INTERNATIONAL
Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg and International Relations Officer David Walsh met Robert Singer, CEO of the World Jewish Congress to discuss increased cooperation between the organisations. Phil Rosenberg also joined Robert Singer in a meeting with Mike Whine, Director of Government and International Affairs at the Community Security Trust.
Chief Executive Gillian Merron met British Ambassador David Quarrey and Deputy Ambassador Tony Kay in Tel Aviv to discuss the meeting between Prime Ministers Theresa May and Benjamin Netanyahu and bilateral ties between the two countries.
Gillian Merron met Dr Laurence Weinbaum, the Director General of WJC Israel, in Jerusalem to discuss cooperation between the WJC Jerusalem office and the Board of Deputies.
Gillian Merron met Ya’akov Finkelstein, Director of the Jewish Communities Department, and Akiva Tor, Head of the Bureau of World Jewish Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Jerusalem. They discussed Brexit, UK-Israel bilateral relations and the UK Jewish community.
President Jonathan Arkush and David Walsh attended a lunch at the invitation of the Japanese Embassy to discuss Middle East issues, Brexit and transatlantic relations.
David Walsh met Margo Passmore, the incoming Head of Freedom of Religion or Belief/Post Holocaust, Human Rights and Democracy Department at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to brief her on the work of the Board of Deputies on these issues and discuss cooperation going forward.
David Walsh attended a reception at the Serbian Embassy in honour of Serbia’s National Day.
Phil Rosenberg and David Walsh met Michael Stephen of the Royal United Services Institute as part of a series of meetings aiming to build working relations with a number of influential think tanks.
Treasurer Stuart MacDonald attended a lunch briefing by the Israeli Ambassador, Mark Regev, organised by World ORT.
David Walsh and Senior Vice President Richard Verber attended a roundtable discussion at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on various Israel related issues.
COMMUNITY
Jonathan Arkush addressed Melave Malka after the conclusion of Shabbat at Catford United Synagogue.
Jonathan Arkush visited Sandys Row Synagogue where he spoke on the role of the Board of Deputies.
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EDUCATION
Phil Rosenberg commented on a roundtable discussion with Education Secretary Justine Greening on community cohesion. Read the statement here.
Education Policy Adviser Dawn Waterman met Jon Epstein of the Jewish Community Day Schools’ Advisory Board to discuss current education policy issues.
Forty-five students and three staff from a school in Monmouth were given a Jewish learning tour. They visited a synagogue, enjoyed a kosher lunch, went to a Jewish cemetery to learn about Jewish life cycle practice and completed the day with a talk by Holocaust survivor Susan Pollack.
Education Development Manager Sara Perlmutter held a meeting with PaJeS to discuss 2017/18 Judaism conferences and regional educational joint programmes.
Pikuach’s Working Group on providing a framework to help schools evaluate their provision for spiritual development met in Birmingham. Pikuach Director Jeffrey Leader gave a presentation to heads of Jewish Studies on the work of the group so far.
Education Consultant Sandra Teacher visited Kisharon School to give advice and support on its Free School application.
INTERFAITH
Phil Rosenberg and Interfaith & Social Action Officer Anthony Silkoff had a meeting at Lambeth Palace with Revd Mark Poulson, Secretary for Inter-Religious Affairs to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Katie Hodkinson, Inter-Religious Affairs Programme Officer. They discussed a range of topics in the field of Jewish-Christian relations, including how the British Christian and Jewish communities can work together to support Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding efforts
Phil Rosenberg met Phil Champain, Director of the Three Faiths Forum, to discuss community cohesion at local and national levels.
SOCIAL ACTION
Anthony Silkoff delivered two workshops on social action at Tu B’Sh’vat for older people at Jewish Care’s day centres in Kenton and Southgate. Attendees sung Hebrew songs, sampled some of the fruits connected with the festival, and had a lively discussion about the Jewish community’s response to climate change and global poverty. Many of the participants said they would soon be writing to their MP or local newspaper about these issues.
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