Women set to engage

The event - How to Make Friends and Influence People -was the second launched by Aitza, a new group designed to connect women in leadership roles working outside the community with others both inside and outside it.

Dr Ellie Cannon, the GP, writer and broadcaster; journalist Emma Barnett and Labour MP Luciana Berger were also on the panel.

Ms Berger told the 70-strong audience she was always an open and proud Jew: "I'm one of the few Jewish women MPs. I draw on my Jewish experience particularly learning about tikkun olam."

She admitted, however, that "by way of being open about it, it's fair to say I have had more than my fair share of misogyny and antisemitic abuse."

Ms Barnett told the audience she had always been more nervous about being Jewish in the workplace but her role as a radio host had forced her to "come out".

She said terrorist attacks against Jews around the world had pushed her to speak out about antisemitism.

"When the attacks in the Paris kosher supermarket happened, I was in the news room of the Telegraph… I went to the toilet and had a big cry.

Aitza was launched this year, after the Board of Deputies' Women and Jewish Leadership project found "there were a lot of women working outside the community who need better opportunities to engage with it."

Laura Marks, Women in Jewish Leadership chair, said: "The Jewish community is full of dynamic, intelligent and educated women. Aitza is providing a platform for them to get together."