Keshet UK held their third Chanukah reception in Parliament yesterday to celebrate the many achievements it has made over the past year.
The LGBT Group, which gets its name from the Hebrew word for ‘rainbow’, works to raise awareness of issues relating to equality and diversity within the Jewish and wider community. In the last year Keshet UK have become a registered charity; secured funding for a presence on JHUB, an organisation that campaigns for positive social change in the British Jewish Community; as well as increasing its membership and wider support base.
Benjamin Ellis, Dave Shaw and Alma Reisel, the Directors of the charity, welcomed Baroness Featherstone, a former Liberal Democrat MP and Equalities Minister, and Mike Freer MP, to speak at the event.
Following the event, Mr Freer said: “Keshet UK have been at the forefront of ensuring LGBT Jews are not made to feel their religious and LGBT identities are incompatible.
“When Labour ran a homophobic campaign to turn the Orthodox Community against me, it didn’t work. Instead, the Orthodox Community rejected Labour’s tactics.
“Attitudes have definitely changed and there is still progress to be made, but I would like to offer a message of hope that change has taken place and Keshet UK have played a leading role.”