Voice of the Jewish News: Dragons’ castle
We have long championed interfaith interaction, which is why the JN brought together the Church Times, British Muslim TV and Coexist House to celebrate 21 young interfaith leaders
Interfaith activity, designed to bridge gaps and boost understanding of ‘the other’, can itself be a thorny topic. Who are acceptable partners for dialogue? What if a potential partner was once linked to someone whose views many would find abhorrent? And, at the same time, what is going to be achieved by focusing only on partners with whom you largely agree?
Then there is the issue of how deep and fast you go once you are around the table. Cynical observers refer to some interfaith activity as ‘tea and samosas’, suggesting that unless you get into the trickier topics then it is not doing what it needs to long-term. However, much good work is going on in this country, particularly around social action.
Jewish News has long championed interfaith interaction at all levels, believing in helping to fill the vacuum in which misconceptions take hold. That was why this paper brought together the Church Times, British Muslim TV and Coexist House to identify and celebrate 21 young interfaith leaders in Britain today.
Last week, at Windsor Castle, the project moved way beyond these pages. The ideas proposed by our 21 leaders – from mental health first aid to greater joined-up thinking in schools on Israel-Palestine to a book to shatter stereotypes – are important and practical. Our generous dragons, Muddassar Ahmed, Christopher Kenna and Dr Neil Hanbury, pledged more than we dreamed of to make a real difference. We give huge thanks to them, to sponsor Kaiciid and to Michael Wakelin for leading this part of the project, along with the indefatigable Rabbi Alex Goldberg and Andrew Gilbert.
Just as our community is strongest when we act with one voice, so too are faith communities strongest when they come together to help each other and to help wider society. Now onto the next project…
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.
