On the other hand there is the strictly Orthodox community, with high birth rates, strong family and communal ties, low divorce and out-marriage rates, but with rates of social and economic deprivation higher than those of the host community. The stereotype of the rich Jew does not apply to the most visible Jews in our community.
There are lessons for us here. Secular Jews, who with their Israeli counterparts form a large part of world Jewry, need to be accommodated by the community, and by the Board of Deputies which represents it. We at the Board have to be sensitive to their aspirations and concerns. A large part of our work is devoted to this.
At the same time, we have to reach out to the Orthodox community — which the Board is doing, partly through the new All Party Parliamentary Group, which focuses particularly on their needs.