Thread by @adamlangleben

Thread:
I've realised what really annoys the crank left. The crank left are not used to minorities speaking in such clarity and taking control over their own destinies. The crank left take a paternalistic or even imperialistic attitude towards minorities.
An I know best attitude.

Because the Jewish community is organised and has democratic structures that are as representative as possible this really annoys the crank left as these old white cranks can't tell the Jews what's good for them.

This confuses the crank left. So they find such ultra ultra marginal voices to fit their own narrative or create these voices through front orgsnisations themselves (JVL, FSOI, LAW). Despite the overwhelming evidence that the vast majority of British Jews disagree.

And that really annoys the crank left. So here is the evidence:

280k British Jews in Britain according to 2001 census. Approximately 0.3% of the British population.

53% are members of synagogues (excluding the fast growing Charedi population and the Sephardi community.) So taking them into account probably around 70% are affiliated with a community.

Every member of a synagogue affiliated to the Board had the right to vote for their deputies. Some synagogues have high turnout at AGMs. Some have low turnout.

We also know that many members of the community and especially younger members are not and do not join synagogues. I only joined mine because I had to get married. Most join later for burial rights in Jewish cemeteries.

The 68 Rabbis from all religious and political spectrums of the community who signed that letter to the Guardian about Labour would not have done so if they thought many of their congregants disagreed. After all. They are employed by their congregants.

Those Rabbis are also frequently in touch and contacted by people who are not members of synagogues but need help with Jewish life cycle events such as Brit Milah, Bar or Bat Mitzvah or funerals.

Many of my own friends are no longer members of synagogues. They have married non-Jewish people and no longer felt part of the community or the housing market has priced them out of living near a synagogue. Or they can't afford the fees. My such friends all share my view on this.

And a high number probably just don't care or this isn't directly relevant. But few seem to disagree.

If the 68 Rabbis expected blowback from their incredibly diverse communities. Even a little bit they would not have signed. Most have never signed such a political letter but they feel the strength of feeling.

Next. The @BoardofDeputies has 180 Synagogues and organisations as members. It holds plenary sessions and elects the leadership of British Jewry.
Sometimes it gets it right. Sometimes it gets it wrong.
But it is prob the most democratic forum of any minority community in the UK.

.@JewishLabour are a member of the Board of Deputies and have been for decades and decades.
Most synagogues are members of the Board of Deputies. Those that are not are not usually due to the cost of membership as opposed to any ideological opposition.

.@yachad are also members of the Board. Here is what they say.
theguardian.com/global/comment…

Every synagogue body in the UK (excluding the Charedi) have representation on the Board of Deputies. Whilst there are a number of Deputies who are critical of stuff that Board does. The issue with Labour does not seem to be a major criticism.

And the Charedi won't join any mainstream community structures as they do not recognise the more Liberal parts of the Jewish community. Makes it even more amazing that Charedi Rabbi Pinter signed that 68 Rabbi letter. He also said this: jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/top-rabbi-writ…

Next. The Jewish Leadership Council. The JLC has a membership body for the largest Jewish charities in the UK including social care bodies, educational bodies, Israel bodies and others. It's members through their client facing work touches over 200k Jewish service users in the UK

Probably touches many people who are not members of synagogues through it's cultural institution members like JW3 or the Jewish Museum.

The Board of Deputies is also a member of the JLC. The JLC would not be speaking up if its members said something drastically different.

So the crank left cannot stand for this. It always knows what's best for minority communities. Even if the minority community is telling them something different.
Its this same attitude that puts off other second and third generation migrants.
So crank left. You don't know best.