Leading rabbis have condemned the government for its failure to reduce child poverty in the UK.

The letter to the Guardian was signed by 44 rabbis from four different denominations, including Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner of the Reform movement, Sandra Kviat, the outreach Rabbi for Liberal Judaism, Masorti Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg and Rabbi Natan Levy, who is Orthodox.

The rabbis said: "As religious leaders in the UK, we are deeply disturbed by the conclusions of the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission which has said that the government's goal to reduce absolute child poverty goal is simply unattainable."

"The gap between rich and poor is a shameful blot on our society," they said. "All of us, from the government down, must have a commitment to renew our vision of a socially responsible society and bring an end to economic injustice."

The rabbis called for a new UK-based "make child poverty history" campaign, echoing the global "make poverty history"
campaign which was the centrepiece of the G8 meeting of world leaders in Scotland in 2005.