Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl is to announce she is setting up a working group aimed at improving engagement with young people in the community – which will be headed up by vice president Edwin Shuker.

The move comes after the Board came under criticism from youth organisations over its failure to issue a statement on the annexation plans of the Israeli government.

One letter sent to the Board last month, signed by other 500 members of the Jewish youth organisations and student JSocs, said the communal body’s “relevance” to young people was now in question.

But the JC understands that Mrs van der Zyl will tell deputies at this Sunday’s plenary that she has asked Mr Shuker to coordinate a young working group to deliver a programme to be rolled out across the community to improve “engagement” with the Board.

She will also inform deputies that she held a positive meeting with the organisers of the youth letter on annexation a few weeks ago.

Mrs van der Zyl will add that she is “determined” to improve relations with the younger members of community following the clash over the Board’s annexation stance.

Mr Shuker, 65, chairs the Board’s Communities and Education Division.

He has been deputy for Woodside Park United since 2003, he is a trustee of Mitzvah Day and Sephardi Voices, and is on the International Advisory Council of Limmud.

Currently, the Iraqi-born deputy is a Special Envoy to the President of the European Jewish Congress for Interfaith and refugees.