Delegation of communal leaders meet King Charles ahead of coronation
The Board of Deputies, along with the Anglo-Jewish Association, are among several dozen institutions and corporations which have the status of Privileged Bodies of the Crown
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl has led a delegation of communal representatives to petition His Majesty, King Charles III, ahead of his coronation, describing it as a “tremendous privilege”.
She read an address, in the name of the Board of Deputies and the Anglo-Jewish Association, congratulating the King following his accession to the throne.
“Each week our synagogues pray that the Almighty bless the entire Royal Family and that Your Majesty be delivered from all trouble and sorrow”, she said.
“We are grateful for this opportunity to recite the traditional Jewish blessing made upon being received by a monarch: ‘Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the World, who has given of His glory to flesh and blood.’”
Marie was accompanied by Michael Newman, President of the Anglo-Jewish Association, as well as her fellow Honorary Officers of the Board of Deputies, Senior Vice President David Mendoza-Wolfson, Vice Presidents Amanda Bowman and Edwin Shuker, Treasurer Michael Ziff and Chief Executive Michael Wegier. Past Presidents of the Board, Jonathan Arkush, Vivian Wineman and Henry Grunwald, were also present, as were previous Board Honorary Officers Sheila Gewolb and Stuart MacDonald. The delegation also included Dayan Ivan Binstock of the London Beth Din, Rabbi Joseph Dweck of the S&P Sephardi Community, Rabbi Kathleen Middleton, co-chair of the Assembly for Reform Rabbis and Mr Sidney Sinitsky on behalf of the Charedi community.
The Board of Deputies, along with the Anglo-Jewish Association, are both among several dozen institutions and corporations which have the status of Privileged Bodies of the Crown, meaning that they have the right to present an address to the Sovereign in person. They are the only two Jewish organisations to have this status. The last such petition took place in 2012 on the occasion of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.
Following the address, Marie said: “As President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, it is a tremendous privilege to have been able to petition His Majesty the King on behalf of the Jewish community of this country. We thanked His Majesty for receiving us and expressed gratitude at living in a country where our monarch shows such great sensitivity to the inclusion of those of all faiths and none.”
Michael Newman, President of the Anglo-Jewish Association, said: “It was a wonderful occasion and opportunity to wish His Majesty well ahead of his coronation and to express how immensely proud we are of the contributions Jews have made to British society over many years.”
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