A new research fellow is joining the Institute for Jewish Policy Research to head its investigation into Jewish child poverty in the UK.

Jonathan Boyd, a former director of research and development at the UJIA and for the past two years director of operations for the Joint’s International Centre for Community Development, will take up his position this month.

Harold Paisner, JPR’s new chairman, said: “I don’t think the community appreciates that we know of 3,500 Jewish children living in poverty in the UK. Given the current climate, it will probably increase.”

He said the research aims to “identify gaps in the provision of services to these children and their families and devise ways of improving them”.