United Synagogue: new leader, new agenda
MICHAEL GOLDSTEIN has taken office as the United Synagogue’s new president on the back of a convincing victory at Monday’s council election.
The JW3 chairman, who is the brother of Jonathan Goldstein, chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, defeated Russell Kett, US vice-president for the past six years, by 117 votes to 71.
Having not previously stood as a US officer, Mr Goldstein attributed his win to his decision to run as a “change candidate”, being seen as “a fresh pair of eyes”.
Mr Kett believed the choice had been between someone who would be “fresh to the leadership” and someone who “knows the ropes and will provide continuity”.
Under new rules, Mr Goldstein, 54, serves a term of four rather than three years. He succeeds Stephen Pack, who steps down after a maximum two terms in office.
Paying tribute to his opponent as “a tremendous servant to Anglo-Jewry”, Mr Goldstein said that when he first revealed his intention to go for the presidency earlier in the year, Mr Kett “encouraged me to stand”.
Mr Kett said the new president “has the confidence of the council behind him and he has wonderful plans I’m sure he will take great care to implement.”
Chief executive of a private property company, Mr Goldstein is a former Ilford Jewish Primary School pupil with a long record of community service. He became a UJIA trustee in his late 20s and his previous roles include chairing Mill Hill Synagogue and serving as vice-chairman of King Solomon High in Redbridge, a US school.
“Whenever I would tell my father I was getting involved in something in the community, my dad would always say: ‘Why don’t you get involved in the United Synagogue’,” he recalled.
His priorities include reducing payover — the levy paid by local communities to head office — and exploring the possibility of merging smaller synagogues administratively with larger ones to reduce expenditure.
He also wants to see more consistency in the way batmitzvahs are celebrated and women’s education initiatives run across the United Synagogue.
“There is lots of work that needs to be done,” he said. “The hustings and the whole election process has flushed out all sorts of issues. The JPR report [on synagogue membership] is difficult reading.”
In a good night for communal democracy, all the posts on the US executive were contested.
Maxwell Nisner, chairman of the US audit committee, beat Stephen Lubinsky in the treasurer’s election.
Three of the US’s first four female trustees were returned — Leonie Lewis, Claire Lemer and Doreen Samuels. But Jacqui Zinkin lost her seat to newcomer Fleurise Lewis, a board member of Finchley Synagogue.
At 35, Stanmore Synagogue’s Saul Taylor — who polled the largest number of votes for the male trustee posts — is thought to be the youngest to hold that office. Barry Shaw and Andrew Eder took the other two posts, seeing off challenges from three other contenders.