The Jewish community in London is facing a number of issues, from anti-Semitic crimes and violence to the high cost of living. To tackle these issues, a working group has been established to strengthen accountability and improve efforts to combat anti-Semitic crimes and violence against Jewish communities. The Charedi Orthodox community of Hackney leads a very observant religious life, with no access to television, radio, the main media and with little access to digital technology. To ensure public health messages reach this community, the council needed to consider how to get these messages out without using digital communications.
Organizations such as Teen Action, JPR, and the West London Synagogue are providing support to the Orthodox Jewish community in various ways. Teen Action is a predominantly women-led organization that helps young Orthodox Jewish women and school leavers find employment and develop skills during this transitional period in their lives. JPR exists to help leaders who work to support Jewish life do things right, while the West London Synagogue is committed to helping London's most vulnerable residents, regardless of their faith and origin. The Adam Scientific Leadership Program is specifically designed for emerging leaders and aims to propel talented individuals to lay and professional leadership positions within the Jewish community.
The Federation uses its resources to lead, serve and represent the Orthodox Jewish community, while also surveying the Jewish population in the United Kingdom to generate up-to-date information on how Jews live their Jewish lives. JPR also hosts and manages the European Archive of Jewish Research, a freely accessible online repository containing all the research work done on Jewish life in Europe since 1990. To further protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitic attacks, a funding increase of £1 million has been allocated along with a new specialized police task force. This task force will consider whether it is necessary to revise the police's operational guidelines in light of the concerns shared by the Jewish community.
Additionally, guidelines on specific anti-Semitic chants, banners and emblems will be established to ensure that the police and Crown Prosecutor's Office (CPS) use their powers to arrest and prosecute criminals who pose a threat to the Jewish community. Leadership development is also an essential part of building a thriving Jewish community. Organizations such as Teen Action are adapting their work to address the higher cost of living of the Orthodox Jewish community due to the disproportionate inflation of kosher ingredients, along with larger families usually consisting of 6-7 people. In conclusion, there are many initiatives being taken by organizations in London to support and strengthen the Jewish community.
From providing direct services to those who need them most, to generating data that Jewish communities need to plan their future, these organizations are working hard to ensure that London's Jewish population is safe and supported.
