Roadmap for racial inclusivity

THE BOARD of Deputies’ Commission on Racial Inclusivity will present its findings by January 2021, according to a new roadmap outlining the commission’s scope and timetable. The commission, chaired by New

political editor Stephen Bush, was established following the killing of George Floyd in America and global protests highlighting racism and discrimination. The Board said the commission, which has spent the past month gathering evidence from the Jewish community, was designed to “promote racial inclusivity in the British Jewish community, with a particular focus on anti-black prejudice”.

It will examine issues relating to representation of black Jews, Jews of colour and Mizrachi Jews in Jewish professional, lay and rabbinical leadership positions, as well as their visibility in Jewish media and the extent to which Jewish communal organisations represent their concerns.

The Board will hold “specific oral evidence” sessions with black Jews, Jews of colour and Mizrachi Jews and invite written evidence from Jews with black partners and those working in Jewish spaces. Testimony from children will also be actively encouraged, with safeguarding protocols.