The Russell-Cotes Museum has confirmed that the postponed exhibition on local Jewish life in Bournemouth will go ahead next October.
The announcement came as Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg visited the town in solidarity with the local Jewish community after a recent series of antisemitic incidents, and the original postponement of the exhibition, which had caused widespread distress across the local Jewish community and beyond.
During his visit, which also coincided with the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in the town, Phil met with local politicians from three different parties alongside local Jewish leaders from the Bournemouth Community and Hebrew Congregation (BCHC), Bournemouth Reform Synagogue (BRS) and the Bournemouth Chabad.
He addressed the local Jewish communities including those mentioned above and the Wessex Liberal Synagogue, visited the new BCHC synagogue premises due to open later this year, held meetings with police leaders and local interfaith activists.
Phil also joined Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Lisa Smart on a delegation to see local Chabad Rabbi Bentzion Alperowitz, who was the victim of an antisemitic incident over the summer.
In meetings with local politicians, Phil discussed an initiative to expand interfaith outreach, including to the town’s Muslim community, and plans for a new British Jewish Culture Month, planned for May-June 2026.
Phil was also a guest of the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel, who hosted a packed-out fringe event at the Party Conference with Israeli opposition parliamentarian Shelly Tal-Meron of the Lib Dems Israeli sister party Yesh Atid.
Commenting on his visit, Phil Rosenberg said:
“Like Jewish communities across the UK, Bournemouth’s local Jewish population has been through a tough time of late. But on my visit I was struck by the community’s resilience, its proud history, and its dynamic plans for the future. The new synagogue, in particular, is a very exciting and forward-looking initiative.
“The Russell-Cotes Museum has made the right decision in announcing that the exhibition on the Bournemouth Jewish community will go ahead next October. Cancelling Jewish culture out of fear of antisemitism is the wrong approach. Celebrating the contribution of our communities and reaching out to our friends and neighbours from different faiths and backgrounds is more important now than ever.
“I would like to extend a particular thank you to our local Deputy Marilyn Keen, BCHC Chair Bettina Gould, BCHC senior trustee BCHC Stephen White, BRS vice chair Deborah Tendler, and the whole Bournemouth Jewish community, who made me so welcome over my three-day visit. A further bonus was that the sun shone every day. I cannot wait until my next visit to this wonderful seaside town.”
Photo: At Bournemouth Community Hebrew Congregation. L-R: Deputy Marilyn Keen, BRS Deborah Tender, Jess Toale MP, Phil Rosenberg, Tom Hayes MP, Bettina Gould and Stephen White