Lord Mann and South Africa’s Chief Rabbi at ‘phenomenal’ online conference
Also appearing at Bereishit Conference was Danny Limor, the Mossad agent whose undercover operation helped bring thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel
Organisers of the 2020 Bereishit Conference at the end of December have labelled it a success after final viewing figures showed “phenomenal” interest in the online sessions.
Among the keynote speakers were South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, UK Government advisor Lord John Mann, and Danny Limor, the Mossad agent whose elaborate undercover operation helped bring thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
Participants, including many in care homes, were able to choose sessions of interest from four “tracks”, including Jewish horizons, text, Jewish practice, and relationships.
Aptly for the forthcoming national coronavirus lockdown, there was also an evening course for young families offering “tools for developing genuine happiness”.
Other sessions featured leading lawyer James Libson, refusenik Yosef Mendelewitz, Hatzalah’s Eli Beer, nurse and cancer survivor Libbie Goldstein, and the United Synagogue’s Rabbi Nicky Liss addressing shul changes in light of the pandemic.
There was also a special session to remember the life and contribution of former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who died late last year.
“Developing an online conference in the Covid era was not a simple task,” said Rabbi Daniel Fine, “but with the help of amazing partners we managed to create a programme that left people with concrete inspiration and positive tools to put into practice.
“To navigate people watching it live, some preferring catch-up, breakout rooms and the like was not easy, but the positive feedback was overwhelming.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.