Summit for small Jewish communities makes a very big impact

The summit featured a “shuk” (marketplace) of booths, where attendees were given the chance to connect directly with representatives of more than 20 different leading Jewish communal organisations. They included WIZO, Jewish Volunteering Network, AJEX and the Northern Holocaust Education Group.

Also present were Jewish Care, Power of Prayer, Jewish Women’s Aid, UJIA and Kaleidoscope.

Attendees listened to a wide-ranging discussion between Marc Levy from the JLC and Manchester’s Jewish Rep Council, and Lord Katz, chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, who was recently made a peer.

Jewish Small Communities Network summit, (left) Marc Levy from Manchester Rep Council and the JLC and Lord Mike Katz, chair of the Jewish Labour Movement (Photo: Daniel Ben-David)[Missing Credit]

The pair discussed Katz’s upbringing, his Jewish identity, how he became a peer, his day-to-day life and responsibilities in the Lords, and the importance of community.

Katz said: “It’s really important that people don’t just point to bits of north London or Manchester and say that’s where you’ll find the Jews in this country. We all know that that’s not true, and we all know that actually, every single local authority area in this country has Jewish people living in it, which is great to see. It’s an important part of our national identity that there are Jews across the country. We really are contributing to our national identity.”

There are an estimated 110 Jewish communities spread across more than 72 towns outside London and Manchester.

Lots of mingling occurred throughout the summit, over tea and then lunch, and on each table, when break-out sessions were held, which provided an opportunity for each person to introduce themselves and build connections.

Michael from Blackpool, where the Jewish community numbers less than 50 individuals, told the JC that networking in person and online through the JSCN, particularly during and since the Covid pandemic, had provided the community with “a lifeline”, enabling them to connect with and draw strength from other Jews around the country.

“We’re a small community in Blackpool, but we’re a proud community as well, of our Jewishness but also our town. It’s great to be able to meet other people in similar situations here and to extend a friendly hand to them,” he said.

Penny, a 34-year-old Oxford resident who joined this year’s summit for the first time, told the JC: “This is such a wonderful idea. I’ve met and connected with Jewish people from towns, I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know existed.”

Jewish Small Communities Network annual summit (Photo: Daniel Ben-David)[Missing Credit]

Awards were handed out recognising outstanding individuals as well as communities for their communal or outreach work. Ian Cohen from Coventry Reform was named Community Person of the Year and Hilary Rifkin from Edinburgh and Eve Sacker from Derbyshire were runners-up. Cardiff’s Orthodox community won the Community Team of the Year award, which was accepted by Laurence Kahn and Alison Lee.

The “80 candles quilt”, a collaboratively created memorial patchwork to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, was on display in the room, provided by Holocaust Memorial Day.

There was also a strong Israeli presence, with two survivors of the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Be’eri, Yigal Chetrit and Nieve Higgins, sharing their powerful stories of survival and their community’s ongoing effort to rebuild the kibbutz.

This was preceded by a presentation from Israeli Community Europe (ICE), given by Shai Doitsh, on how Israelis can be valuable additions to local Jewish communities.

An expert panel was chaired by Jewish Volunteering Network’s Nicky Goldman and featured the day’s speakers, including Rabbi Zvi Solomons from Berkshire’s Jewish community, Jacqui Kramer from Jewish Care, communal funding expert Rabbi Jonny Wineberg, and author Dr Keith Kahn-Harris.

Kahn-Harris, who is a Leo Beck College lecturer and senior research fellow at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, provided the summit’s keynote speech on how Jewish communities can remain anchored to ordinary life during turbulent times.

Local dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal and the Lord-Lieutenant for the West Midlands Derrick Anderson CBE, also joined the event and participated in break-out discussions.

Jewish Small Communities Network annual summit (Photo: Daniel Ben-David)[Missing Credit]

A variety of seminars for attendees to choose from were also on offer, ranging from educational topics, CST advice and how to prepare for old age, to practical advice on maximising charitable fundraising.

Ed Horwich, chief executive of the JSCN, told the JC the summit had “exceeded all expectations”, and he had been “overwhelmed by the level of support from organisations, the enthusiasm of participants and the feedback”.

He told attendees: “Without you, JSCN doesn’t mean much at all. We’re here to help people be the best they can be by bringing people together to foster connection, empower leadership, build communities, combat hate, support inclusiveness, and celebrate being Jewish.”