On Sunday, July 7, the Board of Deputies of British Jews hosted its first-ever Under 35 Assembly Seminar, where 30 new deputies under 35 convened to discuss, learn, and strategize about the current and future state of UK Jewry. The event was organized entirely by former Lauder Fellow ('22-'23) and Jewish Diplomatic Corps Academy Member Noah Katz, currently Chair of the U35 Assembly.
At the event sponsored by WJC NextGen, keynote speakers, and experts addressed the room full of young Jewish professionals. The topics ranged from Jewish advocacy and tough conversation to how to have them and diplomatic training.
WJC NextGen's Deputy Director Yoni Hammerman gave opening remarks on how exciting it is to have NextGen supporting the first Under 35 Assembly Seminar with the Board of Deputies. International Relations Officer & NextGen Diplomacy Manager of the WJC, Eli Zaidman, held a skills training session on Diplomacy in Real Life, while the European Union of Jewish Students' President Emma Hallali (LF '22-'23) and President of the Union of Jewish Students, Sami Berkoff, organized an empowering discussion on Jewish Advocacy and Global Youth Activism: Navigating Diverse Spaces post-7th October.
Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, who served as a Member of the Knesset on behalf of the Zionist Union/Labor Party from 2015 to 2019, now works for the Jewish Agency for Israel and gave remarks at the Jewish Unity Salon. The Salon was a productive brainstorming session on how best to equip and advocate for the present and future Jewish youth. Additionally, Dr. Melanie Garson, Cyber and Tech Geopolitics Lead and Internet Policy Lead at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, spoke on how to navigate challenging topics of conversation.
The President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews was in attendance and gave closing remarks.
The event was a great success and Kol HaKavod to Noah Katz on their accomplishment of this event.