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by Benjamin Kerstein
A demonstrator reacts in Parliament Square during a Black Lives Matter protest in London, June 7, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Dylan Martinez.
Saying that the Jewish community must “learn and strive to become a more welcoming environment for its own Black members,” the Board of Deputies of British Jews is forming a commission to fight racial exclusion.
In the wake of the demonstrations against police brutality and racism in the US, the Board of Deputies said, “Over the last week, we have heard from a range of Black British Jews that our own communal spaces are not always welcoming.”
“We have heard complaints about being stared at in synagogues, being asked probing questions, being given a hard time by security at communal buildings, facing racism in Jewish schools, a lack of racial diversity in Jewish leadership positions, and even heartbreaking prejudice in the context of seeking another Jewish partner,” it noted.
In a statement published on Monday, the Board of Deputies announced it was establishing a Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community in order to “banish prejudice and promote inclusion.”
The new commission will take testimony from Jews of color on their experiences, discuss steps to be taken with community institutions, issue a report and recommendations and then review compliance with the recommendations.
Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl said, “We have all been sickened by the killing of George Floyd and the sheer scale of violence and prejudice that Black people face on both sides of the Atlantic. While we as a community must show solidarity and seek to change our whole society, there are things we still need to fix in our own community.”
“The Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community will seek to listen to Black British Jews to understand the prejudice and barriers that exist in our own community and work with all our partner institutions to make sure that there is zero tolerance in our community for racism of any kind,” she added.
The commission’s chair, Stephen Bush, said, “Together with Black British Jews from across the community, we will be able to explore the issues at the heart of the Black-Jewish experience.”
