Annual General Meeting of the Merseyside Jewish Representative Council

The Next AGM will take place in April 2026

  

On Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, the Merseyside Jewish Representative Council held its AGM at the King David Campus. Copies of the reports were accepted and can be found here. 

 

The guest speaker at the event was Matthew Patrick, MP, who was elected in July 2024 in Wirral West. He is the only serving Jewish MP in the Liverpool City Region, grew up in Birkenhead, and had his Bar Mitzvah in Liverpool, before studying at Liverpool John Moores University. MJRC was delighted to welcome Matthew to their AGM. 

 

Matthew began addressing the meeting by remarking on the strengths within the Merseyside Jewish community and MJRC, cross-community collaborations, and shared values of bringing people together. As part of his address, he shared how the Labour Party had failed both Louise Ellman and Luciana Berger, expressing his sorrow that the Labour Party had failed the community and that he was standing here as the only Jewish MP in the area when he should have been one of three. Matthew went on to share how he had recently attended a CST event, noting that he could tell from 100 yards away it was a Jewish event because of the number of police around. He stated that while this has now become the norm, anti-Semitism must not be normalized. 

 

In reference to October 7th and its impact on our community, his thoughts are with the 59 people who are left in Gaza. He has visited Israel, Gaza, Kibbutz, and Nova to better understand how we arrived at this position, gaining historical context. During his time in government, Matthew has closely worked within government to support families with hostages linked to Britain, focusing on the need to secure their release and provide aid to those who need it most. He emphasized the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with the police to protect our communities and was heartened by the recent Home Office announcement about protecting synagogues and other places of worship, empowering police with new powers to safeguard worshippers from intimidating protests. 

 

At the end of his address, Matthew paid tribute to Frank Field, a great MP, stating that it was Frank who taught him that politics is about thinking big and practically. Questions were asked regarding what can be done to stop local government from addressing matters that typically do not fall under its remit, to which Matthew suggested that it is up to local people to hold their councillors accountable. The discussion then moved on to addressing issues in education related to antisemitism, with Matthew asserting that it is the role of educators to teach people to think critically and prevent others from being marginalized. Viv Churney, a local author and former teacher, thanked Matthew for his comments on education. 

 

Cllr Richard Clein remarked that as the only Jewish councillor in Liverpool, he feels compelled to stand up and be a voice for the community. At a recent motion before the council regarding Israel, it was Cllr Clein who highlighted that it was antisemitic. Among local councillors, MPs, and peers, there are representatives from the three major political parties, and they should unite to represent the community. 

 

Other issues discussed included the challenges of being the only Jewish person in a non-Jewish school. Malcolm Turner, a pupil over 50 years ago on the Wirral, found that while there were difficulties and comments, it stemmed mostly from ignorance. Matthew concurred that he had a similar experience, noting that open dialogue is key to correcting and challenging this ignorance.

 

There was a discussion he asked about bias in BBC reporting, and how this can be. Individually you have to take them to task, and to shine a light on issues when they occur.

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Getting involved with the work of the Merseyside Jewish Representative Council

The Merseyside Jewish Representative Council is growing our team, and we'd love for you to be a part of it. 

 

MJRC represents the Communities of Liverpool, Southport, Wirral and Chester and its neighbouring areas. We act as a facilitator, promoting co-operation and collaboration within the Jewish community, as well as between the community and the statutory authorities. We facilitate and promote  Jewish educational, cultural and religious activity. We represent the civic, cultural and faith life of the wider Merseyside Community. 

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As a member of our council you have a unique opportunity to get involved and make a real difference. By joining our team, you'll be able to:

• Connect with and support your fellow community members
• Contribute your skills and expertise to important initiatives
• Gain valuable experience in community organizing and leadership

We're looking for passionate, dedicated individuals who share our vision of a thriving, connected Jewish community in Merseyside. If that sounds like you, we encourage you to apply today. These roles are voluntary

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There are roles on the MJRC executive are as follows Chair, Vice Chairs (2), Civic Liaison Officer, Hon Treasurer, Hon Secretary, Assistant Hon Secretary . Click here to find out about the roles .

 

if you are interested then please email honsecmjrc@gmail.com for further details.