Board of Deputies welcomes rule change on weddings and reopening of religious buildings but urges caution

Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl has welcomed permission for weddings and reopening of religious buildings, but urged a cautious approach to prevent a second spike in cases.

She said: “The Board of Deputies welcomes the Government’s decision to allow religious services and weddings of up to 30 people from 4 July.

“Over the last couple of months, the Board of Deputies has worked with different religious denominations to ensure the right balance between preservation of life and maintenance and restarting of religious customs.

“Weddings were a particular concern in the Orthodox and Strictly Orthodox communities and we held discussions with Downing Street and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government – including organising a roundtable for Charedi stakeholders – to make sure these perspectives were understood.

“However, on the day that we reveal that the total number of deaths in the Jewish community has reached 500, we would urge people to proceed with caution and stick within the Government’s guidelines to ensure there is no second spike in cases.”