Following internal elections at the Board of Deputies, the organisation has achieved a gender-balanced Executive Committee for the first time in the organisation’s 264-year history. Further to the recent elections. the Board’s Executive now contains five men and five women, with a number of others attending meetings in observer roles.
In addition to the five Honorary Officers, (President Phil Rosenberg, Senior Vice President Adrian Cohen, Vice President Andrew Gilbert, Vice President Jeremy Michelson and Treasurer Ben Crowne), the following five Executive Committee members have been elected in recent weeks:
– Sheila Gewolb, as Chair of the Regional Council. The Deputy for Cardiff United Synagogue, Sheila has previously served as the senior vice president of the Board.
– Harriett Goldenberg, as Vice Chair of the International Division. Harriett, a psychotherapist, represents the Liberal Jewish Synagogue on the Board of Deputies.
– Claire Morland, as Vice Chair of the Finance, Fundraising and Organisation Division. The new Deputy for Golders Green United Synagogue has headed up executive remuneration for a number of leading UK and multinational businesses.
– Judith Prinsley, as Vice Chair of the Security, Resilience and Cohesion Division. Judith is the Deputy for Muswell Hill United Synagogue and a leading member of Haringey’s Multi-Faith Forum.
– Naomi Ter-Berg, as Vice Chair of the Communities and Education Division. Naomi is an education specialist who represents the West London Synagogue on the Board of Deputies.
This talented team reflects the diversity of our community, with representatives from across the country and religious denominations. These results also represent an early success in fulfilling the ambition set out in the Board’s Gender Equality Plan, released last month, which called for work to encourage gender-balance in the organisation and specifically in the Executive Committee.
The Gender Equality Plan was produced in consultation with women Deputies after May’s elections for the Board of Deputies Honorary Officers produced an all-male team for the first time in 15 years. New Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg pledged to to ensure strong female leadership across the organisation.
The Board’s actions have included the production of the Gender Equality Plan in consultation with women deputies within 100 days, the appointment of Dame Louise Ellman and Karen Newman as independent chairs of the organisation’s Board Plenary Meetings, changes to the culture of the organisation, and encouraging talented women to step forward for the Board of Deputies divisional and executive elections to ensure balanced and diverse representation.
Commenting on the results, President Phil Rosenberg said:
“I congratulate all those elected to the Executive. It is a really strong group to lead us through the next three years. I am particularly delighted that, for the first-time in our history, we have an equal number of women and men on the Executive. The achievement of a gender-balanced Executive is an important step on the road to equality. However, there is much more to do; I look forward to working with our Deputies to continue to make the community more inclusive in the years ahead.”
Notes
The Gender Equality Plan, released last month, can be read here: https://bod.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BOD-Gender-Equality-Plan-2024-27.pdf
The Executive Committee of the Board of Deputies is made up of the President and other Honorary Officers (three Vice Presidents and the Treasurer), the Vice Chairs of the Board’s four divisions (International, Security, Resilience and Cohesion, Communities and Education and Finance, Fundraising and Organisations), and the Chair of the Regional Council.
The Board of Deputies’ constitution can be read here. The section outlining the role and make-up Executive can be read on pages 10-11: https://bod.org.uk/board-of-deputies-constitution/