Adrian Cohen steps up as Acting Board President

Adrian Cohen has been appointed Acting President of the Board of Deputies for a two-month period, stepping in while Phil Rosenberg takes paternity leave from his role as President of the communal organisation.

Cohen, who serves as senior vice-president at the Board, assumes leadership at a pivotal moment for the community.

A recent spate of antisemitic attacks on synagogues and Jewish institutions has required the Board to maintain daily contact with both government officials and senior police authorities.

Cohen, also an honorary vice-president with the Jewish Leadership Council and founder of the London Jewish Forum, (LJF) has worked closely alongside Rosenberg.

Cohen, aged 62, first became involved with the Board in 1985 while serving as national chair of the Union of Jewish Students.

He previously served as Deputy for South Hampstead Synagogue before representing Highgate Synagogue on the Board.

Growing up in Ilford, east London, in a proudly Zionist family, Cohen attended Habonim and Bnei Akiva youth organisations and has remained deeply involved in communal life.

Despite his affinity with the Labour Party, Cohen is respected for his non-partisan approach to communal affairs, attracting support from senior Jewish Conservative figures for his campaigns for Board roles.

He was co-chair of the LJF until June 2024.

He has spoken of his admiration for the Board, describing it as a “vital organisation for the community” that is “accountable to a broad swathe of the community” and operates with a “democratic mandate.”

Alongside the JLC, Cohen has said the Board possesses a “strong franchise with the government and wider civil society,” often serving as the first port of call in times of crisis.

Cohen is now married to former Board president Marie van der Zyl. He worked for 32 years at multinational law firm Clifford Chance, becoming a partner in 1998 and engaging with Israel and Gulf states.

He was previously a partner at international law firm Proskauer Rose LLP and currently serves as Senior Consultant at McDermott Will & Schulte.