Board and JLC work ‘at level never before seen’ amid pandemic

The Jewish community’s two umbrella organisations have said they will work together “at a level never before seen” throughout the pandemic to create a new online community forum.

The Board of Deputies and the Jewish Leadership Council, led by chief executives Gillian Merron and Simon Johnson respectively, are working together on fundraising, communications, human resources and operations “to pool resources and skill for the benefit of the community”.

Johnson said they were “working flat out,” adding that it was “heartening to see how both the community is pulling together and how our institutions are finding new ways of collaborating to address the immediate need”.

Merron said the collaboration was “so that we can cover all sides of the situation without any duplication” and to “ensure the Jewish community has the benefit of all of our shared expertise”.

Meanwhile the Board said it was releasing “a number of social media memes as a way of reinforcing crucial messages for the Jewish community to follow during the coronavirus crisis”. They include a tea-pot denoting a message to “keep calm” and “watch your mental health”.