The Jewish Council for Racial Equality is joining forces with Hias in the UK, connecting two Jewish agencies with long histories of supporting refugees and asylum seekers. The organisations believe the move will enhance the communal response on issues of asylum, refugees and racial equality.

Beyond the Jewish community, the combined organisation will have greater capacity to support programmes such as Jcore’s befriending project for young unaccompanied asylum-seekers and refugee doctors’ mentoring.

Jcore executive director Dr Edie Friedman, who founded the organisation more than 45 years ago, will take up a new position of honorary president. A search is under way for a chief executive who will lead the organisation and oversee its rebranding, including a new name.

Dr Friedman said: “It has been a privilege to have developed Jcore’s work in my adopted country. I am proud that, over the past 45 years, we have consistently encouraged the Jewish community to take action on race and asylum in the UK.

"I am also proud that we have helped to make the Jewish voice on these issues part of the national conversation, respected by politicians, other communities and refugee and anti-racism organisations.

“I’m confident that the new relationship with Hias will ensure that social justice remains at the heart of Jewish values.”

Hias president and CEO Mark Hetfield said: “At Hias, we used to help refugees because they were Jewish. Today, we help refugees in over 20 countries because we are Jewish. We are very excited to build on Jcore’s work for racial equality and for welcoming refugees by connecting them with Hias’ work with forcibly displaced persons around the world. The work of Hias and Jcore in the UK will be locally led.”