Board of Deputies sets out plans for next three years
Cultural heritage and getting more women involved on the agenda
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
The Board of Deputies has released its draft plan for the next three years — a five-point programme under the umbrella title of “A Brighter Future for the UK Jewish Community”.
On the Board’s agenda are detailed plans to tackle antisemitism, stand up for peace and security in the Middle East, defending Jewish religious freedoms, trying to make the community more united and inclusive, and celebrating British Jewish faith, heritage and culture.
Echoing the King’s Speech to Parliament, the Deputies’ plan sets out what president Phil Rosenberg and his team of honorary officers hope to achieve in the next triennium, the current electoral term.
There are 300 elected Deputies representing 200 Jewish communities nationally,
Rosenberg said: “The plan displays the fresh ideas, energy and drive of the new team. We have hit the ground running with a clear sense of mission and purpose. There is no doubt that our community finds ourselves at an inflection point, but we have resilience in our DNA, and I am determined that we will come back stronger. We look forward to working with deputies and all parts of our community towards a brighter future for the UK Jewish community.”
Among the most interesting initiatives are the Board’s plans for celebrating British Jewish culture. Ideally it is hoped to involve as many grassroots deputies as possible in the activism envisioned, which include plans for a heritage plaque scheme to mark key events and individuals in UK Jewish history, and, working with Jewish cultural institutions around the country, to develop a programme to celebrate the community’s history and culture. including the Board’s own history as it approaches its 270th anniversary.
There is also an ambitious scheme to launch a British Jewish Culture Month, “accompanied with media and social media fanfare and resources, where the BOD’s 200 organisations welcome the public to learn about our community”.
The year 2025 marks both the 80th anniversary of the end of the Shoah and the Second World War, and the Board’s plan intends to reflect such anniversaries.
Included in the triennium programme is the Board’s Gender Equality scheme, which also launched this week. It has been triggered by the election of a team of new honorary officers who, for the first time in 15 years, do not include any women.
Describing the issue as “a serious challenge”, Board president Phil Rosenberg has held two meetings with women deputies and took into account an informal survey of women deputies and the recommendations of the Jewish Leadership Council’s Commission on Women in Jewish Leadership.
The Gender Equality Plan notes that among the complaints most frequently made by women who decided not to stand in the most recent set of elections was the culture of the Board, which was described as “laddish”, and even “boorish”. A number of male deputies have made similar complaints.
To address this, it’s planned to change the way in which plenary meetings are conducted, particularly in encouraging younger deputies to speak and focusing on women and first-time speakers.
Rosenberg said: “Our work to make the Board more inclusive continues apace. Our internal election results in May may have given us an all-male honorary officer team for the first time in 15 years, but I am determined that the voices of women are heard are every level in our organisation. Our new Gender Equality Plan, produced in consultation with women deputies, is a first for our organisation.
“Many of its provisions, including a changing culture, will make the organisation better for everyone. We have already started implementing many of its recommendations, including the appointment of two brilliant new independent chairs for our meetings, and I am delighted that women deputies have put themselves forward for around 50 per cent of positions in this weekend’s divisional elections. Gender equality is a very high priority for our team”.
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