The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews has hailed Bournemouth’s Jewish community for “standing up to bullies” after a proposition to de-twin the coastal town from the Israeli coastal city Netanya was dismissed.

Phil Rosenberg, the new Board president, spent a weekend in the town meeting members of the local Jewish community and explaining his plans to prioritise regional communities, one of the pledges he campaigned on.

Rosenberg addressed both Bournemouth Community Hebrew Congregation and Bournemouth Reform Synagogue, visited Chabad House and held an open meeting for members of the wider Bournemouth Jewish community, including the Wessex Liberal Jewish Community.

He met a cross-party group of local councillors, including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole leader Millie Earl to thank them for their efforts to retain the twin relationship.

The Board, it said, had been “very involved” with efforts to defeat the motion, having sent briefings to town councillors to help them speak up for their Jewish residents.

Rosenberg’s itinerary also consisted of meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick, Dorset Police Chief Inspector Darren Harris, and local CST Chair Andrew Kay, during which the topics of policing anti-Israel marches and the rise of antisemitism was discussed.

Following the visit, Rosenberg said it was a “pleasure to spend the weekend in Bournemouth speaking to members of this community about their priorities and concerns.”

He said: “As part of my mission to make our community more united, I am working hard to put regional communities at the centre of our work.

“The Bournemouth Jewish scene has something very special going for it, between the sea air and the brilliant community spirit. I also think that it is quite possible that the local Chabad makes the best bagels in the country. If you have not been to Bournemouth, or not been for some time, it might be time to start planning your next visit.

"I would like to thank our local Deputies, especially lead-organiser Marilyn Keen of the Bournemouth Community Hebrew Congregation, as well as Ruth Hart of Bournemouth Reform Synagogue and Cllr Alexandra Boyd of the Wessex Liberal Jewish Community, for ensuring the success of the visit and making me feel so welcome.”

Rosenberg is scheduled, as part of his plan to visit every region of the country in his first year as president, to travel to Brighton, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, and Nottingham over the next several months, with more to follow.