I was dismayed when I read the Islamophobic comments made by Samuel Hayek and Gary Mond, the chair and treasurer of JNF UK. The Torah commands us to love the stranger – for we were strangers in the land of Egypt. Jewish history has also taught us what it means to be immigrants and refugees in search of a secure home. But fighting xenophobia is not only a matter of altruism and Jewish values. It’s also in our self-interest to build bridges with other minorities and work for a tolerant, anti-racist and multicultural society. The Jewish community should have no place for leaders who do not understand this simple truth.
Senior Masorti Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
Click here to read more about comments made by JNF UK representatives.
