Sheila Gewolb has become the second candidate for the presidency of the Board of Deputies to issue a manifesto.

It stresses her educational work as vital in defending against antisemitism.

The chair of the Board’s communities and education division for the past three years, Dr Gewolb is vying with her vice-presidential colleague Marie van der Zyl, who released her manifesto earlier this month, to become only its second female president.

The third known candidate - nominations remain open until next Thursday - is Edwin Shuker, vice-chairman of the Board’s international division.

Dr Gewolb, originally from Cardiff and who first went to university after the age of 50 and went on to achieve a doctorate in language and communications, said she has travelled more than 50,000 miles in the service of the Board.

“I have expanded the Board’s outreach work exponentially, so that we now have five versions of the Jewish Living Experience  exhibition based in Leicester, Brighton, Carlisle and Newcastle, as well as in London,” she said.

As well as visiting 84 schools, she has instigated training for “ambassadors” to speak about Judaism.

The most important task for the president was “to defend and protect our community from antisemitic attacks and the delegitimisation of Israel,” she wrote.

“We need call out those who attack us and be loud and proud about who we are”.

Her endorsers come from across the Jewish religious spectrum and her manifesto also includes a citation from the secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Wales, Professor Saleem Kidwai, who commented: “Her honesty, erudition, as well as genuine friendship helped… in particular, towards the organising of a joint Jewish-Muslim vigil."

She has also raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for the Board as chairman of its appeal dinner.

Public hustings for the candidates before the election will take place on May 8 at JW3 in London in association with the JC.