Jewish and Traveller communities to work together against ‘obscene’ hostility

Jewish communal organisations in the UK have agreed to work together with representatives of the Gypsy and Traveller communities in Britain, after a series of meetings in Leeds.

Marie van der Zyl, vice president of the Board of Deputies, said: “We stand in solidarity with other minority groups, who are facing obscene levels of hostility.”

The two minorities agreed to work together on range on issues including hate crime, Holocaust remembrance, welfare and human rights, after meetings with members of the Leeds Jewish Representative Council and human rights charity René Cassin.

Helen Jones, chief executive of the Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, said: “Whilst some of our common ground is inevitably our experiences of being demonised, excluded and subject to hate, what is really exciting to explore is our shared experiences of promoting human rights, peace building and resilience.”

René Cassin director Mia Hasenson-Gross said: “It’s been an extremely positive few days. We have tragic historic ties as well as shared current and pressing issues such as rising hate crime. These are best tackled through building strong relationships and an understanding of the experiences of our respective communities.”