The Board of Deputies of British Jews ESTABLISHED 1760 ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS LEADERSHIP Dr Lionel Kopelowitz JP President Eric Moonman MSc Senior Vice-President His Honour Israel Finestein QC Vice-President Jeffrey Pinnick FCA Treasurer Hayim Pinner OBE Secretary General Published by: The Board of Deputies of British Jews, Woburn House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H OEZ. Telephone: 071-387 3952. Fax: 071-383 5848 Printed by: Freedman Bros (Printers) Ltd, St Albans Lane, London NW11 7QB. Telephone: 081-458 3220. Fax: 081-455 6860 INDEX Page Page 1 President's Statement 2 10 Obituary-Mr Michael FidlerJP 34 2 Anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe 3 I I Obituary - Mr Myer Domnitz 36 3 Israel Tour 4 12 Central Enquiry Desk 37 4 The Year in Retrospect 6 13 B.O.D. Promotions Ltd 38 5 The Board of Deputies of 14 Board Statement on Israel 39 British Jews 8 I 5 Board Resolutions and Protests 40 6 Senior Staff 9 16 Board Resolutions and Protests 44 7 Notes on Committee Membership.... 10 17 Treasurer's Report 45 8 Executive Committee 11 18 Accounts and Balance Sheets 46 9 Committee Reports: 19 List of Constituencies and Organisations 53 a. Central Jewish Lecture 20 List of Subscribers 58 and information 12 21 Donations 61 b. Community Research Unit 14 22 Past Presidents of the Board 62 c. Jewish Defence and Group Relations 16 d. Education and Youth 18 e. Finance 19 f. Foreign Affairs 20 g. Israel 24 h. Law, Parliamentary and General Purposes 26 i. Provincial 28 j. Public Relations 30 k. Shechita 32 1. Yad Vashem Charitable Trust 33 1 PRESIDENT'S in the countries of Eastern STATEMENT Europe, where the freedom activities carried out by the to express oneself at grass- Board on behalf of the roots level is a new British Jewish community. phenomenon. In these Broadly speaking, all our circumstances, Jewish activities come under two communities are at risk if headings: economic circumstances are adverse, and therefore Jews "...if the reunification of a) The need to defend the must be keenly aware of the rights of the Jewish dangers existing within the Germany is inevitable community in this present situation. then there must be country at every level, and built-in safeguards to to maintain the security of The Board will continue to the Jewish community. plead the cause of these ensure that a new communities and to Germany will live b) To speak out effectively highlight their needs and on behalf of all those their problems to H.M. peacefully with all her other Jewish Government and to the neighbours..." communities, who are world at large. Furthermore, unable to speak up for the demand for a themselves. reunification ot Germany is a matter of major concern to This has been a most Jews everywhere, and if the exciting and challenging reunification of Germany is year. Political change in the inevitable then there must countries of Eastern Europe be built-in safeguards to has been swift, and the ensure that a new Germany changes have blown with will live peacefully with all the force of a hurricane. her neighbours, and that no Beginning with Poland, the country can be allowed to changes in political feel at risk or exposed as a structure spread to East consequence. Our tasks are Germany, then to absolutely clear, and we will Czechoslovakia, and be failing in our duty, both subsequently to Romania. to the martyrs of the past, These changes have also and to generations yet affected the Soviet Union. unborn, if we do not speak out loud and clear. There can be no doubt whatsoever that the force of I commend this Report to change has been encouraged every Jew and to all both by travel and by interested in Jewish affairs• television. People from the Eastern European countries LIONEL KOPELOWITZ have seen the facilities President available in the West, and the scenes on television have encouraged the movements for liberation from one country to another. We arc now witnessing the total disintegration of the post- war European settlement as it was determined at Yalta 45 years ago, in January 1945. Changing governments do not necessarily mean changing living conditions, and we arc now living through a transition period ANTI-SEMITISM IN Fascism has begun to crawl and he says that the EASTERN EUROPE out of the woodwork 111 the campaign for reunification wake of the collapse of the is growing stronger each Eric Moonman communis): regimes in day. Senior Vice-President Eastern Europe. For example, over 500 neo- Whatever route the Nazis turned out at a Germans take in the future, "These past twelve demonstration in Leipzig to have we in Britain got any months have been the demand a reunified relevant answers to the Germany. Though they German people's demands busiest time for my were shouted down with and desires? Commission on chants of "Nazis out" from sections of a large crowd Anti-Semitism within I suggest that this is an issue they were still able to put we shall have to explore, the European Jewish themselves at the head of the calmly and thoroughly over demonstration. Congress." the next year. The Board of Deputies Executive In East Germany last year, Committee has already IRST, the reports from there were over 200 begun to examine the major Findividual countries recorded incidents of rascist policy issue involved, but a highlight that antisemitism incitement and antisemitic more fundamental has not left the European daubings. examination is required. scene. The high level of There is no doubt that East recorded incidents This situation is almost no Germans are crossing the continues. In Britain, the better in Hungary and border to the West with Defence Department at the Poland, nor is antisemitism much spirit and Board of Deputies does a rejected by Poland's Roman determination. Their fine job in monitoring, and Catholic Church. In reasons for doing so is only drawing attention to, the particular, Cardinal Glemp partly due to their rejection wide range of attacks on launched a bitter attack on of the ideology of Jewish people and the Jewish community at the communism, but it is very institutions. Jewish protests about the much to do with their deep- Carmelite Convent at felt desire for an improved Auschwitz. The Cardinal's standard of living for In France, there has been the angry words did not make themselves and their most dramatic rise of for good relations. families. antisemitic incidents, stimulated by the activities of M Le Pen, the National Whilst writing this report, I In all these matters, the Front leader, whose obscene have spoken to Ignatz Bubis, Board, on behalf of British fascist views and behaviour the leader of the Jewish Jewry, has something to say in the French National community in Frankfurt, and do• Assembly, the European Parliament and also on the streets greatly concerns the community. The other reason for the increase is the 'scapegoat' practice in blaming all who appear to be 'foreigners', whether North African or Jewish. But the main area of concern in Western Europe has been the dramatic political and social change in the Eastern sector and the issues thrown up by the likely reunification of Germany. 3 THE ISRAEL TOUR HROUGHOUT the condition of Israel's by Israel Finestein T week beginning 27 information services and the December 1989, a group of public relations of the Vice-President deputies, accompanied in Zionist movement most cases by their spouses, generally. It was clear that were engaged in a busy and the need for reappraisal and exciting schedule. The tour expanded resources was was under the auspices of widely appreciated. the Board's Israel Committee in co-operation The celebrated Michael with the Development and Elkins addressed us with Community Services typical pungency and deep Department of the WZO. understanding, on the mood of the country. Another Everyone gained new and journalist who visited our sometimes unexpected hotel as part of the insights into the life and programme was Ziad Abu thinking of Israelis in varied Zayyad, a prominent walks of life. member of the Arab Council for Public Affairs. At private meetings with He addressed us on "The many leading politicians, Peace Process — A ranging in outlook from PM Palestinian Perspective". Mr Mr Itzhak Shamir to Mrs Abu Zayyad responded to Shulamit Alloni, the vigorous questioning with questions and replies were courtesy and sometimes usually frank and with diplomatic skill. I uninhibited. We arrived in chaired this session and it the middle of a Cabinet became obvious to me that crisis. Somehow, all the the visitor greatly welcomed appointments with us were the chance to hear Deputies' kept by public figures, opinions as well as expound despite being closely his own. involved in the ceaseless negotiations, including Mr The most heated encounter Shamir, Mr Shimon Peres was with Mr Gerald Butt of and Dr Moshe Arens. the BBC and Mr Ian Black of "The Guardian". One of "Many members of the One of the main subjects in the points they made was the our discussions again and pressure upon them in many party regarded this again was the expected cases to produce instant blossoming of the desert, influx of Jews from the reports at short notice and Soviet Union, and the with limited time for which has proved so requirements which this presentation. They were left valuable to Israel's imposed upon Israel and the in no doubt of the Jewish world. widespread Jewish responses economy and standing, to some of the media as a kind 0J epitome Among the topics presentations, including frequently raised with theirs.