The JC understands that since coming under scrutiny over the display, the church made sure the panels on which the 12 names appeared were removed.
But the JRC said that there were very likely to be many more terrorists featured on the tapestry as it had been only able to examine 4,000 of the names featured. It urged the church to check all the names against the PIJ death records.
Leeds Minster, West Yorkshire (Image: Getty Images)Getty Images/iStockphoto
The JC also understands the church was due to discuss the due diligence carried out over the tapestry in a meeting today.
But the JRC of Leeds was further concerned that the tapestry focused solely on Palestinian fatalities and not Israelis, whose deaths stand at over 2,000.
In a letter to the church, the JRC of Leeds wrote: “Over 800 Israeli civilians were murdered on October 7… It cannot be right that innocent lives have comparative degrees of sanctity: the decision to display this tapestry suggests that the Church publicly takes a different stance.
“We absolutely understand that from the point of view of the families of casualties of the war in Gaza – whether in Gaza or in Israel – their own family and community members are uppermost in their hearts. We cannot understand how that can be the perspective of a church 2,500 miles away from that war, in a country where – as government figures prove – Jews are wholly disproportionately affected by racism arising from that conflict.”
The letter continued: “To publicly appear to make choices between innocent civilians killed in acts of war, whilst simultaneously being unable to guarantee that the names of those very likely to be terrorists are excluded, makes the Jewish community anxious and angry.
“It begs the question of what the organisers of this exhibition have done to ensure that what is displayed in a house of worship is true. It begs the same question about the church itself, in a city which is home to the third largest Jewish community in the UK.”
Evers told Yorkshire Evening Post about her tapestry: "Every single stitch in this memorial represents a human life, and standing in front of it is a profoundly confronting experience.
“We deliberately brought this to Leeds Minster because this city understands resilience and the power of standing together.
“I want the people of West Yorkshire to walk through these doors this September and realise that these are not just distant statistics; they are names of people that we have a duty to remember.”
Reverend Canon Paul Maybury at Leeds Minster told Yorkshire Evening Post about the tapestry: “Leeds Minster has always stood as a civic sanctuary for the people of this city to gather in times of collective mourning and reflection.
“Hosting the 'Stitch Their Names Together' memorial is a testament to our ongoing commitment to peace and interfaith solidarity.
“We welcome everyone, of all faiths and none, to stand in the Minster, read these hand-stitched names, and share in a moment of reflection.”
When approached by the JC, Maybury did not directly address the allegations and instead shared his speech at the unveiling ceremony, in which he had said: “This building permanently commemorates the lives of many hundreds of people and it is appropriate that we host a travelling exhibition poignantly commemorating the many lives of adults and children killed in Gaza since October 2023.
"The sheer numbers of panels, bearing tens of thousands of names will, inevitably, impact each visitor.
“This is a peaceful act of remembrance and commemoration, in a chapel used daily for prayerful reflection.”
He added: “We are, of course, mindful that Israeli civilians have also been killed since October 2023.
“So, I invite you to allow yourself to be moved and to reflect and pray as you walk and sit amongst the panels of names of those who have been killed in Gaza.”
Evers, who attended the unveiling ceremony, was contacted by the JC for comment.
