ByAnonymous, Anonymous
Leeds Jewish Representative Council's new president Hilton Lorie is making it his priority to convince young Jews that the city is a good place to live. "We have a strategy to try to attract people to Leeds," he said after Sunday's annual meeting.
There had been a good response to the council's appeal to local families for a voluntary £3 monthly levy to help fund the post of a community development officer. "We now need to find a high calibre person to take up the post." The search will be spearheaded by Robert Bartfield, who was involved in the "Leeds Jewish Future" research project.
A solicitor by profession, Leeds-born Mr Lorie, 55, is a former president of Etz Chaim Synagogue who has served as chairman of the National Chaplaincy Board. He looks forward to "becoming familiar with every organisation in the community". He succeeds Sue Dorsey in the three-year post.
Local MP Fabian Hamilton was among those at Sunday's meeting, which was, for the first time, recorded by Leeds Radio Jcom. Ellie Ruhan told delegates that the 10th Leeds International Jewish Performing Arts Festival in June would have an extended programme.