Who speaks for the Jewish youth?
"Two Jews, three opinions" – it's an old joke and one we often laugh about, but in many ways it's true. Jews in the UK are not, and never have been, monolithic. We are divided on Israel, on the role of communal bodies, and by cultural and religious backgrounds. We’re a small community, but have always proudly and loudly taken part in UK politics and society.
Though in the centuries of our presence here, the last five years must have shone as sharp a spotlight on our position in the UK as any other period. The 2019 general election was an awful time to be Jewish. Every single mainstream party at one point during the campaign had a problem with antisemitism. Indeed, we've reached a point where it's difficult to stay involved in political debate without Jewish identity becoming a focal point of discussion.
I don't think the Jewish establishment in the UK is doing enough to represent young people. As a 21-year-old, I feel alienated because the views of our representative bodies are out of kilter with my own and those of many of my peers. I worry about this because the importance of representation is crucial, particularly today, when our position in society feels so precarious. Yet organisations like the Board of Deputies, Zionist Federation and Jewish Leadership Council are not sufficiently diverse and, on some topics, are so politicised that they only represent one wing of our people. I want to see leaders represent more nuanced and granular views. Antisemitism may have been the recent focus, but there are more issues and they're far-reaching: Israel, synagogue membership, and formal/informal religious education are just some that spring to mind.
I cannot predict whether Keir Starmer, the new head of Labour, will make the party's institutional antisemitism better or worse, just as it is also too early to know whether Boris Johnson and his Tory MPs will cosy up to other populist governments elsewhere around the world. What I can say for certain is that the rise in antisemitism in the UK has divided our community as much as it has united us. My generation of Jewish leaders will simply ignore our communal bodies if they do not do a better job at representing us in the places that matter – whether that is the House of Commons, Buckingham Palace or the Knesset. We need clearer engagement on the issues that matter.
As a starting point, more young people must step into authoritative roles and lead the conversation. Organisations such as Yachad, New Israel Fund and World Jewish Relief are already doing that, encouraging young voices to speak out about their ideas and how they can be implemented. But truthfully, that won’t be enough. Our communal bodies must be more accountable and democratic if they are to continue representing us. They need a complete overhaul. We need young people from the community as trustees of charities and in positions of influence – speaking truth to power.
By Noah Libson
This essay was shortlisted for the JR Young Journalist Prize 2020. Follow Noah on Twitter: @NoahsLibson.
Read the other prize entries on the JR blog.