Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community
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Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community Report by Stephen Bush April 2021 Contents 4 Foreword 6 Introduction 9 Summary of Recommendations 10 Representation, Leadership and Media 13 Creating Welcoming Communal Spaces 18 Training, Policies and Attitudes 21 Schools 23 Part 1 Approach 29 Part 2 Representation, Leadership and Media 30 Chapter 1 Visibility in Communal Bodies 33 Chapter 2 How Jewish organisations represent the concerns of a racially diverse community 38 Chapter 3 Visibility in the Jewish media 42 Chapter 4 Visibility in the Rabbinate 44 Chapter 5 Study Trips in an International Development Context 49 Part 3 Creating welcoming communal spaces 50 Chapter 6 Security 60 Chapter 7 Conversion 64 Chapter 8 Synagogues 70 Chapter 9 Cultural spaces 72 Chapter 10 Shops and Restaurants 75 Chapter 11 Youth organisations 78 Chapter 12 Adult Education and Outreach (Kiruv) Organisations 81 Part 4 Training, Policies and Attitudes 82 Chapter 13 Accountability and Complaints 86 Chapter 14 Racist Attitudes in the Community 89 Chapter 15 Social media 91 Chapter 16 Religious Texts, Sermons and Shiurim 99 Part 5 Schools 100 Chapter 17 Testimony 104 Chapter 18 Reflections 110 Chapter 19 Recommendations Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community Foreword The brutal, racist murder of George Floyd on 25 May 2020 sparked a reckoning about the treatment of Black people all over the world. At the Board of Deputies of British Jews, while our natural response was to condemn the killing of Mr Floyd, and join together with those raising questions about wider discrimination against Black people in policing, employment, education and health, we also realised that we needed to look at problems closer to home. In the difficult days of late May and early June 2020, Black members of our own Jewish community came forward and told us that, while there were many wonderful things about being Black and Jewish, they experienced far too many instances of marginalisation and discrimination. Then, other visible minorities in our community stepped forward and said that they, too, had many similar experiences. We realised that alongside calling for change in wider society, we needed to first act to understand what was happening in our own community and seek to improve things here as well. That is how the Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community was born. The publication of this report amply justifies the endeavour. The distressing quotes from witnesses, that can be read throughout the chapters of this report, tell us clearly that there is still much work to be done before we become an unequivocally anti-racist environment, that equally embraces all Jews of all ethnicities. We must, and we will, do better. However, this report does not dent my pride in, or hopes for, Britain’s Jews in any way, for three reasons. First, I pay tribute to every single person who came forward and entrusted this Commission with their testimonies. It is plainly evident that these witnesses care passionately about the future of this great community, as I do. Thanks to them, the Jewish community of Britain is one step further along in its journey to become completely welcoming and inclusive to all. Second, as the Commission’s Chair also notes, this is the first occasion that we know of that any Jewish community has embarked on such a comprehensive audit of itself. I sincerely hope the Commission serves as a model to other communities. Third, I am heartened that institutions throughout our community have not sought to dodge the problems presented to them by the Commission. Instead, in almost every case, we have seen an outpouring of good will, and a willingness to learn and to improve. Nonetheless, it could be very well argued that this Commission was long overdue. I understand this was a feeling reflected in some of the testimonies received, and I agree with them. Furthermore, I want to acknowledge that this process has been a deeply challenging exercise for our witnesses, our Chair, our staff, and our communal stakeholders. And the recommendations it makes will be no less of a challenge to digest and to implement with success. 4 Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community With that in mind, I implore all institutions in our community to read this report in detail, consider its implications seriously, and implement the recommendations it makes as quickly as possible. Standing still is not an option. When we look back on this period, let us be able to say that we were the generation that grasped this problem and made our community a more inclusive and welcoming space for all its members. As I have said previously, when we invited Stephen Bush to lead this Commission, we knew he would be excellent for the role, but we could not have dreamt of the energy, enthusiasm and commitment he would bring to it. This exceptional piece of work is testament to the unique skillset that he has brought to the Commission as its Chair. I want to thank Stephen for all his tireless work, for which the entire Jewish community is deeply in his debt. Marie van der Zyl President, Board of Deputies of British Jews 5 Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community Introduction When the Board of Deputies asked me to Chair a Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community, I felt in equal parts thrilled, terrified and overcome by the request. I found myself asking whether I was Black enough to do it, and whether I was Jewish enough to do it. But overall, I was convinced that this was a without doubt a worthwhile project and I agreed to take it on. Looking back on the process as we publish this report, I am so glad that I did. The most rewarding thing about this work has been engaging with the Commission’s witnesses, whose bravery and candour was a source of inspiration and admiration to me throughout. Witnesses came from every part of our community, from every denomination and every political and social tendency. Some had a strong sense of their Jewishness as an ethnic and secular identity, others as a profoundly religious one. Some were Ashkenazi, some were Sephardi, some were Ethiopian, others Jamaican, others from elsewhere in the world. Some were left-wing, some were right-wing. Some spoke with great passion about their bond with Israel, while others were highly critical. Our witnesses were Strictly Orthodox, Liberal, Central Orthodox, Reform, Masorti and none of the above. In short, what unites our witnesses is that they are Jewish: no more, no less. They should not be treated as ambassadors, curiosities, or a group apart. This report should not be seen as a definitive statement of their values, priorities or positions: it is my response to the testimony I have heard. I wish to thank every single one of these witnesses, to whose testimony I hope to have done justice. I am grateful not only to them but to the Jewish institutional stakeholders who we consulted at various stages, in particular the Community Security Trust, whose advice on security matters was invaluable. Though I, myself, am secular, I have concluded this process with great admiration for the spiritual leadership of our various denominations: their wisdom and guidance has been a tremendous support to me in the putting together of this report. I undertook this project voluntarily and for no compensation: I am proud and happy to have done so. I have been frequently asked if I felt I had adequate resource to undertake this work. I would like to place on the record that I have found the level of support, both direct and indirect, from the Board of Deputies and its Honorary Officers, particularly the President, Marie van der Zyl and Vice-President Edwin Shuker, to be exemplary. The Board of Deputies provided me with a secretariat in the shape of Anthony Silkoff, who worked above and beyond the call of duty to put this report together, while the advice and support of Phil Rosenberg, who devised the idea of this commission, was invaluable throughout. I was lucky enough to receive the support of a volunteer, Tilly Ruback, who provided essential support as the Commission’s researcher and without her this report would not have been possible. In addition, we received some exceptional pro-bono advice from a number of legal experts, to whom I am most grateful, in particular the barrister Benjamin Gray, who reviewed an entire draft of this report, and 6 Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community Adam Rose and Adam Wagner, who reviewed our Terms of Reference. That said, I ultimately take responsibility for every word of this report. Any faults and limitations in the final report are mine alone. I hope that the recommendations I make will enhance communal life for Black Jews, Jews of Colour and Sephardi, Mizrahi and Yemenite Jews, whilst being practical and relatively easy to deliver. My recommendations cover vast swathes of communal life, but if I were to summarise this whole report into a couple of essential lessons, they would be these: Jews have widely different views on what it means to ‘be’ Jewish, or to ‘act’ Jewish; but there is no comprehensive means to ‘look’ Jewish. Racial diversity should never be a reason for exclusion. Many of the recommendations this Commission makes have a far wider applicability than being positive for Black Jews, Jews of Colour or Sephardi, Mizrahi and Yemenite Jews – important though that is. A proactive attitude to inclusion will draw in many people of all backgrounds who have felt marginalised, left out or turned off from Jewish life.