The Board of Deputies will raise the issue of gender imbalance on communal panels during its next constitutional review, Jonathan Arkush has said.
Speaking on Sunday at its monthly meeting, the Board’s president said that, “as one of the first public supporters of the campaign to have more balanced panels at communal meetings”, he was committed to seeing more female representatives in top positions.
He said: “Compared to other communal organisations - I could single out the JLC, but I won’t - the Board is particularly gender-balanced. Women were deputies before they even had the right to vote in the UK.”
Mr Arkush acknowledged the furore that occurred last week when, despite UJS president Hannah Brady being the only woman in a delegation of 12 communal leaders who went to meet Prime Minister David Cameron, she was unknown to a number of her colleagues.
Four communal leaders approached JC reporter Rosa Doherty before the meeting took place to ask if she was Ms Brady.
On Sunday, Mr Arkush introduced Ms Brady to the room of deputies by saying: “For all those who do not know, this is Hannah Brady, not a Jewish Chronicle reporter.
“I was delighted to know who you were at the meeting with Mr Cameron, unlike some unnamed communal leaders, as you and I have worked together before, and I made several introductions between you and others on the day.”
Mr Arkush took the opportunity to brief deputies on the events of the meeting with Mr Cameron. He said that the prime minister had reaffirmed his commitment to the State of Israel and has expressed his interest in taking part in events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.
He added that, although the meeting had been organised by the Jewish Leadership Council, it “didn’t feel like anything else but a communal meeting with the government”, and said that the Prime Minister understood “extremely clearly” that the delegation was made up of a number of representative bodies.
Also during the meeting Mr Arkush took the time to pay tribute to Lord Janner, a former Board president, who died last month. He said: “When any past president dies, it is an occasion for us to reflect and consider all aspects of their life in retrospect, and Greville Janner was no exception.
“He was the first president I knew when I joined the Board, and he made deputies feel like we were close to events in Westminster and that we were important.
“He was instrumental in doing so much for our community and was really quite exceptional. I therefore thought it was absolutely appropriate that I should attend his funeral and that I should express condolences to his family on behalf of the Board.”
In reference to allegations of historic sex abuse made against the peer, he said: “I can say nothing about them as they have not been subject to judicial investigation. But if they turned out to be true, I would feel deep sadness.”
Other issues raised during Sunday’s meeting were the British media’s coverage of Israel - something Mr Arkush said he would be raising in an upcoming meeting with Culture Secretary John Whittingdale; plans for Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27; and changes to the funding of the Board’s annual dinner.
Mr Arkush said that, although there would no longer be a fee for attendance to the dinner, which will be held in April with David Miliband, former Foreign Secretary and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) as guest of honour, there would be a suggested minimum donation on the evening of £250.
Proceedings closed with a standing ovation for Mithal al-Alusi, an Iraqi MP and leader of the country's democratic Ummah party, who had come to meet deputies and lead a workshop following the general meeting.
Mr al-Alusi was praised by the Board’s senior vice-president Richard Verber who described how, more than 10 years ago, Mr al-Alusi’s sons were killed by terrorists in reaction to his public endorsement of Israel.
