UJIA chief executive Michael Wegier to leave next year

UJIA chief executive Michael Wegier is to leave the organisation early next year, saying he is “handing the baton” to the next generation.

The UK-Israel charity’s chair Louise Jacobs led the tributes, calling Wegier a “first-class professional” who had steered the organisation since his appointment as chief executive in August 2012. He will step down in February.

Jacobs said Wegier had been a “truly committed chief executive driven by an impressive knowledge of both Israel and the needs of the Jewish community here in the UK,” adding that he was “an outstanding Israel educator and passionate about engaging young people”.

Wegier said: “I have loved working at UJIA. As the task of engaging our community with Israel comes with ever-changing new challenges and complexities, the time is right for me to pass the baton to a fresh conductor of this wonderful orchestra.”

During his tenure, Wegier has challenged “those who might say UK Jewry are better off donating just to Jews” and has challenged the Israeli government to bridge the poverty gap between Jews and Arabs with better investment in Arab areas.