The Board of Deputies of British Jews exists to promote and defend the religious and civil liberties of British Jewry. As the community’s democratically elected cross-communal organisation, the Board connects with Government, media and wider society, providing a unique means through which all British Jews can be heard and represented. Its cross-communal remit allows it to be the first port of call for government and media when information is required on Jewish schools.
Contributions to RE
The Board works in three ways to support religious education, firstly by liaising with government departments and schools of a religious nature to ensure that legislation is met; secondly by ensuring that teaching materials for education about Judaism and Israel are interesting, accurate and appropriate; thirdly through the “Jewish Way of Life” exhibition.
The Board works closely with all Jewish schools, with Jewish communal organisations and with colleagues from other faith communities (such as the Church of England Board of Education and the Catholic Education Service) to ensure that the needs of schools of a religious character are met and maintained in legislation.
The Board of Deputies sits on several panels at the Department of Education (DfE) and meets regularly with Ministers and civil servants to discuss issues of importance to its schools. It respond to government consultations and acts as an information point for schools by organising meetings to explain new areas of legislation. The Board works closely with educational publishers and curriculum authorities to review materials before they go to print in order to check for errors or misrepresentations. The Board also supports many educational initiatives and programmes in the Jewish community.
The Jewish Living Experience exhibition has been coordinated by the BoD for over 30 years, and tours the UK, educating teachers and students about Judaism and building a greater understanding of Jewish life, often in places where there is little or no Jewish community or presence. To find out more about the exhibition, please email jewishliving@bod.org.uk. Other educational services offered include Jewish Living Tours, GCSE Judaism teacher training sessions and school visits.
Contact the Board of Deputies
_member_address: “1 Torriano Mews, London NW5 2RZ”
_member_website: “https://www.bod.org.uk/judaism-gcse-religious-studies-the-definitive-resource-order-your-copy-here/”
_member_phone: “020 7543 5400”
_member_email: “education@bod.org.uk,jewishliving@bod.org.uk”