Jews Do Count with Raymond Simonson and Dr Jonathan Boyd jprinstitute123

What does the future hold for Jews in the UK? In the seventh and final episode of the 'Jews Do Count' podcast, Raymond and Jon look back on their journey into Jewishness today and try to predict the future of the Jewish community in Britain, while producer Richard Miron brings the voices of community members. What would the community look like in terms of its size, shape and form? How will the tensions between the different denominations affect our religiosity, culture, education and representativeness? In the words of a famous Jewish poet named Robert Zimmerman (also known as Bob Dylan): Are the times a-changin'?

‘Kol Israel Arevim Zeh Bazeh’ – all members of the Jewish people are responsible for one another – says the Talmud. But do Jews in the UK feel that way today? In the sixth episode of the 'Jews Do Count' podcast, Raymond and Jon search for a Jewish Peoplehood: do we feel connected to other Jews in the UK and around the world? And if so, how exactly? They are joined by Clare Goldwater, Chief Strategy Officer at M Squared – The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, to discuss the multiple aspects of Jewish Peoplehood and what can be done to strengthen it. 

We're in the UK. It's 2024. Raymond and Jon really would prefer not to talk about antisemitism in the UK in 2024 in the fifth episode of the 'Jews Do Count' podcast. But they have to, as antisemitism is still the biggest concern among Jews in the UK and the entire world today. With the number of antisemitic incidents spiking following the 7 October attack on Israel and the following war in Gaza, the two hosts are joined by Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Education Trust, for a conversation about their own experiences with antisemitism and how it affects Jewish identity, and the ways Jews in the UK express it.  

What is it about Jews and Israel? In the fourth episode of the 'Jews Do Count' podcast, Raymond and Jon try to explain the ties that bind Jews in the UK and Israel by sharing some personal stories about their own connections, and producer Richard Miron is sent to ask community members what Israel means to them and how the 7 October attack on the country affected them. They are joined by Robin Moss, former Director of Strategy at UJIA and current Chief Executive of Unitas, Barnet Youth Zone, an educator and activist on Israel-related issues, to discuss why Israel now, more then ever, features in British Jewish life.

Can you have a strong Jewish identity without believing in God? In the third episode of the Jews Do Count podcast, Jon and Raymond discuss religiosity, and lack of it, with Joanne Greenaway, Chief Executive of the London School of Jewish Studies, looking at what the research shows about religious observance among British Jews, what the term means to different members of the community, and how it can affect one's Jewish identity.

Most Jews think that values and morals are an important part of their Jewishness, but what morals and values are they referring to exactly? In episode two of the Jews Do Count podcast, Jon and Raymond examine ‘Jewish values’ and discuss what it means to different people and sections of the community. They are joined by David Mason, a former United Synagogue Rabbi and the now Executive Director of HIAS+JCORE, the Jewish voice on refugees and racial justice. Are there any values we all share as Jews? And how do Jews in the UK compare to the rest of the population when it comes to donating money and time to social causes?