Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg spoke about how the political landscape has changed over the last nine decades at the opening of Cable Street 90 on Sunday night.
Speaking at Toynbee Hall in Spitalfields, Rosenberg said: “We have over [the last] 90 years become more assertive, [but] it is to our sadness that parts of the far-left have changed too.
“From a noble heritage of protesting against antisemitism at Cable Street, parts of the modern far-left has sunk to promoting antisemitism on our streets, online and on university campuses.
“We see it whenever Jewish people's right to self-determination is singled out and denied. We have seen it in attempts to revive the toxic lie that Zionism is racism.”
Cable Street 90 is an initiative of the Board which will celebrate Jewish culture, history, and solidarity in east London, with a range of events, including concerts, art exhibitions, and walking tours.
“On October 4, 1936, Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts attempted to march through the heart of London’s Jewish East End,” Rosenberg recounted. “What they encountered was something extraordinary: a community that refused to be intimidated.
“The people who stood against fascism that day came from different backgrounds and traditions,” he continued. “Jewish residents stood shoulder to shoulder with trade unionists, dockers, socialists, Irish Londoners and many others. Together, they sent a simple and powerful message: ‘They shall not pass.’”
“For British Jews, Cable Street became much more than a historical event. It became a symbol. A reminder that antisemitism can be challenged. That hatred is not inevitable. And that when communities stand together, they can change the course of history.”
He said that the same spirit is “present throughout this festival”, which will celebrate Jewish culture through music, film, theatre, art, and storytelling – all connected to the Battle of Cable Street and Jewish life in the East End.
“Together, these initiatives reflect our determination not simply to respond to challenges, but to celebrate and share the richness of Jewish life, culture and history – less oy and more joy.”
Rosenberg also addressed the debate surrounding the Board of Deputies’ role in the history of Cable Street, and said while there were “legitimate criticisms of our predecessors for calling on our community to stay away from Cable Street”, the reality was “more complex than some would suggest”.
“The Board of Deputies’ concerns about what might happen at Cable Street did not mean an indifference to fascism,” said Rosenberg. “The record shows that the Board of Deputies was actively working with the government and other groups to undermine fascism.”
In December 1936, this coalition succeeded in getting the government to pass the Public Order Act, which restricted fascist and other paramilitary activities.
Rosenberg added: “But whichever view one takes of the decisions made 90 years ago, these days, we at the Board of Deputies do not shy away from public protest. We lead from the front.”
Toynbee Hall belongs to the eponymous charity that works to address the causes and impacts of poverty in the East End of London.
Many Jewish immigrants settled in Whitechapel after fleeing persecution in Western Europe and were instrumental in the first few decades of the organisation, which was established in 1884.
Other speakers were Lizzie Stevenson from Toynbee Hall; Debby Lee, who has been involved in organising Cable Street 90; and artist Inam Zimbalista, who talked about his video installation which reimagines the Battle of Cable Street and is being projected onto the exterior of Toynbee Hall until October 11.
To find out more about Cable Street 90, click here.
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