Nearly 30 heads of major British Jewish organisations condemn ‘shocking and distressing’ treatment of Progressive co-leads

The letter, which was signed by the leaders of Jewish Care, the Union of Jewish Students, JW3, the Board of Deputies of British Jews among others, reads: “We may or may not all agree or disagree with the views of Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky. That’s really not the point here. What we do all agree on, is how shocking and upsetting it was to see the intolerance shown to two senior community colleagues. And we are concerned that this is another symptom of an increasingly febrile and divisive atmosphere within our community.”

It continued: “Sadly, today, at a time where Jewish unity is much needed, internal conflict and division is rife across the Jewish world. When disagreements occur between individual Jews or Jewish groups – as they inevitably will – it behoves us to work harder to find ways to address them respectfully, so that we can continue to thrive as a people,” the letter reads.

“As senior Jewish communal leaders, we know full well that this is not an easy task. It requires effort, and intention. Especially during times of great pain, and when we feel the effects of external threats and hatred. It therefore caused us all distress and much sadness to see how two of our communal colleagues, Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy were treated at the march and rally in London.”
They wrote that videos circulating on social media of the incident shows “some people screaming and swearing at them after they had been escorted off. This is unacceptable and must not set a precedent for how any of our communal leaders can be trusted.”

The letter continues: “As senior communal professional colleagues, we call on everyone who loves and cares about the Jewish people to think carefully about how we speak with one another, and how we treat each other. We must strive to find ways to disagree with one another in an agreeable way, and to work hard to avoid current fractures becoming permanent, damaging divisions.

“This is not just the responsibility of professional communal leaders, rather of the entire Jewish community. Even though we may not be uniform, we know we can be more unified.”

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The letter quotes from a work from the late Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Seven Principles For Maintaining Jewish Dialogue, written in 2018, which offers principles to combat the dangers of internal communication conflict. It also cites that “intense factionalism and internal strife” led to the destruction of the Second Temple, the leaders warned.

The letter is signed in alphabetical order by:

● Adam Rossano, Executive Director, Limmud

● Arieh Miller, former CEO, UJS

● Ashley Lerner, Chief Executive Officer, Maccabi GB

● Claudia Mendoza, Chief Executive Officer, The Jewish Leadership Council

● Daniel Carmel-Brown, CEO, Jewish Care

● David Davidi-Brown, Chief Executive, New Israel Fund

● Elizabeth Bradbury CEO, LJWB

● Erica Marks CEO JSAS Jewish Sexual Abuse Support

● Georgina Bye, Co-Director, CCJ

● Hannah Weisfeld, Executive Director, Yachad

● Jenny Pattinson, Chief Executive, Nightingale Hammerson

● Joanne Greenaway, CEO, LSJS

● Katie Rothman, Director, Abraham Initiatives UK

● Lisa Wimborne, Chief Executive, Jewish Blind & Disabled

● Louis Danker, President, UJS

● Mandie Winston, CEO, UJIA

● Marc Levy, Chief Executive, Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region

● Marc Shoffren, Headteacher, Alma Primary

● Mervyn Kaye, CEO, UJS● Michael Wegier, Chief Executive, Board of Deputies of British Jews

● Michael Newman, Chief Executive, AJR

● Nicky Goldman, CEO, JVN

● Paul Anticoni, Chief Executive, World Jewish Relief

● Rabbi David Mason, Executive Director, HIAS + JCORE

● Rabbi Professor Deborah Kahn-Harris, Principal, Leo Baeck College

● Rabbi Vadim Blumin, Executive Director and Head of Delegation, The Jewish Agency for Israel UK

● Raymond Simonson, Chief Executive, JW3

● Sam Clifford, CEO, JWA