Figures released by the Board of Deputies on Monday show that yesterday’s presidential election was a close-fought battle with the winner Phil Rosenberg, the organisation’s former public affairs director, edging out sitting vice-president Amanda Bowman by 18 votes.

In the first stage, Rosenberg was ahead by 96 votes to 80 but without a sufficient majority to secure outright victory.

The other two candidates treasurer Michael Ziff (52 votes) and former senior vice-president Sheila Gewolb (16) went out of the race at that point, with their second preferences being transferred to the two front-runners.

At the second stage, Rosenberg reached the finishing line with 124 votes to Bowman’s 106. (14 voters did not indicate a second preference).

The candidates had undergone no fewer than 10 hustings across the community over the previous two months; 244 deputies cast a vote out of the 275 eligible to do so.

A number of deputies told the JC they had arrived at the final hustings on Sunday yet to decide their choice.

In the contest for the three vice-presidencies, London Jewish Forum co-chairs Adrian Cohen (99 votes) and Andrew Gilbert (72) won sufficient support to gain election at the first count.

At that stage, Denise Lester was in third spot with 30 votes, followed by Jeremy Michelson on 27 and Owen Power 12. But after further counts, Michelson nudged ahead to clinch the position.