By, Anonymous
1 min read
Representatives from UK Jewry have responded positively to the news that JW3, the Jewish community centre, is to join forces with the LJCC, the London Jewish Cultural Centre.
The trustees approved the structure and timetable for the merger in a meeting last Tuesday.
Philanthropist Dame Vivien Duffield, whose brainchild JW3 was and who has donated over £40 million to project, said: "I think this is excellent news for both organisations and for the community".
No name has yet been announced for the new organisation, which will be housed within the large JW3 site in Finchley Road, in north-west London. The LJCC will sell its base - Ivy House in Golders Green - and put the profits towards the new organisation.
Abigail Morris, chief executive of the Jewish Museum, welcomed the development.
"We're a small community and the more we can make partnerships, the better," she said.
David Glasser, chairman of the Ben Uri Art Gallery, said: "It's wise and inevitable and doing it now creates an amalgamation of strengths rather than later through necessity and weakness."
The Jewish Leadership Council also welcomed the announcement. Chief Executive Simon Johnson, said "It is a great example of collaboration, which will help to ensure better use of communal resources."