitism
and other forms of prejudice.
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg and International Relations Officer Talia Ingleby met Hannah
Rendell of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens to discuss UK-Israel ties around biodiversity, ecology and
coexistence.
International Relations officer Talia Ingleby met UJIA Arab Jewish Relations Israel Educator Sana Knaneh
to discuss mutual topics of concern and future cooperation.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg and Interfaith and Social Action Officer Anthony Silkoff met
Arike Oke, of the Black Cultural Archives, to discuss future projects around Black-Jewish solidarity.
Vice-President Amanda Bowman gave a speech at the launch of “Don’t Forget the Photos”, an exhibition
organised by Rene Cassin at Muswell Hill United Synagogue about the murder of the Roma and Sinti by the
Nazis. Amanda told the audience: “When tabloids print headlines like ‘Gypsy Plague Returns’, people of all
communities - including Jews who know prejudice all too well - have a duty to speak out against this

racism.” Interfaith and Social Action Officer Anthony Silkoff also attended.
Vice President Amanda Bowman attended a Civic Service held at Muswell Hill United Synagogue. The
event was organised by Deputy Irene Mansfield, with attendees from across Haringey’s faith community
and civic leaders including MP Catherine West and Mayor of Haringey Sheila Peacock.
International Relations officer Talia Ingleby and Community Engagement officer Lauren Keiles met
Alexis David from the Israeli embassy to discuss engagement with Israel within the community.
COMMUNITY
Chief Executive Gillian Merron met representatives of the Bank of England Jewish Network to discuss the
work of the Board of Deputies in tackling the challenges facing the community.
Archives and Heritage Manager Dawn Waterman met the Director of the Rothschild Archive London to
discuss their participation in the new Board of Deputies’ initiative ‘Hidden Treasures: Celebrating Jewish
Archives in Britain’.
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