Jewish leaders tune into Zoom meeting with City Hall official

Community leaders discussed the impact of the pandemic on Jewish Londoners in a virtual meeting with a City Hall official.

Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, the deputy mayor for social integration, social mobility and community engagement, tuned into the Zoom meeting on Tuesday.

She was joined by representatives from the Board of Deputies, London Jewish Forum, Jewish Leadership Council, the social care charity Jewish Care, Union of Jewish Students, Charedi leaders and the Community Security Trust.

Topics covered included security, the impact of Covid-19 on the community, as well as bereavement and mental health. They also discussed the community’s relations with other faith and black asian minority ethnic communities and women.

Dr Weekes-Bernard told Jewish News after the meeting: “The mayor [Sadiq Khan] and I are committed to understanding the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on all London’s diverse communities and to doing all we can to support them.

“Yesterday I spoke with Jewish leaders to learn more about how their community is coping with the current situation, what lessons can be learned and how these can inform the transition out of lockdown and into recovery. The pandemic has taken a toll on London’s Jewish community but I was heartened to hear about the fantastic work of so many community organisations and volunteers.

“Our city’s faith communities have always shown great compassion and resourcefulness – understanding the specific ways the virus has affected the capital is essential in helping us build a fairer and more resilient city in the months and years to come.”