British Indian leaders have pledged to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with their Jewish counterparts, as the latter face worrying levels of antisemitism.
Speaking following an “Enterprise and Community” event, hosted by the British Indian Jewish Association (BIJA), financier Lord Jitesh Gadhia said: “Our community has enormous admiration for the Jewish community. The Indian community has received help, support and guidance from the Jewish community in combatting prejudice and safeguarding our religious buildings, and the British Indian community will always stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Jewish friends.”
The chair of the British Asian Trust added: “As communities in Britain, we have refused to let prejudice define us and have demonstrated that there is no conflict between our British identity and our faith.”
Hosted at the city law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP), the event included a keynote session and a ceremony, where Lord Stuart Polak and Lord Krish Raval received community awards.
“Both of our communities have a remarkable ability to bring people together – and I love the fact that we can disagree without falling out,” said Lord Krish Raval.
The Indian Jewish Association was formally established in 1996, when over 50 representatives from both communities joined together. In 2020, the organisation was renamed the British Indian Jewish Association (BIJA).
Zaki Cooper, co-chair of BIJA, opened the evening, saying it was imperative to forge relationships with other religious communities. “In these difficult times – with geopolitical conflict raging around the world and many of us in this room concerned for family and friends in Israel and elsewhere – we need more interfaith engagement, not less.
"That is precisely why tonight’s event, showcasing the friendship between the Indian and Jewish communities, is so important.”
The chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, Keith Black, who was interviewed alongside Lord Gadhia by BCLP partner Shivani Sanghi, said afterwards: “We are both minority communities with similar values: commitment to family, hard work, entrepreneurship, and much more. As a Jewish community, we can sometimes feel a little isolated, so having friends in other communities is really important. I wish BIJA continued success in its work.”
READ NEXT: The Indian princess who rescued Jews from the Holocaust
To get more from community, click here to sign up for our free community newsletter.