Report: Fast growth of Charedi population risks ‘polarisation’ with secular Jews
Study of how communal life has been affected by the pandemic identifies urgent challenges ahead
Michael Daventry is Jewish News’s foreign and broadcast editor
Rapid growth in Britain’s Charedi population could create tensions with other Jewish groups, a think-tank has warned in a study of how communal life has been affected by the pandemic.
Research by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) within Jewish communities in Britain has found the impact of the virus has created several urgent challenges.
Growing Charedi communities, falling synagogue attendance and disruption to youth leadership programmes were among the issues identified in its report published this week.
It said estimates that half of all Jews born in Britain will be into strictly-Orthodox homes within this decade would widen the scope for “more acute tensions and polarisation” between different communities.
Pointing to instances of civil unrest with Charedi communities already seen in Israel, it continued: “we should not rule out the prospect of similar problems occurring in the UK.”
“Structures need to be established to look seriously at the issues, and to establish better means of cooperation between these parts of the Jewish community.”
JPR also warned the pandemic may have permanently altered the way many British Jews interact with their own communities, with the habit of regularly attending synagogue broken as a result of successive lockdowns.
It said the proportion of synagogue members paying full fees had declined in 2020 and called for more funding for communities experiencing financial difficulties.
“It cannot be assumed that attendance levels will simply bounce back to pre-pandemic levels once life returns to some semblance of normality,” the report said.
“Thus, the challenge of maintaining and enhancing synagogue life is far from straightforward, and a great deal of effort will be needed to ensure that these key institutions continue to thrive.
It is “very likely” that many synagogues will be trying to rebuild Jewish communal life with fewer financial resources, it added.
The pandemic has also affected informal education in the community, JPR said, especially in youth movements, where cancelled summer camps, fewer social activities and the absence of trips to Israel had reduced the number of youth leaders for the future.
“[By] missing out on the educational components of Israel summer tours,” the report said, “one of the most important opportunities young people have to engage seriously with the role of Israel in their Jewish identities has been missed, with all the knock-on implications that has for the future.”
It called for “immediate endeavours” to ensure summer activities can still take place this year and that groups that have suffered economically during the pandemic are provided with subsidies.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
