Jewish and Traveller communities to work together against ‘obscene’ hostility
Board of Deputies figures meet representatives of the Gypsy and Traveller communities as they agree to 'stand in solidarity' against hate
Jewish communal organisations in the UK have agreed to work together with representatives of the Gypsy and Traveller communities in Britain, after a series of meetings in Leeds.
Marie van der Zyl, vice president of the Board of Deputies, said: “We stand in solidarity with other minority groups, who are facing obscene levels of hostility.”
The two minorities agreed to work together on range on issues including hate crime, Holocaust remembrance, welfare and human rights, after meetings with members of the Leeds Jewish Representative Council and human rights charity René Cassin.
Helen Jones, chief executive of the Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, said: “Whilst some of our common ground is inevitably our experiences of being demonised, excluded and subject to hate, what is really exciting to explore is our shared experiences of promoting human rights, peace building and resilience.”
René Cassin director Mia Hasenson-Gross said: “It’s been an extremely positive few days. We have tragic historic ties as well as shared current and pressing issues such as rising hate crime. These are best tackled through building strong relationships and an understanding of the experiences of our respective communities.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
