The Board of Deputies has announced the launch of British Jewish Culture Month, a new nationwide celebration set to debut next year with the aim of showcasing the diversity, creativity and contribution of Jewish life in the UK.
First announced by President Phil Rosenberg at last year’s Limmud Festival, the initiative was confirmed at Sunday’s plenary to run from 16 May to 14 June 2026, during the Hebrew month of Sivan. It will become an annual celebration of Jewish culture, spanning comedy, food, music, literature and more.
“This will be a major change for the UK Jewish community – a strategic rebrand which proclaims: ‘less oy, more joy,’” Rosenberg said. “I have long felt that it cannot be right that the only commemoration of Jewish life is Holocaust Memorial Day and the only compulsory education about Jews is Holocaust education. Of course, both are crucially important. But we do not want the British public to know only of Jewish death and Jewish pain. We want them to know about Jewish life and Jewish joy.”
The initiative will spotlight prominent Jewish figures and institutions, encourage public bodies and schools to engage with Jewish heritage, and support synagogues and charities in welcoming local communities through open days and outreach.
It is designed to supplement solemn commemorative efforts such as Holocaust Memorial Day with a more uplifting focus on the vibrancy of Jewish culture, in response to what Rosenberg described as “record levels of antisemitism” and a widespread lack of understanding of modern Jewish life.
The project marks the 70th milestone in the Board’s strategic plan, A Brighter Future for the UK Jewish Community, launched last October. According to the Board, 90 percent of its 78 objectives are now underway.
Further details and resources will be published at http://www.jewishculturemonth.org.uk/.
