Weathering the Storm and Forging a Way Forward….
Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, shares his vision for the Jewish community
Summary of a talk given at the South Hampstead Synagogue.
The afternoon began with a warm and personal introduction to Phil Rosenberg. Reflecting on joining the Rosenberg family more than 60 years ago, the host recalled Phil’s grandfather, Jack Rosenberg, as a man of kindness, thoughtfulness and, above all, moral clarity. He had a strong sense of responsibility towards the Jewish community – qualities that, she observed, have been passed down through the generations.
Today, Phil Rosenberg carries that commitment forward as President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, dedicating an extraordinary amount of time to supporting and representing the community during an exceptionally challenging period.
Phil described himself as an optimist, and his presentation offered both a realistic assessment of the challenges facing British Jews and a strong sense of determination that the community can emerge from this period stronger and more united.
Representing British Jewry
For those less familiar with the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Phil explained that it is the national representative body of the UK Jewish community, engaging with government, the media, other faith communities and the diplomatic corps.
Founded in 1760, the Board predates the United States of America and has played an important role throughout British Jewish history. So it's 16 years older than the United States of America. They are on their 47th president. He is the 49th president of the Board of Deputies. And that gives you a bit of a sense of the antiquity of the institution, and That it had great leaders such as Montefiore, one of the most famous, and was active in all sorts of battles throughout history from getting Jews to be able to vote and stand in Parliament to more recent battles with Corbyn, and, of course, the current recent challenges that our community faces.
Today it represents around 200 Jewish organisations across the UK, Gibraltar and Jersey, with approximately 300 deputies representing their communities.
Phil himself represents his local synagogue and described the Board as providing a collective voice for Jewish communities throughout Britain.
The challenge since 7 October
The horrific attacks of 7 October have fundamentally changed the environment in which Jewish communities operate, both in Britain and around the world.
Phil spoke of the rising levels of antisemitism, attacks on Jewish people and institutions, and the growing sense of insecurity within communities. The threat is not limited to physical attacks. Antisemitism is increasingly being encountered in education, healthcare, the arts, workplaces and, particularly, online.
Against this background, Phil outlined the five priorities that are guiding his presidency:
Fighting antisemitism
Standing up for peace and security in Israel and the Middle East
Defending Jewish religious freedoms
Building a more united, inclusive and outward-looking Jewish community
Celebrating Jewish faith, heritage and culture as British Jews
Fighting antisemitism
Fighting antisemitism remains the Board's highest priority.
Over the past two years, significant effort has gone into working with government, the police, the BBC and other institutions to challenge antisemitism and strengthen community protection.
Phil highlighted several important developments, including substantial government funding for community security, the proscription of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Palestine Action, changes to legislation around demonstrations, and greater attention to antisemitism in areas such as education and healthcare.
However, he stressed that much more needs to be done.
One of the key lessons of recent years is that the fight against antisemitism cannot simply be top-down. While government policy, legislation and funding are essential, antisemitism is also appearing from the bottom up, within individual sectors and organisations.
The Board therefore plans to develop a sector-by-sector approach: identifying allies, opponents, decision-makers, influential organisations and important voices in the media and on social media.
The online environment is a particular concern. Phil described social media as an area where antisemitism can spread rapidly and where the Jewish community needs to develop new and effective ways of responding.
The Board will continue its engagement with senior political, religious and media figures to ensure that Jewish concerns are not only heard but acted upon.
Israel, peace and security
The second priority is supporting Israel's security while promoting peace across the region.
Phil acknowledged that there are diverse views within the Jewish community about Israel, but emphasised that there are also many things that unite British Jews.
The Board is particularly focused on maintaining the strong UK-Israel relationship and encouraging both governments to look beyond short-term political interests towards their longer-term national interests.
Phil expressed concern about proposed measures and sanctions relating to Israeli settlements, arguing that decisions need to be carefully considered and not driven by political pressures.
At the same time, he stressed the importance of looking towards a peaceful future. The Board remains strongly supportive of regional cooperation and the opportunities created by the Abraham Accords, and continues to maintain dialogue with Arab diplomatic representatives where there is common ground.
Until lasting peace is achieved, however, the security of Israel remains a central concern.
Building a human bridge
One particularly interesting initiative is the Board's work to strengthen links between Israelis living in Britain and the wider British Jewish community.
Estimates of the number of Israelis living in the UK vary considerably between 20,000 and 100,000, and Phil believes that there is a huge opportunity to harness their energy, skills and entrepreneurial spirit within Jewish schools, welfare organisations, community groups and Israel advocacy.
The Board has already begun mapping Israeli community groups and WhatsApp networks across the country and is developing ways to bring these communities more fully into Jewish communal life.
There is also an important connection in the other direction: British Jews living in Israel. Phil sees these communities and individuals as another valuable bridge between Britain and Israel.
Defending religious freedom
Another important, but sometimes overlooked, responsibility of the Board is protecting Jewish religious freedoms.
This includes issues such as Brit Milah and Kosher food, as well as the ability of Jewish communities to practise their faith freely.
Phil warned that opposition to kosher and halal slaughter is increasingly entering mainstream political debate. Rather than dealing with these issues in isolation, he believes the Jewish community should work with other faith communities facing similar challenges.
There are also practical areas where Jewish and Muslim communities can work together. For example, both communities have religious requirements concerning burial, and Phil described joint delegations engaging with government departments to improve the way bereaved families are supported.
His message was clear: find allies, support moderates and challenge extremism.
A more united and inclusive community
Phil also wants the Board to become much more representative of the whole of British Jewry.
During his first year as President, he made a point of visiting every nation and region of the UK, including Northern Ireland. His aim is to ensure that the Board is not perceived as representing only London, but the Jewish community throughout Britain.
Inclusivity is another major part of this work.
Phil previously led a commission examining racial inclusion within the Jewish community, looking at the experiences of Black Jews, Jews of Colour and Mizrahi Jews. The commission produced 119 recommendations.
More recently, the Board has launched a commission focusing on disability inclusion.
Around one in five people live with some form of disability, whether physical, learning-related, age-related or associated with neurodiversity. Phil wants Jewish organisations to consider who may currently be excluded because facilities, communication or services have not been designed with them in mind.
He gave a particularly inspiring example of a mosque in East London that introduced British Sign Language alongside its English, Arabic and Bengali services. This opened the door to hundreds of deaf Muslims who had previously been unable to participate fully.
The lesson is one that applies equally to the Jewish community: who are we not including simply because we have not yet made the necessary adjustments?
Celebrating Jewish life and culture
Phil's final priority is perhaps the most positive: celebrating Jewish life, heritage and culture.
He believes it is important that British Jews are not defined solely through antisemitism, the Holocaust or conflict in the Middle East.
These are undoubtedly important parts of our history and experience, but they are not the whole story.
British Jews have made – and continue to make – extraordinary contributions to British society. Those achievements, together with Jewish faith, culture, traditions and values, deserve to be celebrated publicly.
This vision led to the launch of British Jewish Culture Month.
The first programme, held in May and June, was far larger than originally anticipated. What began with an ambition of around 30 events grew into a programme of approximately 160 events across the country, involving major cultural institutions and galleries.
From Manchester to Liverpool and London, the programme demonstrated the extraordinary breadth of Jewish cultural contribution and provided an opportunity for the wider public to share in and appreciate Jewish life.
The intention is for the initiative to become an annual celebration.
As Phil suggested, this could encompass everything from Jewish art, music and history to food, education and professional achievements – perhaps even a celebration of Jewish dentists and their contribution to British society.
Looking ahead with optimism
Phil ended with a powerful message of resilience.
There is no denying that British Jews are living through an extraordinarily difficult period. The challenges are real, and the community must remain vigilant and continue to speak out.But his message was not one of fear. It was one of confidence, unity and resilience.
The Jewish people have faced persecution, pogroms and unimaginable adversity throughout history. Yet the community has repeatedly survived, rebuilt and flourished.
The legacy of 7 October will undoubtedly shape Jewish life for generations to come. But Phil's belief is that, by standing together, building alliances, protecting our communities, embracing inclusion and celebrating everything that Jewish life contributes to Britain, we can weather the storm.
And, ultimately, we can emerge stronger than before.
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