The referendum on Scottish independence shined a light on failures in British Jewry’s communal structure, a leading figure in Glasgow has claimed.
Paul Morron, president of Glasgow Jewish Representative Council, said the likely debate over constitutional changes in Britain should be mirrored by a period of reflection from within the Jewish community.
He broadly welcomed the result of the referendum, in which 55 per cent of Scots voted against independence from the United Kingdom.
Mr Morron said: “The Jewish community will generally be relieved. We said before the vote that the majority of the community was going to vote for the status quo and not for independence.
“I hope there will be a little less anxiety today than there was yesterday in the community.
“We must be positive and look forward and be confident in ourselves.”
But he said the fall-out from the vote also had the potential to cause upheaval and warned that British Jews should “keep an eye on possible constitutional changes.
“If things change and there’s a more federal system it may have implications. We just need to pause and think about whether we need to refresh the arrangement.”
Much of the referendum debate centred on the strength of London and Westminster-based politics compared to the rest of the country.
Mr Morron warned that Anglo-Jewry was also too “London centric”. He said that the possible merger of the Board and Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council should not be the only focus of attention in terms of communal structure.
He said there was a need for Jewish communities outside London to be more widely involved in discussions that affect Jews across the country, with “more extensive use of their skills and expertise” required.
