Write to the Board of Deputies!

Full text of letter to Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies

Update (11th May): This letter now has 402 signatures! It has been sent to Phil Rosenberg, but we are still collecting signatures. Keep them coming!

Click here to add your signature to this letter

Dear Mr Rosenberg,

As British Jews, mostly synagogue members, we should be able to hope that the Board of Deputies will speak on our behalf. Instead, we are dismayed at your response and that of the chief executive to the recent letter from 36 deputies condemning the Netanyahu government for its conduct in Gaza and the West Bank.

The letter made powerful criticisms of Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war, citing the breaking of the ceasefire, the blocking of food, fuel and medical supplies, and the killing of the 15 paramedics and their hasty burial in a mass grave. It added that in the West Bank, extremist settlers and accelerated settlement building threaten the livelihood and the lives of Palestinians living there. And finally, it accused the Netanyahu government of targeting Israeli democracy and attacking the judicial system.

In response, you and the Board’s chief executive argued that the signatories are a tiny minority of the Board’s deputies, and that they should suppress their ‘unrepresentative’ opinion for the sake of unity. But this unity does not exist: even nine months ago, a Jewish Policy Research (JPR) poll showed that 56% of British Jews felt ashamed of Israel to some extent; that number is very likely to have risen since then. Nearly half felt that the IDF had not done enough to protect Gazan civilians, more than the number who felt that they had done. Whatever the horror of the attack of October 7th, nothing justifies the collective punishment being inflicted on the people of Gaza.

But instead of answering their criticisms or even merely acknowledging the Jewish tradition of debate, the Board has chosen to investigate the 36 signatories for alleged breaches of the Board’s Code of Conduct. But it is not their courageous letter in the Financial Times that poses a threat to the good name of the Board or to Jewish communal unity; rather, it is the Board’s disproportionate reaction that is likely to undermine freedom of speech and to bring the Board’s name into disrepute.

Whatever the outcome of this investigation, you cannot hide the true situation: British Jews are deeply divided about the behaviour of the Netanyahu government, with many of us strongly opposed to the conduct of the Gaza war, believing with good reason that it is being prolonged for political reasons at incalculable cost to the lives of the Gazans, and also to the chances of the hostages being returned. We maintain that this is contrary both to Jewish and universal values, that the 36 deputies are speaking for us and for many other British Jews, and that our voices cannot be silenced any longer.

At 7th May, a total of 402 Jewish people have signed this letter:

PJJIP Organising Group
Grahame Gross (Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation)
Claire Jackson (Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation)
Susie Jacobs (Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh)
Adam Kessler (Bristol and West Progressive)
David Keys (Ark Synagogue)
Maurice Naftalin(Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh)
Caroline Salinger (Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation)

As well as the PJJIP Organising Group, the following people have signed publicly as members of 71 different Jewish organisations:

Mark Abrahams, Shaare Hayim
Karen Abrams, New North London
Karen Adler, Makor Hayim
Michael Adler, Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation
Rita Adler, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Livia Ahmad, West London Synagogue
Ash Alexander, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Jackie Alexander, Mosaic Masorti
Joshua Alston, Kingston Liberal
Theo Anton, Wimbledon Synagogue
Lisa Barcan, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Sue Bard, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Miriam Barnett, Norwich Synagogue
Paul Barnett, Finchley Progressive
Richard Barnett, New North London
Robert Bartfield, Sinai Synagogue
Dylan Behr, New North London
Ofra Ben Porat – Ram, Newcastle Reform
Netanel Ben Yarden, Kehillah North London
Joanna Benjamin, New North London
Jenny Benn, Newcastle Reform
Michele Benn, Leicester Progressive
Gay Bernstone, Newcastle Reform
Sue Bolsom, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Alice Bondi, Newcastle Reform
Caroline Boobis, Newcastle Reform
Avi Bram, Makor Hayim
Judith Brown, Oxford Jewish Congregation
Julian Brown, Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community
Maya Brown, Seven Hills Shul
Raymond Brown, Oxford Jewish Congregation
Michael Carmi, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Dr Mandy Carr, Finchley Progressive
Dario Celaschi, Mosaic Liberal Synagogue
Ros Clayton, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Jennifer Clements, Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation
Naomi Cohen, New Stoke Newington
Nicole Cohen, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Robert Cohen, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Claudia Conway, New North London
Aaron Crane, Kehillah North London
Esther Crasnow, Kehillah North London
Eva Crasnow, Alyth
Patsy Cunningham, Seven Hills Shul
Deborah Davidson, Leicester Progressive
Kezia Davis, Kehillah North London
Professor Mary Davis, New Stoke Newington
Josie Dawson, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Naomi Diamond, Leicester Progressive
Keren Durant, Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation
Ruth Dwight, Brighton and Hove Progressive
Hannah Ehrlich, Ealing Liberal Synagogue
Sarah Ehrlich, New North London
Tali Ehrlich, Birmingham Progressive
Sara Emanuel, Bromley Reform
Linnet Farshi-Kaymer, East London & Essex Liberal
Joseph Finlay, Mosaic Liberal Synagogue
Sylvia Finzi, Kehillah North London
Jeremy Fitzpatrick, Kingston Liberal
Stephen Fox, St Albans Masorti
Andrew Franklin, Kehillah North London
Donald Franklin, Golders Green Synagogue
Katie Freedman, Radlett Reform
Edie Friedman, Alyth
Henry Gafsen, New North London
Ellen Galford, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Louise Gellman, Finchley Progressive
Lisa Gershon, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Stephen Gershon, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Sharon Gewirtz, New North London
Lynda Gilbert, Milton Keynes and District Reform
Nicola Glucksmann, Belsize Square Synagogue
Rachel Godfrey, New Stoke Newington
Lucy Goffi, Brighton and Hove Progressive
Linda and Mark Goldberg, New North London
Olivia Goldenberg, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Rachel Goldhill, Brighton and Hove Progressive
Adam Goodkin, Reading Liberal Synagogue
Jenny Goodman, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Joshua Gottlieb, Norrice Lea
Joseph Grabiner-Wolfson, Alyth
Lesley Grahame, Norwich Liberal
Miriam Greenwood, East London & Essex Liberal
Martin Gregg, Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community
Rebekah Gronowski, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Carys Groves, Newcastle Reform
Mia Harris, Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation
Noam Harris, Beth Shalom Cambridge
Roberta Harris, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Sue Harris, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Abe Hayeem, Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue
David Hayes, Seven Hills Shul
Caspar Heinemann, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Michael Heiser, Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue
Bob Heyman, Newcastle Reform
Kathy Hirst, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Søren Hough, New Stoke Newington
Adam Hurst, Seven Hills Shul
Vivienne Jackson, Kehillah North London
Edgar Jacobsberg, Finchley Progressive
Lin James, Newcastle Reform
Ben Janoff, Kehillah North London
Daniel Janoff, East London & Essex Liberal
Holly Kal-Weiss, Kehillah North London
Rabbi Gabriel Kanter-Webber, Conference of Liberal Cantors and Rabbis
Valerie Kaye, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Talitha Kearey, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Edna Kissmann, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Pauline Kollontai, York Liberal Jewish Community
Tony Kushner, South Hampshire Reform
Amelia Bookstein Kyazze, Bromley Reform
Naomi Landau, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Jon Lansman, Kehillah North London
Monica Lanyado, Crouch End Chavurah
John Launer, New North London
Jane Lawrence, Menorah Synagogue
Naomi Lawrence, Makor Hayim
Ellie Lawson, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Gaby Lazarus, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Lily Lazarus, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Vikky Le May, Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation
Katherine Lebow, Makor Hayim
Ami Lee, Exeter Hebrew Congregation
Daisy Lees, Suffolk Liberal
Samara Leibner, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Gideon Leibowitz, Finchley Progressive
Jessie Leschnikoff, Kent Liberal Jewish Community
Michael Lesser, Wessex Liberal
Miranda Levey, New North London
Miriam Levin, Crouch End Chavurah
Barrie Levine, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Diane Levine, Nottingham Liberal
Louise Levinson, Bromley Reform
Sheina Lew-Levy, Newcastle Reform
Sue Lieberman, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Gica Loening, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Beatrice Loft Schulz, New Stoke Newington
Sue Lukes, Kehillah North London
Diana Maiden, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Andrew Manasse, Seven Hills Shul
Michael Manson, Alyth
Hannah Mantel, Beit Klal Yisrael
Tamy Matanky, Leicester Progressive
Helen Mayer, Crouch End Chavurah
Avi Mayorcas, Ealing Liberal Synagogue
Pamela Mayorcas, Ealing Liberal Synagogue
Joe McGuire, Westminster Synagogue
Orna Meir-Stacey, Beth Shalom Cambridge
David Memel, Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation
Anya Metzer, New Stoke Newington
Philip Michaelson, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Shulamit Morris-Evans, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Diana Neslen, Cranbrook United
Leo Nicholson, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Ruth Nicholson, Seven Hills Shul
Margaret Owen, West London Synagogue
Ruth Pearson, Norwich Liberal
Harry Peto, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Simone Pitt, The Ark Synagogue
Rosanne Posner, Bromley Reform
Daniel Power, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Raphael Prais, New North London
Wendy Prestney, Nottingham Liberal
Gillian Raab, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Beccy Reese, East London & Essex Liberal
Robert Reiner, New North London
Malia Rock-Joffe, Alyth
Mar A (Mordechai) Rodda, Oxford Jewish Congregation
Sam Rodin, Crouch End Chavurah
Anna Roiser, New North London
Jonathan Roiser, New North London
Marian Roiser, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Ymir Rosenberg, Satmar V’Yoel Moshe
Benny Ross, Newcastle Reform
Mandy Ross, Birmingham Progressive
Ursula Ross, New North London
Barbara Salas, Newcastle Reform
Susannah Salle, Oxford Jewish Congregation
Robin Samson, Kehillah North London
Elaine Samuel, Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation
Jonathan Samuel, New North London
Daniella Shaw, New North London
Peter Sheridan, Birmingham Progressive
Judy Sherwood, Seven Hills Shul
Elena Silverstein, Mill Hill United
Noah Simon, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Helen Singer, St Albans Masorti
Irris Singer, Finchley Progressive
Andrew Sluckin, Norwich Synagogue
Jeremy Solnick, Westminster Synagogue
Rachel Solnick, Miknaf Ha’aretz
Anne Solomon, Kehillah North London
Jess Spanier, Liberal Jewish Synagogue
Flora Spiegel, Bromley Reform
Judith Stavrakakis, Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation
Dov Stekel, Nottingham Liberal
Frances Stewart, Kehillah North London
Henry Stewart, Kehillah North London
Adam Stock, Newcastle Reform
Kerstin Stutterheim, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Judith Suissa, New North London
Jonathan Summers, New North London
Carrie Supple, Beth Shalom Cambridge
Karen Swirsky, Brighton and Hove Progressive
Trudi Tate, Beth Shalom Cambridge
Isabel Tobias, Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation
Katie Turner, Bromley Reform
Michelle Twena, Brighton and Hove Progressive
Lesley Urbach, Finchley Progressive
Debbie Usiskin, New North London
Anastasia Vakulenko, New North London
Noemi Varga, Kehillah North London
Fred Vellacott, Seven Hills Shul
Philip Wadler, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Freya Wainstein, Alyth
Sara Wainstein, Alyth
Mark Walton, Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community
Daniel Weinbren, Milton Keynes and District Reform
Michael Weiss, Finchley Reform Synagogue
Angela West, Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community
Rob Westwood, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Alex Wilson, Sukkat Shalom Edinburgh
Cherry Wolfe, Three Counties Liberal Jewish Community
Anna Wood, Glasgow Reform
Myra Woolfson, New North London
Max Worth, Nottingham Liberal
Samuel Zislis-Gaus, Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation

Click here for the full list of signatories