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Chief's promise
PRESENTATIONS: Outgoing Representative Council president Dr Kenneth Colllins presents the Dr David Collins Youth Awards to Mark Kingsley, left, and Gregory Manson
PHILIP Mendelsohn has been elected the new president of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council.
He promised after his appointment at last Monday's annual meeting: "We will listen to you".
Mr Mendelsohn said: "The Jewish community has changed greatly over the past 25 years. In particular the age profile has altered and there is a gap in the balance of the community.
"Organisations have changed but there have been new bodies set up in the past few years which shows the vibrancy of the community.
"In particular, Jewish Care and Cosgrove Care offer wonderful facilities and show great professionalism. At the Representative Council, everything should be done in a much more professional way.
"In this modern world people's time is much more precious and we need to see that they can give of it as effectively as possible."
Dr Kenneth Collins' outgoing speech concentrated on the recent controversy over the Glasgow Jewish Educational Forum website blog.
He said: "I feel uncomfortable about it and the comments on it don't reflect well on the people who compose them.
"We have taken the view, even though we have been attacked unfairly at times, that there's no point in taking part in discussions on such sites.
"Looking in parallel at what was in the Scotsman blog following the controversy over the Shylock posters when A Merchant in Venice was performed in Edinburgh last year, the blog descended, unchecked into antisemitic attacks."
Merav Faber receives her Yoni Jesner Award from the late Yoni's mother, Marsha Gladstone at the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council annual meeting
Former president Dianna Wolfson said: "I feel that perhaps its effect is counter to community cohesion. There has been a demonisation of people and organisations in the community and I don't think that's healthy, particularly when the people involved are anonymous."
The proposal to restructure the Representative Council and switch to a Management Board was adopted unanimously.
Treasurer Paul Edlin gave a report on community and restitution issues, in his capacity as a vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
He said that having visited many other communities he could say the Glasgow Jewish community was an extremely successful one which, despite its falling numbers, continued to punch above its weight.
He praised Mrs Wolfson for her interfaith work, Kenny Davidson for his support and the Scottish Friends of Israel and the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities.
Speaking about the Board's Jewish Way of Life Exhibition, Paul Edlin explained: "It goes around the country largely where there's a lack of education and teaches young people what Judaism is all about.
"We are trying to expand it, in tandem with SCoJeC to get a mobile exhibition and I would like it increased to show something about the Jews of Scotland."
Speaking about his three years in office, Dr Collins said: "It has been very important to take a stand on incidents of antisemitism and to speak out when criticism of Israel was biased and unfair."
He added: "One of the best things was the way in which Holocaust Memorial Day was commemorated in Fife thanks to the initiative of the school pupils who had visited Auschwitz.
"The Representative Council has been delighted to support the young people involved who are going down to London to receive Anne Frank Trust Awards."
This year's Dr David Collins Youth Awards, in memory of Kenneth Collins' father, were presented to Mark Kingsley and Gregory Manson.
There are only two youths going to Israel next year, Joshua Leviten and Merav Faber. They were presented with Yoni Jesner Awards by the late Yoni's mother, Marsha Gladstone.
Elected to the new Management Board: President, Philip Mendelsohn; vice president, Edward Isaacs; treasurer, Graham Sneader; immediate past president, Dr Kenneth Collins.
Appointed Members: Paul Edlin, Sharon Schlesinger, Karen Levy, Miriam Jackson, Sandra Silverdale and Paula Cowan.
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