EDUCATION
The Board of Deputies is running an accredited training scheme for outreach ambassadors to speak to non-Jewish children and other groups. An initial full day of training is taking place on Tuesday September 5, hosted by the Jewish Museum in London. The day will consist of workshops and one-to-one sessions with experts. Programme topics include presentation skills, effective use of artefacts, knowledge of content, dealing with difficult questions and preparation for school visits. Attendees will receive copies of Clive Lawton’s Judaism GCSE Religious Studies – The Definitive Resource, the Board of Deputies Jewish Living Exhibition Handbook and a unique toolkit to support school visits. The training will be followed by local mentoring support, together with networking opportunities and an online support group. The cost of the training day is £25. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Attendees travelling 25 or more miles from central London will receive up to £50 reimbursement of travel costs. If you would like to participate, please email jewishliving@bod.org.uk for a booking form.
Vice President Sheila Gewolb and Education Development Manager Sara Perlmutter met with Phil Champain, director of the 3FF, and members of his education team, to discuss areas of mutual interest in outreach learning. It was agreed that the two organisations could work together in many areas including delivering a high standard of volunteer training.
INTERNATIONAL
Senior Vice President Richard Verber has welcomed the decision of the European Court of Human Justice which affirms that Hamas should remain a designated terror organisation. Read the statement here.
Senior Vice President Richard Verber wrote an opinion piece in the Jewish News on why Israel's neighbours need to help diffuse tensions on Temple Mount.
International Relations Officer David Walsh attended the launch of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights Report for 2016. The event was addressed by FCO Minister Lord Ahmad and was attended by a number of human rights NGOs, ambassadors and diplomatic staff.
The Board of Deputies is pleased to be supporting the second International Shalom Festival, which takes place on August 8 to 10 as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. Endorsed by the leaders of the three main political parties in Scotland for its importance in promoting peaceful coexistence, the ISF will bring 40 Israelis from different backgrounds to help build cultural bridges at the world’s largest arts festival. The festival will feature film, drama, concerts, art, dance, cookery and much more. Full details here.
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President Jonathan Arkush attended a reception at the Japanese Embassy to mark the departure of Minister Counsellor Osumi to be Deputy Ambassador in Tel Aviv.
POLITICAL
Chief Executive Gillian Merron met Luke Pollard MP to discuss the work of the APPG and his local Jewish community.
ANTISEMITISM
Gillian Merron and Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg attended the Cross Government Working Group against Antisemitism with key Whitehall departments and the main social media companies.
Separately, Phil Rosenberg, Communications Officer Simon Round, Parliamentary Officer Joel Salmon and Interfaith and Social Action Officer Anthony Silkoff held meetings and undertook training with Google and YouTube on how to tackle hate on those platforms.
SOCIAL ACTION
Vice President Marie van der Zyl attended a summer reception at Downing Street to celebrate LGBT contribution to the UK.
Interfaith and Social Action officer Anthony Silkoff met Naomi Dickson and Lee Wax from Jewish Women’s Aid and Rabbi David Mason, to discuss plans for a campaign about domestic abuse.
INTERFAITH
Anthony Silkoff and Phil Rosenberg met Julian Bond from the Methodist Church to talk about how to improve Methodist-Jewish relations on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Phil Rosenberg led a workshop for Foreign and Commonwealth Office-funded scholars and freedom of religion and belief champions from across the world at Cumberland Lodge on the subject of 'What's the point of interfaith?'
Grassroots and Advocacy Consultant Steven Jaffe represented the Jewish community at the installation of Lindy and Mark Rose to lead the Salvation Army church in Hendon.
COMMUNITY
Gillian Merron was guest speaker at a Shabbat service to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bedfordshire Progressive synagogue. Others present included Liberal Judaism’s Senior Rabbi and Chief Executive Rabbi Danny Rich, the Bishop of Bedford the Rt Revd Richard Atkinson, the Mayor and Mayoress of Luton and representatives of the Luton Council of Faiths.
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