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UK Jewish community leaders meet Prime Minister Netanyahu
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Left to right: Jonathan Goldstein, Benjamin Netanyahu, Sara Netanyahu, Jonathan Arkush
The Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council hosted a meeting on Sunday morning between Prime Minister Netanyahu and the UK’s Jewish communal leadership. The discussions were part of the Israeli Prime Minister’s celebrations of the centenary of the Balfour Declaration.
The meeting allowed Prime Minister Netanyahu to engage directly with British Jewish leaders and reinforce his overriding message: Israel stands as the vanguard of democracy against a backdrop of extremism sweeping across the Middle-East. The Prime Minister stressed the need for the British Jewish community to continue its support for Israel despite growing anti-Israel feelings in wider society.
Other issues discussed included Israel’s developing relationships with Arab countries and the threat Iran poses to Israel and the wider world. Israel’s thriving technological and start-up sector and the increase in trade between Israel and the UK, which were the focus of the prime minister’s visit to the London Stock Exchange on Friday, were also discussed.
Reflecting on the meeting, President of the Board of Deputies Jonathan Arkush said: “I regard it as extremely significant that the Israeli Prime Minister wanted to talk with us and hear our views directly. We, in turn, had the opportunity to hear Mr Netanyahu’s direct assessment about Israel’s strategic position in our fast-changing world.”
Jewish Leadership Council Chair Jonathan Goldstein said: “It was a privilege to meet Mr Netanyahu and discuss the strong ties between the UK Jewish community and Israel. At the end of an enriching week for Anglo Jewry, as we celebrated the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, it was fitting that we sat with Prime Minister Netanyahu and look to the future and recommit ourselves to an even stronger relationship between the UK Jewish community and Israel.”
Vice Presidents Marie van der Zyl and Sheila Gewolb also represented the Board of Deputies at the meeting.
Read the Jewish News story here.
Board of Deputies Education Policy Adviser Dawn Waterman explains Jewish practices to children from Campion Boys School in Hornchurch who visited the Jewish Living Experience exhibition in Borehamwood (see story below)
Photo: Gary Perlmutter
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Jewish Living Experience exhibition is launched in Hertsmere
Hundreds of Hertfordshire schoolchildren and members of the public will be learning about the Jewish way of life this month following the launch of the Jewish Living Experience (JLE) Exhibition in Borehamwood this week
The event at Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue was attended by the Elstree and Borehamwood Town Mayor Cllr Eric Silver, Borehamwood and Elstree rabbis Chaim Kanterovitz and Alex Chapper, and Board of Deputies Vice President Sheila Gewolb.
More than 700 schoolchildren from 10 schools will learn about the Jewish way of life at the exhibition, which is hosted by JLEX and co-sponsored by Hertsmere Borough Council. It is aimed primarily at school groups and enables visitors to gain an insight into Judaism as a living faith. The exhibition, organised by Education Development Manager Sara Perlmutter, supports the teaching of Judaism in line with all agreed religious education and citizenship curriculums.
Following the launch, Sheila Gewolb said: “In today’s difficult climate of antisemitism and other forms of race hate, it is vital that we educate non-Jewish children and other groups about Judaism- our religious beliefs, practices and culture.
"It is only through education that we can help to challenge the myths and misconceptions about the Jewish people and send a positive message about our willingness to engage with all faiths and none. Understanding leads to tolerance and respect, and the Board of Deputies Jewish Living Experience exhibition leads the way in outreach education.”
Read the Borehamwood Times story here.
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Welcome for Foreign Secretary's commitment to restitution in Poland
The Board of Deputies and World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) this week welcomed Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s commitment to cooperate with international partners to raise issues surrounding proposed legislation in Poland. The proposed legislation has a narrow set of eligibility criteria that would exclude the vast majority of Holocaust survivors and their families whose property was confiscated in the Holocaust and its aftermath.
In a letter to Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron, the Foreign Secretary wrote that the UK’s Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, Sir Eric Pickles, has raised the issue of the draft legislation with his Polish counterpart and the Minister in the Presidential Chancellery responsible for post-Holocaust issues, and that the UK Government ‘notes the reservations’ expressed by the Board of Deputies and World Jewish Restitution Organization.
The Foreign Secretary continued by saying “the British Embassy will continue to raise this important issue in their bilateral exchanges and a like-minded group of embassies (US, UK, Israel, Australia, France) is due to meet the Justice Minister to discuss it further.”
Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Richard Verber said: “We hope that the just concerns surrounding this legislation will be addressed before it is presented to parliament and we will continue to work closely with our colleagues to ensure these concerns are voiced through the appropriate channels. We are grateful to the Foreign Secretary, FCO civil servants and diplomats at the UK Embassy in Warsaw who are working diligently to ensure a British voice is heard.”
Read a full report here.
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Board of Deputies Activity
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BALFOUR CENTENARY
President Jonathan Arkush and Chief Executive Gillian Merron attended the Balfour 100 dinner at Lancaster House with Prime Minister Theresa May and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Chief Executive Gillian Merron addressed a seminar entitled The 1917 Balfour Declaration: Then and Now, at the European Parliament, co-hosted with the American Jewish Committee's Transatlantic Institute and hosted by David Campbell-Bannerman MEP. Other speakers included Israel's Ambassador to the EU and NATO, HE Aharon Leshno-Yaar, the AJC's CEO David Harris and BICOM's Dr Toby Greene. Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg was also in attendance.
Phil Rosenberg attended the European Jewish Congress's annual meeting of directors from European Jewish communities, where the major theme was tackling antisemitism. As part of the meeting Phil attended a meeting of the European Parliament Working Group on Antisemitism.
Gillian Merron and Phil Rosenberg held a bilateral meeting with the European Jewish Congress to talk about Brexit and joint work on antisemitism, Israel, religious freedom and post-Holocaust issues.
Jonathan Arkush, Vice Presidents Sheila Gewolb, and Marie van der Zyl and Gillian Merron attended the Balfour 100 commemorative service at Bevis Marks Synagogue.
Sheila Gewolb attended the Celebrate Balfour 100 event in Birmingham organised by the West Midlands Friends of Israel, which was addressed by historian Charles Landau.
Gillian Merron attended Jewish News/Bicom Balfour Centenary Conference at Parliament.
Gillian Merron attended a joint event hosted by the Lloyd George Society and Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel to mark the Balfour Declaration centenary.
Marie van der Zyl represented the Board of Deputies at the gala concert celebrating the Balfour centenary at a packed Royal Albert Hall, organised by the Christian Balfour 100 committee. Christian supporters of Israel travelled from across the UK to attend the concert which included contributions by a massed choir from Holland, the Israeli dance institute, and London-based Israeli singer Tally Koren, as well as actors who re-enacted key episodes of Zionist history, and a variety of Christian speakers and performers. Grassroots and Advocacy Consultant Steven Jaffe acted as liaison between the Jewish and Christian Balfour committees regarding the commemoration of the centenary. On the night Steven was interviewed by Nigeria TV to discuss the significance of the Royal Albert Hall concert to the Jewish and wider community in the UK.
EDUCATION
Jonathan Arkush, Marie van der Zyl and Parliamentary Officer Joel Salmon met Dame Minouche Shafik, Director of LSE, to discuss concerns in the Jewish community over extremist speakers at the university.
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Education Policy Adviser Dawn Waterman attended a reception at the House of Commons, hosted by the Secretary of State for Education, to mark 25 years since Ofsted was established.
Sheila Gewolb and Dawn Waterman attended a briefing at the Imperial War Museum on plans for their new Holocaust Galleries.
Sheila Gewolb visited Pinner Parish pre-school where she spoke to 20 children aged two to four years and their teachers about Rosh Hashanah and Chanucah, with the children tasting apples and honey.
PARLIAMENTARY
Gillian Merron and Joel Salmon met Tom Tugendhat MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, to discuss supporting small Jewish communities in Europe and the Middle East and combatting extremism.
Joel Salmon held discussions with the office of Andrew Percy MP.
Students at Yavneh College were treated to a tour of the Houses of Parliament and a political discussion with Oliver Dowden, MP for Hertsmere. Joel Salmon organised the visit, which saw the Year 12 politics students being shown around some of Parliament’s most historic rooms. They also delved into its ancient political traditions, learning about the mechanisms which underpin our British political system. They then had a discussion with Oliver Dowden, their local MP and Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Jews. The Board of Deputies provides the Secretariat to the APPG, which has over 100 members of Parliament. If your school is interested in a visit to Parliament or engaging with your MP, please contact Joel Salmon on joel.salmon@bod.org.uk.
COMMUNITY
Gillian Merron chaired the Board of Deputies Chief Executives Forum which featured a presentation by Jonathan Boyd of JPR on trends in the Jewish community.
Jonathan Arkush addressed Kenton Synagogue Israel Group.
UK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL
The Board of Deputies is delighted to be supporting the 21st UK International Jewish Film Festival for the third year running. The Festival will present 115 screenings from 9-26 November at 18 cinemas across the UK and includes a wonderful array of film premieres, special events, panel discussions and Q&As with leading directors, producers, actors, journalists, academics and others. The Board of Deputies is sponsoring the film ‘Remember Baghdad’, screenings of which will take place in London and Manchester with Q&A sessions. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
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