Board of Deputies Community Briefing

by Comunidad Judía · 2 Elul 5777 – 24 August, 2017

Welcome for tougher guidelines on online hate

Board of Deputies Chief Executive Gillian Merron has welcomed new, tougher Crown Prosecution Service guidelines on online hate.

Gillian said: “This is a positive step towards tackling hate crime in the UK. Whether it is face to face or online, hate speech is illegal and must be treated as such.

“Social media companies must also continue to up their game in fighting hateful attitudes online and we will continue to raise this in our meetings with them.”

Read the JC story here.

The Community Security Trust this week released a guide for those who have been affected by hate crime co-authored with the Crown Prosecution Service and Tell MAMA, and supported by the Department of Communities and Local Government. The guide provides guidance and advice for victims and witnesses of hate crime on how to navigate the criminal justice system, from how to react to and report a hate crime to understanding the law and processes of the UK court system. Read the report here.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Officer Joel Salmon met the public affairs team at Facebook to discuss the community’s concerns about antisemitism and extremism on Facebook platforms and the means by which Facebook and the Jewish community can tackle hate online.

Don’t miss out on dinner with Davidson and Maitlis

There are still a few tickets left for the President’s Dinner, which this year features Scottish Conservative Leader Ruth Davidson MSP in conversation with Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis.

In this time of political uncertainty and increasingly polarised debate, it has rarely been more important that a Jewish voice is heard by Government, the media, diplomats and other groups in society.

Show your support by attending our dinner and donating or advertising in our dinner brochure.

For more information, email dinner2017@bod.org.uk

Condemnation for brutal van ramming attacks in Spain

Board of Deputies Senior Vice President Richard Verber reacted to the van ramming attacks which killed 14 people in Spain last week.

Richard said: “We utterly condemn this brutal attack by terrorists intent on murdering and maiming innocent pedestrians. People of all faiths and none must come together to defeat this evil.”

Board of Deputies Activity

INTERNATIONAL

Public Affairs Director Phil Rosenberg and International Relations Officer David Walshmet Elad Ratson, Director of Public Relations at the Embassy of Israel, to discuss ways to strengthen the bonds between the UK Jewish community and Israel.

POLITICAL

Parliamentary Officer Joel Salmon met Dr Edie Friedman and Adam Isaacs from the Jewish Council on Racial Equality (JCORE) to discuss social justice and asylum issues.

Phil Rosenberg met the Revd Mark Poulson, Interfaith Adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of England to discuss interfaith relations and public policy

COMMUNITY

Education and Heritage Policy Adviser Dawn Waterman and Professor Lawrence Goldman visited the disused Jewish cemetery at Ipswich with members of the Colchester Jewish community.

Phil Rosenberg spoke to Rabbi Avrohom Pinter and Interlink Foundation Chief Executive Chaya Spitz about challenges facing the Charedi community.

INTERFAITH

Phil Rosenberg and Interfaith and Social Action Officer Anthony Silkoff met Deputy Secretary General of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Peter Colwell to discuss Christian-Jewish relations and our join Invest in Peace project.

CALENDAR

The Board of Deputies has released an updated version of its Calendar of Jewish Festivals and Holy Days, covering 2017-2022, which you can access here. If you have concerns about employment, examinations or other issues connected to when festivals occur, please be in touch at info@bod.org.uk.