Who are we?

Supreme Court Judgement

The Board of Deputies is obviously extremely disappointed that the Supreme Court has ruled that the admissions criteria used by JFS and many other Jewish schools breaches Race Relations legislation. Read our full statement here.

Statement on Goldstone Report

Joint statement issued today (6 November) by the the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council:

Having missed the opportunity to vote against the UNHRC resolution on Goldstone two weeks ago, the UK Government’s abstention at the GA in New York again falls short of a principled vote against a report that is now central to global attempts to delegitimise the State of Israel.

This does not advance the cause of peace and risks the Government’s credibility as a fair broker in the region.

The Foreign Secretary told us that the Government believes the Goldstone report should not be endorsed – but that is exactly what the GA resolution does. Why has the Government not demonstrated the strength of its conviction by a principled ‘no’ vote at the UN as did many of our European allies?

We will continue to challenge the Government to take actions that reflect their stated views on the Goldstone report.

Certificate of Religious Practice

In order for a child to be treated as a priority applicant for entry into a Jewish School in September 2010 it has now become the practice for a Certificate of Religious Practice to be completed. Nearly all schools, in conjunction with their nominated religious authorities, have now formulated their own version of this certificate; in so doing, they have individually set forth the criteria and methodology that is acceptable for their own admissions policy.

It is important to note that in some cases, the criteria that is acceptable to one school may not be the same as the criteria employed by another school. Whilst the Board of Deputies is willing to help and advise where possible, we suggest that parents and/or organisations with any questions concerning the completion of the Certificate of Religious Practice should contact the school concerned directly for guidance.

Honorary Officers 2009-2012

From left to right: Dr Paul Edlin (vice-president), Jonathan Arkush (senior vice-president), Vivian Wineman (president), Laurence Brass (treasurer), Jon Benjamin (chief executive), D Jerry Lewis (vice-president)