A love letter to Anglo-Jewry…and all who stand with us
We have so much to fight for. So many charities, inspirational individuals and silent heroes supporting others within and outside Anglo-Jewry
On Sunday, we’ll rally in our thousands against antisemitism in central London. When I say ‘we’, hopes are high that, unlike previous such events, the crowds will include many non-Jewish allies. I want to say thank you to national media outlets that have drum-rolled the event, everyone who’s reached out to ask about joining and others who are unable to join but have called in solidarity anyway. If you still need persuading of the importance of the moment, the decision of the rival Jewish News and Jewish Chronicle to publish a joint leader today should speak volumes.
After a week that’s seen More in Common/Jewish News polling showing that a plurality of British adults were indifferent to whether Jews stay or leave, your support couldn’t be more important or appreciated.
But while our community has no choice but to focus on immediate and longer term measures that must be taken by government and law enforcement to protect Jews, we mustn’t allow ourselves to be seen solely through the lens of antisemitism. When politicians say Britain wouldn’t be the same without its Jews, this is not hyperbole. Our community has given so much to this country – from medicine to philanthropy and science and the arts to public service. Try as we might have tried to stop him, my dad would likely have stood for a tenth consecutive term on Barnet council this week if he had still been with us. Following in his footsteps, my brother did win a fourth term.
Try visiting a hospital in this country without seeing a Jewish name on a plaque attached to one ward or several. We cannot allow ourselves to lose sight of that – or allow others to do so either. Not for a moment.
For those who are not Jewish, you’ll have heard much talk about the question on everyone’s lips: what’s next for us in Britain? That conversation has become ever louder in the last month and even more so after the Golders Green stabbings.
But the vast majority of us have no immediate plans to give up our home to the antisemites. A group of parents and donors didn’t just launch an unprecedented campaign to save Immanuel College, one of our top schools, in order to run for the hills soon after.
We’re staying and we’re fighting.
Again, it is not hyperbole to say what starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews. A frightening rise of antisemitism is a threat to Britain at large and we won’t win this battle alone.
We have so much to fight for. So many charities, inspirational individuals and silent heroes supporting others within and outside Anglo-Jewry. We may only number 300,000 but we are blessed with hundreds of charities. I could have chosen to go to a different communal event almost every night this week…if I hadn’t have been on a diet!
From World Jewish Relief, which is the biggest provider of work opportunities for Ukrainian refugees, to the gold standard in communal security organisations in the CST, which has over the years advised other communities too.
And how about JW3, the community centre that isn’t just home to a vibrant daily programme of events and activities but also houses a food bank supporting wider Camden society. As one senior Muslim leader said to me after a recent event I invited him to there: This is the dream. I hope we one day have something like this!
JN has just completed a run of six partnership events in two weeks there from the launch of a book featured in the Sunday Times bestseller list to a talk by the former leader of Young Fatah to a sold out appearance from Israeli social media educator Hen Mazzig, who I was honoured to interview on stage.
His grandmother, Heli, was forced to flee Baghdad in 1951 after the Farhud pogrom and, having moved to London not long before 7 October, he has now been forced out of his adopted home of Dalston in London, because of hate. Yet, he remains a beacon of light, hope, realism and visible Jewish pride. A bit like JW3 itself.
When talking about JW3 and hope, it’s hard not to recall that joyous image of The King dancing with Holocaust survivors on his visit there. His and the Royal Family’s support has been for our community has been vocal, visible and constant – in good times like then and bad like his visit to the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester in the wake of the deadly Yom Kippur attack.
And they are far from the only reasons for hope. Our 40 under 40 lists continue to shine a light on the incredible people who are the future of our community and our country – in charity, creative industries, tech and business. To see several of the recent property listees take to social media to express their pride at being celebrated especially at such terrible times for our community was a highlight of this period for me. Richard Ferrer, editor of Jewish News, and I are determined that taking every opportunity to celebrate is a key part of our role, as important as the rest.
Not because we are naïve or don’t appreciate the threats we all face. But because it really doesn’t need one to look hard to find hope and without that hope why would young people stick around. And if they don’t, why are we putting everything into fighting antisemitism?
Talking of which, hope to see you on Sunday!
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