JLC Chair Keith Black: We must all remember what a wonderful country we live in

JLC Keith Black delivering his speech at the Old Bailey event on 30 March 2023

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Your Excellencies, Chief Rabbi, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

it is my great pleasure to address you today as the Chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, the umbrella body of the Jewish community’s charitable network, as we celebrate the extraordinary Jewish contribution to the City of London.

I want to thank my friend, the Sheriff of London, Alistair King, for approaching me to collaborate on this event together. The Old Bailey is a truly remarkable building and we are honoured to be welcomed here this evening.

This great city of London stands for so much. It stands for liberty and democracy, for trade and commerce, for innovation and creativity, for human progress on so many levels.

And for a millennium, the Jewish community has been an integral part of that story.

Alistair, there is a wonderful symmetry to this evening’s celebration; Your office, rooted in the rule of law, goes back I understand to Anglo-Saxon times and I stand here today, representing an ancient people who live in this country which so protects and respects our way of life.

The security and blessing we feel to live in this country and play our role as proud British citizens is because we share so many common values and in particular because we share a common vision of human dignity and of human freedom. And we do not take that for granted. Our long history has taught us much, but above all it has taught us that that the work of building a society is never done and that each and every citizen has a responsibility to always play their role.

For all the negativity that surrounds so much public discourse we must remember what a great country we live in. A country admired the world over for its sense of fairness, for its acceptance of individualism, for its recognition of difference, for its tolerance and our community loves it especially for allowing us to flourish.

The thing I am proudest of is our Jewish community’s ability to integrate into society without assimilating. To be meaningfully engaged and concerned members of society without shunning our unique traditions but instead putting them to the service of the entire nation.

And one of the most remarkable aspects of the Jewish contribution to London has been its commitment to philanthropy and social justice. From the first Baron Nathaniel Mayer Rothschild to today’s remarkable philanthropists, our community continues to put back, to look after those less fortunate, Jew or non-Jew, with great pride.

Today, Jews continue to play a vital role in the City at all levels. In business, law, finance, and politics. As shop keepers, cabbies and academics and a myriad of other professions. The Great Synagogue, commemorated 10 minutes from where we stand, with a plaque stating ‘the great synagogue stood near this site until 1272’ no longer stands in Old Jewry but Britain’s oldest synagogue the beautiful Bevis Marks, now takes its pride of place in the City. I am delighted that Rabbi Shalom Morris, the Rabbi of Bevis Marks, is here with us this evening.

I want to thank this evening’s sponsor, Regal London and particularly its Chief Executive, Jonathan Seal.

Thank you all for being here with us. Let us celebrate the Jewish contribution to the City of London and let us redouble our efforts to build a city that is open, inclusive, and welcoming to all. Thank you.

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Keith Black at JLC Celebration for the Jewish Contribution to the City of London - 30 March 2023