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VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY 10 June 2021
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30 Sivan 5781
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Issue No.1214
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@JewishNewsUK
The blame Games Pressure on Beijing Olympics sponsors over Uyghur genocide An urgent campaign backed by the Chief Rabbi, Jewish human rights group René Cassin and Jewish News this week begun appealing to companies involved with the forthcoming Beijing Winter Olympics over China’s persecution of its Uyghur minority, writes Adam Decker. The initiative urges Britain’s Jews to “taint the brand” of the global sporting event in February and make their voices heard in the boardrooms of companies sponsoring or supplying it. Jewish leaders say China’s mass persecution of millions of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang is anathema to a people who suffered across Europe in the 1930s and 1940s, and who every year say: “Never again”. This week, in a rare public intervention, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said it was unthinkable for Britain’s Jewish community to enjoy the Games without protesting against China’s oppression of the Uyghurs. “An Olympic Games is an opportunity for the host nation to proudly invite the world to celebrate its identity and its values together,” he said. “To take part in any such celebration for Beijing 2022, without raising our voices in protest against the unspeakable atrocities that are being committed today against the Uyghur Muslims, would be an unacceptable act of indifference. “Sport has a way of uniting and inspiring people. Therefore we must ensure that the Winter Olympics becomes a platform for
A launch event for February’s Winter Olympics. Inset: A Uyghur protest
solidarity with the Uyghur population rather than a tool for distracting the world from this most appalling injustice.” Joining the Chief Rabbi in pressing for companies to act is the Reform shul West London Synagogue (WLS), whose 3,000+ members are known for their activism, as well as Jewish human rights group René Cassin together with Jewish News. Companies sponsoring, supplying or providing the infrastructure for the Bei-
jing Winter Olympics, including holiday rental giant Airbnb, have continued their involvement despite the United States recently accusing China of “genocide”. The campaign urges firms to “drop their sponsorships and endorsements”, calls for British sporting authorities such as Team GB to “speak out against the persecution” and asks that any individual athletes doing so be
protected from censure. Jewish representatives say the Chinese Communist Party plans to use the Games to ‘whitewash’ its oppression of the Uyghurs in much the same way that Hitler’s Nazi Party used the Berlin Olympics in 1936 to portray a positive image of Germany whilst persecuting Jews. This week’s campaign illustrates a shift in strategy from politics towards the corporate world, which may yet end in a boycott. Efforts this year to lobby MPs to vote to add pressure on China narrowly failed to win enough support. Rabbi Helen Freeman at WLS said: “We need to respond in a practical way, so we are encouraging our members and friends to educate themselves about Uyghur persecution and then write letters to the companies that are investing in, or involved with, the Beijing Olympics.” She added: “We are asking these companies to reconsider their involvement, for the sake of their own reputations, and not be associated with a government that uses Uyghur Muslims as slaves in forced labour camps.” Mia Hasenson-Gross of René Cassin said: “We
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JFS in turmoil as head replaced by former Ofsted boss and 900 warn of mental health failings Huge changes are under way at JFS as it emerged on Monday that headteacher Rachel Fink (pictured) ( resigned a week ago and has been replaced by a former head of Ofsted. The new leadership at the school follows the conclusion of an
Ofsted inspection late last week. It is understood that the inspectors’ report, expected imminently, will be critical of the way JFS has been run. Sir Michael Wilshaw, 74, who led Ofsted from 2012 to 2016, has taken over as interim head until a permanent replacement is found. Pupils at Europe’s largest
Jewish secondary were told of the sudden changes in assemblies on Monday morning – before parents had been informed – leading to criticism from some parents that they were left “in the dark”. The students themselves are calling for changes at the school, where there have been three pupil suicides in five years.
More than 940 JFS students have signed a petition urging the school to prioritise mental health amid claims it “has not taken accountability” or provided pupils with sufficient support after the deaths. Ora Hayes, a Year 10 pupil at the school, launched the petition this week on the birthday of the girl in her year
who died in March. Ora claims the recent tragedy occurred after the student was “brutally bullied for such a long time”. She wrote: “Since then all JFS did was bring in counsellors for a week and then leave us to our own devices.” Ora wrote after the assembly on Monday: “Today not once did
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