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The Board of deputies doesn't speak for me!

The Board of Deputies (or BoD) calls itself the ‘voice of the Jewish community in Britain’. 

So does it speak for you?

If not, and you are a member of an affiliated synagogue or other organisation, there’s something you can do about it – stop paying for it! 

Scroll down to find out how. 

Here’s a quick recap.  

In the last few years, the BoD has…

 … failed to represent UK Jews who are deeply disturbed by the expansion of Israel’s illegal settlements, the 17-year blockade of Gaza, the killing of over 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza, among them 15,000 children and 10,000 women, the wholesale destruction of civilian infrastructure, starvation of Gaza’s civilian population and the brutal military occupation and human rights abuses in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

 … failed to support efforts towards accountability and justice at an international level. 

… been calling for intensified restrictions on marches for a ceasefire from the Met police and government. 

Jewish bloc at ceasefire rally

     … dismissed the 280-page Amnesty International report on Israeli apartheid as a ‘preposterous smear’ without meaningful engagement. This is despite the consensus among leading human rights groups – including Israel’s B’Tselem – that life in Israel-Palestine is organised under a single principle: ‘cementing the supremacy of one group – Jews – over another – Palestinians’.  

      … been a key player in calling for the confusing and divisive‘  IHRA definition of antisemitism to be adopted by British institutions – a definition that consistently conflates antisemitism with legitimate criticism of Israeli policies, thereby making it harder to combat antisemitism. 

 … has successfully campaigned to introduce the Anti-Boycott Bill in Parliament – legislation that prevents public bodies taking ethical decisions on investments in view of environmental and human rights abuses, including on products from the illegal settlements.

To read more of ‘The Board of Deputies in its own words’  – what it says and what it doesn’t – click here. 

So does the BoD speak for you?

If the answer is NO and you are a member of an affiliate synagogue or organisation, you can choose not to pay their voluntary ‘communal contribution’ of £2.92 per month, which is taken from your membership fees. 

Your contribution sustains the BoD and gives weight to its claim to be the ‘voice of the Jewish community in Britain’. 

But you don’t have to pay it. You can choose to withdraw it today.

Here’s how in 3 easy steps:

1. Find out if your organisation or synagogue is affiliated, and whether you pay the £35.04 annual communal contribution, expand the list below:

A-C

Aberdeen Hebrew Congregation | AJEX | Alei Tzion Synagogue | Alliance of Jewish Women and their Organisations (AJWO) | Armed Forces Jewish Community | B’nai B’rith UK | B’nai B’rith Youth Organisation | Barnet Synagogue | Bedfordshire Progressive Synagogue | Beis Gavriel Lubavitch | Belmont Synagogue | Belsize Square Synagogue | Birmingham Central Synagogue | Birmingham Hebrew Congregation | Birmingham Progressive Synagogue | Bnei Akiva | Borehamwood & Elstree United Synagogue | Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation | Bournemouth Reform Synagogue | Bradford Reform Synagogue | Bridge Lane Beth Hamedrash | Brighton & Hove Hebrew Congregation | Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue | Brighton and Hove Reform Synagogue | Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation | Bristol Hebrew Congregation | Brondesbury Park Synagogue | Bushey and District Synagogue | Cambridge – Beth Shalom Reform Synagogue | Cambridge Traditional Jewish Congregation | Cardiff Reform Synagogue | Cardiff United Synagogue | Catford and Bromley Synagogue | Central Synagogue | Cheltenham Hebrew Congregation | Chigwell and Hainault Synagogue | Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue | Community Security Trust | Cranbrook United Synagogue | Crouch End Liberal Jewish Chavurah | Croydon Federation Synagogue

D-f

David Ishag Synagogue – Neveh Shalom Sephardi Community | Ealing Liberal Synagogue | Ealing United Synagogue | East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue | Edgware Adath Yisroel Congregation | Edgware and Hendon Reform Synagogue | Edgware Masorti Synagogue | Edgware United Synagogue | Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation | Emunah | Exeter Hebrew Congregation | Federation of Zionist Youth | Finchley Central Synagogue | Finchley Progressive Synagogue | Finchley Reform Synagogue | Finchley Synagogue | Forty Five Aid Society (45 Aid)

G-I

Gibraltar Jewish Community | Giffnock and Newlands Hebrew Congregation | Glasgow Jewish Representative Council | Glasgow Reform Synagogue | Golders Green Synagogue | Habonim Dror UK | Hadley Wood Jewish Community | Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue | Hampstead Synagogue | Harif | Harlow Jewish Community | Harrogate Hebrew Congregation | Hendon United Synagogue | Highgate Synagogue | Hull Jewish Representative Council | Ilford Federation Synagogue

J-L

Jewish Care | Jewish Labour Movement | Jewish Lads & Girls Brigade | Jewish National Fund | Jewish Student Chaplaincy Scotland | Jewish Womens Aid | jliving | Kehillat Kernow | Kenton Synagogue | Kingsbury Synagogue | Kingston, Surbiton and District Synagogue | Kol Chai – Hatch End Jewish Community | Kol Nefesh Masorti Synagogue | Lauderdale Road Synagogue | League of Jewish Women | Leeds – Sinai Synagogue | Leeds Jewish Representative Council | Leicester Hebrew Congregation | Liberal Jewish Synagogue | Liberal Judaism | Liberal Synagogue Elstree | Limmud | Lincolnshire Jewish Community | Allerton Hebrew Congregation | Liverpool – Childwall Hebrew Congregation | Liverpool Reform Synagogue | LJY Netzer | Loughton, Chigwell and District Synagogue | Luton United Synagogue

M-O

Machzike Hadath V’Shomrei Shabbat Synagogue | Magen David Adom UK | Maidenhead Synagogue | Cheetham Hebrew Congregation | Great, New and Central Manchester Synagogue | Holy Law South Broughton Congregation | Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region | Manchester Reform Synagogue | Menorah Synagogue Manchester | Masorti Judaism | Merseyside Jewish Representative Council | Mill Hill Synagogue | Mosaic Liberal Synagogue | Mosaic Reform Synagogue | Movement for Reform Judaism | Muswell Hill United Synagogue | Ner Yisrael Community | New Essex Masorti Synagogue | New London Synagogue | New North London Synagogue | New West End Synagogue | Newcastle Reform Synagogue | Newcastle United Hebrew Congregation | Nightingale Hammerson | Noam | North West Surrey Synagogue | North Western Reform Synagogue (Alyth) | Northampton Hebrew Congregation | Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue | Northwood United Synagogue | Norwich Hebrew Congregation | Norwich Liberal Jewish Community | Nottingham Hebrew Congregation | Nottingham Liberal Synagogue | Oxford Jewish Congregation | North Salford Synagogue

P-U

Pinner Synagogue | Plymouth Hebrew Congregation | Portsmouth and Southsea Hebrew Congregation | Pro-Zion | Radlett Reform Synagogue | Radlett United Synagogue | Reading Hebrew Congregation | Richmond Synagogue | RSY Netzer | Sadeh |Sale and District Hebrew Congregation | Shaare Hayim Congregation | South Manchester Synagogue | Scottish Council of Jewish Communities | Sheffield – Kingfield Synagogue | Shenley United Synagogue | Shomrei Hadath Congregation | South Hampstead Synagogue | South London Liberal Synagogue | South London Synagogue | South Tottenham Synagogue | Southampton Hebrew Congregation | Southend and Westcliff Hebrew Congregation | Southgate Progressive Synagogue | Southport Hebrew Congregation | Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, Holland Park | St Albans Masorti Synagogue | St Albans United Synagogue | St Anne’s Hebrew Congregation | St Johns Wood Synagogue | Staines and District Synagogue | Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue | Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire Hebrew Congregation | Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue | Sutton and District Synagogue | Thanet and District Reform Synagogue | The Friendship Circle | The S&P Sephardi Community | Tsur Yisrael – The Gibraltar Minyan | UJIA | UK Lawyers For Israel | Union of Jewish Students | United Synagogue | University Jewish Chaplaincy Board | The Shrubberies – Prestwich Hebrew Congregation

V-Z

Whitefield Hebrew Congregation | Yeshurun Hebrew Congregation | Watford and District Synagogue | Welwyn Garden City Synagogue | Wembley United Synagogue | Wessex Liberal Jewish Community | West London Synagogue | Western Marble Arch Synagogue | Westminster Synagogue | Wimbledon & District Synagogue | WIZO.uk | WLJC (Wessex Liberal Jewish Community) | Woodside Park Synagogue | World Jewish Relief | Yachad | Yeshurun Synagogue | York Liberal Jewish Community | Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland [25]

2. Contact your organisation, tell them you no longer wish to pay the charge – and why. Scroll down for a suggested email template

3. Sign the ‘BoD doesn’t speak for me’ pledge below 

SUGGESTED EMAIL TEXT:

Subject line: NOTICE TO WITHDRAW PAYMENT TO BOARD OF DEPUTIES

Dear                      ,

I am writing to withdraw my communal contribution to the Board of Deputies of British Jews of £2.92 per month from my fees with immediate effect because it no longer reflects my values or beliefs. The Board claims to be the ‘voice of the Jewish Community in Britain’. In withdrawing my payment I would like to underscore that the Board of Deputies does not speak for me and cannot make that claim of representation. 

Please respond to confirm this email has been received and let me know the date of final payment. 

Thank you and best wishes,

NAME

DATE

ADDRESS

MEMBERSHIP DETAILS