Over 1,000 gather in London to call for the release of the hostages six months after the Oct 7 massacre. 

Moving testimony from Ayala Harel, niece of hostage Michel Nisenbaum, addressing the Board of Deputies plenary six months since the horrific October 7 pogrom that upended her and her family's life.

The Board of Deputies was privileged to organise a mission to show the solidarity of the British Jewish community with the people of Israel. We were honoured to meet and hear the testimonies of some of those most impacted by Hamas’ October 7th pogrom. 

President Marie van der Zyl issued this message following the attacks.

• The Board of Deputies has produced guidance for Jewish teachers and parents of Jewish children in non-Jewish schools. Vice-President Edwin Shuker also wrote to headteachers and governors of non-Jewish schools, in particular those with significant numbers of Jewish pupils.

• There is also guidance for how to navigate workplace issues for Jewish employees.

• Together with the Community Security Trust, JAMI, Jewish Leadership Council and PaJeS, we have published tips for psychological wellbeing at the current time.

• Together with communal partners, the Board of Deputies organised vigils in London outside Downing Street and in central Manchester in the week following the 7th October terror attack, which were attended by thousands of Jewish community members and allies.
• We have held a series of online Community Briefing events starting on Sunday 15th October, hosted jointly with the Community Security Trust, Jewish Leadership Council, BICOM, UJIA and UJS. The briefings include a high-level update on the situation in Israel, in addition to information about the collective work of our communal organisations. You can watch the latest briefing here on YouTube (under the Live tab).
• On Sunday 22nd October, the Board of Deputies, Jewish Leadership Council and UJIA, organised a rally in Trafalgar Square calling for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas. Thousands attended in the largest gathering of UK Jews in recent years. Read more about it here and watch Marie van der Zyl's speech below.
• The Board of Deputies hosted a briefing for parents of Jewish students at university, with CST, UJS and University Jewish Chaplaincy. The online event featured Higher Education Minister Robert Halfon MP, Lord John Mann and Vivienne Stern MBE, Universities UK Chief Executive. Watch a recording here.

• The Board of Deputies has been in touch with political and religious leaders, receiving several letters of support, including from the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. 

• President of the Board of Deputies wrote to the Director General of the BBC expressing dismay at the broadcaster’s refusal to define Hamas as ‘terrorists’, despite being a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK Government. Additionally, Marie wrote to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport calling for an urgent review of BBC editorial guidelines. Following this correspondence, the Board of Deputies met with the Director General, where it was confirmed that it is no longer BBC practice to call Hamas 'militants'. We also instructed our solicitors, Mishcon de Raya, to make a formal complaint to Ofcom regarding the BBC’s refusal to refer to Hamas as terrorists.

• Marie van der Zyl wrote to the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, thanking him for calling out the BBC on its refusal to refer to Hamas as terrorists, and asking him to help facilitate flights for stranded British citizens who wish to return home. This was subsequently accomplished. Marie has also written to him reiterating the need to proscribe the IRGC, which has directly funded, trained and armed Hamas.

• The Board of Deputies has been liaising closely with MPs from across the political spectrum with regard to the situation in Israel.

• The House of Commons held a minute’s silence on Monday 16th October for the victims of Hamas’s atrocities, following a recommendation from the Board of Deputies.

• Chief Executive Michael Wegier spoke to LBC about the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel. Michael, who was in Israel at the time of the attack, also wrote an oped in the Jewish News about his experiences. 

• President Marie van der Zyl wrote a piece for the Jewish Weekly and appeared on BBC Question Time on Thursday 2nd November.

The Board of Deputies has been in constant contact with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). They have emphasised that it is vitally important that UK nationals in Israel register with them here. The booking portal for government-assisted departures is now closed. International commercial flights are still departing from Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv and Ramon airport in Eilat, but are limited and may be cancelled at short notice.

To call for consular assistance, please use the following numbers: 

• +44 176 766 7600 (UK number) 

• +972 (0)3 725 1222 

• +972 (2) 5414100 

The Board of Deputies, together with communal partners UJIA, CST, Jami, PaJeS, Resource, as well as the Jewish Agency and Embassy of Israel, arranged an online meeting with information for Israelis on support that the community is able to provide. Watch the event below (in Hebrew):

• Donate: The Board of Deputies is encouraging those wishing to donate to give money to Magen Dovid Adom UK and UJIA. You can also support the emergency appeals of WIZO and Emunah. There is no need for donated goods to be donated from abroad currently – the pressing need is for financial support. 

• Volunteer: Israeli Ministry of Health is building a list of medical personnel from abroad to volunteer in Israel should the need arise. Information about that is here. Contact the Jewish Volunteering Network (JVN) to volunteer in the UK. 

• Support: You can sign We Believe In Israel’s statement of solidarity with Israel here.  

We recommend against sharing rumours on social media, and only sharing facts from reputable sources.

You can follow BICOM, UJIA and We Believe In Israel for updates on the news. 

• Jewish Leadership Council Israel Information Portal 

• UJIA’s Israel at War Educational Resources 

• JAMI – Mental Health Support for our Community 

• PaJeS Resources for Schools and Parents  

• Union of Jewish Students Support Page for Jewish Students

• University Jewish Chaplaincy Updates

• Partnership for Jewish Schools (PaJeS) Response to War in Israel