CTJC Pesach bulletin 2020

Pesach message Marie Van Der Zyl, President Board of Deputies of British Jews Pesach is a poignant time of year for all of us. It is the moment when we reflect both on the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt and also celebrate their freedom from Pharoah.

For many years. we have lived free and safe lives as Jews in the UK. However, the antisemitism crisis in Labour has given Pesach an extra level of significance. For the first time I can remember, anti-Jewish racism has been at the front and centre of British politics. Heading into a General Election last December, it is not overstating matters to say that many in our community were feeling real anxiety, and, in some cases, even fear, over our future.

The Labour leadership election will be decided shortly before the start of Pesach. We are hoping that this moment will be a turning point for the party. This is the reason that, in January, we produced our Ten Pledges for Labour Leadership and Deputy Leadership candidates. The pledges identify the ten key points we believe Labour needs to sign up to in order to begin healing its relationship with the Jewish community.

This relationship, once rock solid, has been all but destroyed. It will take leadership, commitment and, most importantly, action. We expect that those seeking to move the party forward will openly and unequivocally endorse these Ten Pledges in full, making it clear that if elected as leader, or deputy leader, they will commit themselves to their full implementation.

We have been encouraged that all the leadership candidates have signed up to the pledges (although, disgracefully, deputy leadership candidates Richard Burgon and Dawn Butler refused to accept them).

We are also hugely encouraged by the massive media coverage the pledges have received and the way they have compelled candidates to confront the antisemitism in their party.

Of course, antisemitism is not just a problem for Labour. We engaged with all the major parties during the election campaign when Page 20