Board of Deputies Rosh Hashanah Message

ROSH HASHANAH PRESIDENT PHIL ROSENBERG TISHRI 5785

In June 2024, aged 38, I was elected as the youngest-ever President in the Board of Deputies’ 264-year history. While it is certainly a challenging time to have taken up the role, my team and I have hit the ground running with pace and energy, and set five key priorities for our three-year term:

• Fight antisemitism;
• Stand up for peace and security in Israel and the Middle East;
• Defend our religious freedoms;
• Make our community more united, inclusive, and outward looking; and
• Celebrate our faith, heritage, and culture as British Jews.

Understandably, combatting antisemitism is the number one priority for most in our community right now. We will be conducting a comprehensive review of hate crime legislation, policing, and prosecution, to keep our community safe. We will conduct a sector-by-sector inquiry into the media, social media, universities, workplaces, arts and sports, to secure our wellbeing. We will tackle extremism in all its guises, whether it be from Islamists, the far-right or the far-left, to ensure our society remains cohesive. And we will expand education, training, and interfaith outreach to inoculate people against the virus of hatred.

Nearly a year on from the horrific events of 7^th October, our hearts go out to the people of Israel. People who have lost loved ones, suffered a life-changing injury, or who have spent too many hours waiting to hear the fate of a kidnapped relative.

Much is made of division in our own community, particularly regarding Israel. But on so much we have been united over the last year, whether campaigning to release the hostages, pushing back against Iran and its proxies, or working and praying to bring a lasting resolution to the conflict, speedily and in our days.

Despite the challenges we must be proud to express our unique history and culture. A key mission must be to make our community more inclusive, and we will launch a Commission on Disability Inclusion in the Jewish Community to better engage a wider range of people. The Board of Deputies’ 200 member organisations run from Cornwall to Aberdeen, and we will celebrate our regional communities and heritage. As the Board’s youngest-ever President, I want to connect with our next generation to ensure it is active and engaged.

We have been through some hard times in Jewish history and emerged from them with ingenuity and resilience. This last year has been uniquely challenging, but I am determined that we will come back stronger.

With your help, I know we will.

Wishing you all a Shanah Tovah uMetukah!