THERE ARE NO THEMS, JUST US:

[I]n bestowing honours on Ephraim Mirvis, Marie van der Zyl, Jonathan Arkush, Mark Gardner and Rachel Riley, we are saying not only that these Britons have made exemplary contributions but that we as a nation wish to be known by their example.  

This is understandable. Mirvis, who received a knighthood, is the Chief Rabbi, the spiritual figurehead of Orthodox Judaism in Britain and the Commonwealth. Throughout a life of service he has taught but also lived the Torah, with an emphasis on achrayut, a Hebrew term for the responsibility one bears to others. As Chief Rabbi, Mirvis has conscientiously pursued interfaith relations with Christians and Muslims and has spoken against China's treatment of the Uyghurs.  

Van der Zyl, awarded an OBE, is president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Along with her predecessor Jonathan Arkush, who also becomes an OBE, she led the Board through one of the most testing periods for modern British Jewry: the Labour anti-Semitism scandal. Gardner becomes an MBE for his work as chief executive of the Community Security Trust (CST), a group that supplies Jewish schools and synagogues with safety equipment including CCTV cameras, security doors and anti-ramming bollards. TV host Riley, also given an MBE, has been recognised for her efforts on behalf of Holocaust education.  

They are not the only British Jews to be acknowledged on the New Year Honours list but they have in common a commitment to confronting anti-Semitism and a record of making people in power take notice of the problem. In recognising their efforts, the honours committee is expressing admiration for their public service and an affinity with the cause of fighting anti-Semitism. This is all well and good but it's not enough. It's not enough to give recognition or solidarity to Jews then go back to letting them tackle anti-Semitism on their own. Anti-Semitism and its suppression is not a 'them' thing but an 'us' thing. 

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