Shake-up in women's role

Change is needed to shake up Jewish organisations which court their potential board members on the golf course, to allow women better access to lay leadership.

That was the audience consensus at open meetings organised by the Commission on Women in Jewish Leadership. Around 150 people attended the meetings in London and Manchester.

Mitzvah Day founder Laura Marks, who is heading the commission for the JLC, said that many people in the Manchester meeting had commented that in the regions, women were more likely to step up into senior leadership roles - to combat young people leaving for London.

But members of both audiences differed when it came to how to implement practical change.