StandWithUs UK appoints new chair
Incoming René Anisfeld 'believes hugely in the incredibly important work' of Israel educational charity
Educational charity StandWithUs UK has appointed René Anisfeld as its new chairperson.
A long-time board member and trustee of the organisation, she will replace Lana Saffrin Betesh, in post for almost three years and who remains on the Board.
StandWithUs Israel executive director Michael Dickson said: “We are very lucky in the calibre of lay leadership we have attracted and this transition is indicative of that. We have been blessed to have Lana at the helm of our Board, bringing creativity, leadership and passion to the role. During her tenure, our fundraising campaigns in recent years have grown to ensure our work can grow apace.
“Lana has ensured that we grew our support in the community, built vital coalitions with allies outside of the Jewish community and were positioned to give a huge amount of support to people – and especially young people – facing antisemitic attacks while providing innovative educational initiatives that impact a strong sense of identity with the State of Israel.
“Lana will now play a role in helping us grow international relationships, particularly in Europe. We are excited to welcome René to this new position. She has been a staunch champion of StandWithUs UK for many years, is highly respected and we are thrilled she is taking that commitment even further.”
René Anisfeld said: “I have big shoes to fill and am clear about my role in working to support our UK professional team, encouraging students and all those associated with StandWithUs and building the UK Board. I believe hugely in the incredibly important work of StandWithUs and have spent years building relationships with the fabulous StandWithUs team both in the UK and internationally.”
StandWithUs UK executive director Isaac Zarfati added: “At these challenging times, our dedicated staff are working around the clock and around the country. Our programming, including our Emerson Fellowship and our movement has grown hugely in recent years. We are so very appreciative to Lana Saffrin Betesh for her commitment over so many years and I am looking forward to working with the talented René, our trustees and Board to ensure we grow from strength to strength.”
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.
