Senior British-Jewish leader leaving country over fears for Jewish future
Jeremy Jacobs, former chief executive of the United Synagogue, said his family had decided to leave after generations
A senior figure in UK Jewish life has revealed he and his wife are leaving the country for Israel, warning that Britain will completely lose its Jewish community if antisemitism continues unchecked.
Jeremy Jacobs, the former chief executive of the United Synagogue, said his family had decided to leave Britain after generations in the country because of growing concern over hostility towards Jews.
Writing to the Daily Telegraph, Jacobs praised a recent article by journalist George Chesterton about antisemitism experienced by his Jewish family, saying it reflected the reality facing many British Jews.
“I applaud George Chesterton for his sensitive article on the antisemitism facing his family from so many elements of society,” Jacobs wrote. “My own family feels the same.”
He added that the perspective of “a non-Jew writing about his Jewish family made the article especially poignant”, arguing that the experiences described were representative not only of Britain but “across the Western world”.
Jacobs, who previously served as treasurer of the US and as chair of Tribe, warned political leaders had failed to grasp the scale of the problem and urged stronger action against anti-Jewish hatred.
“If only those in power could understand what is happening, and that they must take serious steps to counter the lies and hatred at the root of anti-Semitism,” he wrote.
The consequences of inaction, he argued, could be severe. “If they do not, British society will lose its Jewish community completely.”
In his most striking revelation, Jacobs disclosed that he and his wife had already begun preparations to emigrate.
“For my wife and me, the decision to leave has now been made, despite my family arriving in Britain in the 1850s,” he wrote. “We put our house on the market last week, and are making arrangements to start a life in Israel.”
He suggested others may make similar decisions, adding: “Others will follow.”
Jacobs ended with a stark warning about the historical consequences of failing to protect Jewish communities. “Societies that fail to protect their Jews rarely recover,” he wrote.
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