Jonathan Arkush is a barrister and mediator specialising in property, commercial and probate law. He has part-time judicial posts as a Deemster (judge) of the High Court of the Isle of Man and deputy Chancery Master in the High Court of England and Wales.
His communal involvements have included the campaign for Soviet Jewry, chairmanship of his community in Borehamwood & Elstree, chair of the steering group to establish and subsequently chair of governors of Hertsmere Jewish Primary School and vice-chair of the steering group to establish Yavneh College, the Jewish secondary school in Borehamwood.
He was elected Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies in May 2009 and chaired the Board’s Defence Division for two 3-year terms until 2015. His responsibilities included defending the community against anti-Semitism, discrimination and any threat to Jewish faith and practice in the United Kingdom, and to forging deeper understanding between British Jews and other faiths.
He was elected as President of the Board on 17 May 2015 in a contest in which all three of the Board’s Vice Presidents stood for the office. After completing his term of office he stepped down in May 2018.
He continues to be active in the protection and defence of the Jewish traditions of shechita (religious slaughter) and brit milah (circumcision) both internationally and domestically. He is Chair of the World Jewish Congress Task Force for Religious Freedom and Co-chair of Milah UK.
Since 2019 he has been the President of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture.
In December 2022 he was awarded the honour of Order of the British Empire (OBE) and in July 2023 he received the insignia in person from King Charles III at Windsor Castle.
He is married with 3 children, 2 of whom live in Israel, and 8 grandchildren.
