Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said she is “shocked and very concerned” by claims that British Jews are being frozen out of arts and culture sector in this country.
Meeting with a delgation of representatives from the community – including actor Tracy-Ann Oberman, presenter Rachel Riley, BAFTA-nominated film-maker Benjamin Till, UK Jewish Film Festival CEO Michael Etherton and JW3 CEO Raymond Simonson – Nandy gave a commitment to take action.
Wednesday’s meeting, led by the Board of Deputies, and facilitated by the government’s adviser on antisemtism Lord Mann, saw the group share concerns about venues who refused to host Jewish performers, funding cuts for Jewish cultural programmes that have traditionally enjoyed support, and the growing feeling that Jews are being frozen out of the arts.
Following the talks, Nandy said:”I am grateful to the Jewish community leaders, cultural organisations, artists and Lord Mann for coming in to see me. I was shocked and very concerned by the scale and extent of their experiences.
“Antisemitism is as unacceptable in the arts as it is anywhere else in society. I gave my firm commitment that I will continue to work with the community so that we root out the unacceptable prejudice that they have faced.
“Art and culture are a powerful medium for bringing communities together. It is vital that we celebrate the enormous contribution made by our Jewish community, and that Jewish artists and institutions are free from abuse or discrimination as they carry out their work.”
Rachel Riley at the Holocaust Educational Trust Lord Merlyn-Rees event on 22 January 2019
Discussing discrimination in the sporting arena, the delegation proposed that the Football Regulation Bill should include a duty for the new regulator to have regard for discrimination in football.
Turning to the civil society component of Lisa Nandy’s brief, the group noted vexatious complaints against Jewish charities, which have been weaponised by some anti-Israel groups, and spoke about the need for additional safeguards against these malicious acts.
The group highlighted the need to celebrate, as well as defend, the UK Jewish community, and proposed a new British Jewish Culture Month to celebrate the contribution of Jews to UK society, economy and culture.
Board President Phil Rosenberg said of the meeting: “We wish to thank the Culture Secretary for taking the time to see us. Lisa Nandy has long been an ally of the community, and we could not hope for a better friend to stand up to the scourge of antisemitism in culture, media, and sport.
“Over the last 14 months, far too many people who consider themselves at the vanguard of inclusion, have demonstrated that they are actually incredibly bigoted. We are going to work with Government to bring an end to the situation where ‘Jews don’t count’ in the arts.
“At the same time, we as British Jews have so much to be proud of, and we will look to press forward on the creation of a British Jewish Culture Month to educate against hate and celebrate all that British Jews contribute to the UK”.
Also attending the talks were Board vice president Jeremy Michelson, and CEO Michael Wegier, Jewish Leadership Council CEO Claudia Mendoza, Community Security Trust CEO Mark Gardner, Maccabi GB CEO Ashley Lerner, Jewish Museum CEO Sally Angel, Manchester Jewish Museum CEO Gareth Redston, and Ben Uri Gallery Executive Chair David Glasser.
