The United Synagogue could be led by a woman within a decade, its president Stephen Pack has forecast.

He said that, while the presidency would remain in male hands, “that doesn’t mean to say it will never change”.
US council members gave broad backing this week to proposals that have been agreed by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and the London Beth Din to allow women to be elected as trustees. If the change is formally approved by the council next spring, there will in future be nine trustees — the president along with four men and four women, one of whom will be elected as treasurer. This would replace the current system of seven male officers, plus four women as observers.

Mr Pack said that the trustees had not asked the Chief Rabbi to consider the possibility of a woman president.
“If I was rolling forward the clock six years, nine years, I suspect that that will change. But it just felt that this was the right thing for this time round.”