Jenny Rachel Manson (''

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

'' Salaman; born November 1948) is a

British Jewish British Jews (often referred to collectively as British Jewry or Anglo-Jewry) are British citizens who are Jewish. The number of people who identified as Jews in the United Kingdom rose by just under 4% between 2001 and 2021. History The firs ...

activist, author, former civil servant, former Labour Party

councillor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or re ...

for Colindale on

Barnet London Borough Council Barnet London Borough Council, also known as Barnet Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Barnet in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labour majority cont ...

, and co-chair of

Jewish Voice for Labour Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) is a British organisation formed in 2017 for Jewish members of the Labour Party. Its aims include a commitment "to strengthen the party in its opposition to all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism ... to uph ...

Early life

Manson was born in

Harpenden Harpenden () is a town and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England. The population of the built-up area was 30,674 in the 2021 census, while the population of the civil parish was 31,128. Harpe ...

, Hertfordshire where, according to Manson, her family was the only

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family "and the only family that voted Labour". Her parents were Labour Party supporters and

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is an organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nucl ...

(CND) activists. Her father, Raphael Arthur Salaman (1906–1993) was an engineer and lexicographer of craftsmen's hand-tools who got news from

Amnesty Amnesty () is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet be ...

and CND delivered, and would read parts of the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

to Manson. Her mother, Miriam Polianowsky (1914–2013), escaped a

pogrom A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of Massacre, massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe late 19th- and early 20th-century Anti-Jewis ...

in 1917 and left

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

for

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

where she lived in

Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...

for 10 years before coming to England at the age of 15 and lived in

Hampstead Garden Suburb Hampstead Garden Suburb is a suburb of London, north of Hampstead, west of Highgate and east of Golders Green. It is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations. It is an example of early twentieth-century ...

. In 1969, at the age of 20, Manson graduated with a degree in history from the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

where she studied at

Somerville College Somerville College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. It began admitting men in 1994. The college's liberal tone derives from its f ...

Background

Manson's family celebrated

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt. According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...

and observed

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( ; , ) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and ...

, and her father's family were members of

Bevis Marks Synagogue Bevis Marks Synagogue, officially Qahal Kadosh Sha'ar ha-Shamayim (), is an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, Jewish congregation and synagogue, located off Bevis Marks, Aldgate, in the City of London, England, in the United Kingdom. The congr ...

. Her paternal grandmother Nina Ruth Davis (1877–1925) was a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

Hebraist A Hebraist is a specialist in Jewish, Hebrew and Hebraic studies. Specifically, British and German scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries who were involved in the study of Hebrew language and literature were commonly known by this designation, a ...

and poet. Her paternal grandmother's parents were Arthur Davis and Louisa Jonas. Arthur Davis' family were precision instrument makers who had lived in England since the early 19th century. Manson's paternal grandfather was botanist and potato breeder Dr

Redcliffe Nathan Salaman Redcliffe Nathan Salaman (12 September 1874 – 12 June 1955) was a British physician, biologist who pioneered the breeding of blight-free potatoes, Jewish nationalist, race scientist and key figure in the Anglo-Jewish community in the 20th cen ...

FRS (1874–1955) who wrote ''The History and Social Influence of the Potato''. Redcliffe's parents, Sarah Solomon (1844–1931) and Myer Salaman (1836–1896), were merchants who traded in ostrich feathers during the height of the

plume trade Plume hunting is the hunting of wild birds to harvest their feathers, especially the more decorative plume (feather), plumes which were sold for use as ornamentation, particularly in Hatmaking, hat-making (millinery). The movement against the p ...

. The Salaman family are

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium CE. They traditionally speak Yiddish, a language ...

, who according to Manson's paternal grandfather, migrated to Britain from

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

or the

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

in the early 18th century. Manson's maternal aunt is writer Esther Salaman (née Polianowski) and her paternal aunt is singer Esther Salaman.

Career

At the age of 21, Manson joined the

Inland Revenue The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation ta ...

where she worked as a tax inspector, retiring from

HM Revenue and Customs His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (commonly HM Revenue and Customs, or HMRC, and formerly Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) is a department of the UK government responsible for the collection of taxes, the payment of some forms of stat ...

(HMRC) in November 2011. She then worked in her husband's publishing company for two years, before retiring completely in 2014. Manson is now a trustee of two local charities and chairs Barnet Carers Centre. She was a governor of the Garden Suburb School and chair in North London of the

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919; its goal is to improve the lives of children worldwide. The organization raises money to imp ...

charity. After leaving university, she wrote a book of essays about consciousness, '' What It Feels Like to Be Me'', which was published in 2010. This led to Manson being invited by the

Association of Jewish Refugees The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) is the specialist nationwide social and welfare services charity representing and supporting Jewish victims of Nazi oppression, and their dependants and descendants, living in Great Britain. Historical ov ...

to talk to

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

survivors Survivor(s) may refer to: * one who survives Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Survivors, characters in the 1997 KKnD series#Armies, ''KKnD'' video-game series * ''The Survivors'', or the ''New Survivors Foundation'', a fictional ...

. She edited the 2012 book ''Public Service on the Brink'' about the dangers of managerialism from her period of being employed by HMRC.

Labour Party

At the age of 16, Manson joined the Young Socialists and has been a member of the Labour Party since 1969. In the May 1986 Barnet London Borough Council election, she was elected as a councillor for the Colindale ward, serving until

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

. In June 1987, she unsuccessfully stood as a parliamentary candidate in Hendon North at the

UK general election United Kingdom general elections (elections for the House of Commons) have occurred in the United Kingdom since the first in 1802. The members of the 1801–1802 Parliament had been elected to the former Parliament of Great Britain and Parliame ...

. She was inspired to become politically active again after

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...

was elected leader of the Labour Party in 2015. Manson is a General Committee member of

Finchley and Golders Green Finchley and Golders Green is a constituency created in 1997. It is represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Sarah Sackman of the Labour Party. Boundaries The constituency covers Finchley, Golders Green, Childs Hill, Te ...

Constituency Labour Party A constituency Labour Party (CLP) is an organisation of members of the British Labour Party who live in a particular parliamentary constituency. In England and Wales, CLP boundaries coincide with those for UK parliamentary constituencies. In Sc ...

. In July 2017, Manson was elected chair of

. She has said JVL was founded to advocate for Palestinian rights and "to tackle allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party." She has stated that the organisation's mission is to "contribute to making the Labour party an open, democratic and inclusive party, encouraging all ethnic groups and cultures to join and participate freely. In August 2017, Manson said that Jewish Voice for Labour would "provide a much-needed forum for Jews who want to celebrate and debate the long and proud history of Jewish involvement in socialist and trade-union activism." She added that they "invite everyone of Jewish heritage in the Labour Party to join us in continuing these great traditions." In September, she clarified that the organisation is "not

anti-Zionist Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionism. Although anti-Zionism is a heterogeneous phenomenon, all its proponents agree that the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, and the movement to create a sovereign Jewish state in the Palestine (region) ...

" but stated that it was "an alternative voice for Jewish members of Labour" who do not support the

Jewish Labour Movement The Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), known as Poale Zion (Great Britain) from 1903 to 2004, is one of the oldest socialist societies affiliated to the UK Labour Party. It is a member of the progressive coalition of Avodah/ Meretz/ Arzenu/ Amein ...

's "profoundly

Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...

orientation". In October of that year, she added that the organisation was set up because "Jewish members of the Labour Party have been unrepresented in recent years" so it could "become the voice of Jewish Labour Party members and we will be able to say what we think about issues like

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognise ...

and Israel-Palestine."

Views

Manson identifies as

anti-racist Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice, systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured around conscious efforts and delibera ...

Israel and Palestine

In June 2018, she told ''

The Jewish Chronicle ''The Jewish Chronicle'' (''The JC'') is a London-based Jewish weekly newspaper. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world. Its editor () is Daniel Schwammenthal. The newspaper is published every Fri ...

'' "my views on Israel and

have moved quite a lot in the last 20 or 30 years, like many people I suppose." In 1966, she visited Israel during her gap year where she stayed with her cousins on a

kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...

. She said about the visit, "I was shocked then by the way

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

were talked about in Israel. I was most happy on the kibbutz because they had dialogue with

Palestinians Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenou ...

. I remember them coming in for secret conversations in the night" and that she felt "desperately frightened" for Israel during the

Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...

. She said, "I don't think as a family we discussed or questioned Zionism. It had sort of just happened." In 2001, she joined

Jews for Justice for Palestinians Jews for Justice for Palestinians (JJP) is a Jewish activist group based in Britain that describes itself as advocating for human and civil rights, and economic and political freedom, for the Palestinian people. It opposes the current policy o ...

, and in 2016, she visited Israel with Yachad and "met with groups like

Breaking the Silence Breaking the Silence may refer to: Films * ''Breaking the Silence'' (1992 film) a made-for-TV film directed by Robert Iscove * ''Breaking the Silence'' (film), a 2000 Chinese film * '' Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror'' ...

and got a worrying impression from them that they were fearing for their security from other Jews for speaking up against the current situation." In April 2018, ''The Jewish Chronicle'' quoted Manson as saying she "began to identify as a Jew in order to argue against the state of Israel and its conduct..." She later stated, "I was saying that in the context of Jewish political activity I only identified with Jewish organisations as my concerns about Israel's activities grew intense..."

IHRA working definition of antisemitism

In July 2018, Manson was criticised for comparing the

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), until January 2013 known as the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research or ITF, is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1998 wh ...

(IHRA)

working definition of antisemitism The IHRA definition of antisemitism is the "non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism" that was adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in 2016. It is also known as the IHRA working definition of antisem ...

with

Section 28 Section 28 refers to a part of the Local Government Act 1988, which stated that Local government in the United Kingdom, local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with t ...

. She subsequently apologised for her "clumsy" analogy, which she claimed had been "misunderstood" by clarifying that she was "making a speech on the impact IHRA has in shutting down discussion" and "making the point that section 28 was a policy which acted as a deterrent, without there ever being a case where it was enacted." In August 2019, she was a signatory of an open letter to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' stating that

Tower Hamlets London Borough Council Tower Hamlets London Borough Council, also known as Tower Hamlets Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under ...

's refusal to host an annual charity bike ride event in aid of Palestinian children in Gaza has vindicated concerns raised about the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and that it "demonstrates that freedom of expression on Palestine in this country is now being suppressed".

Allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party

In March 2018, Manson said on

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's ''

Daily Politics ''Daily Politics'' is a BBC Television programme which aired between 6 January 2003 and 24 July 2018, presented by Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn. ''Daily Politics'' took an in-depth review of the daily events in both Westminster and other areas a ...

'' that

had taken "enormously strong action" to deal with

antisemitism in the Labour Party Allegations and incidents of antisemitism within the British Labour Party have involved members and affiliates of the party. These incidents have spanned various periods and have involved stereotypes, conspiracy theories, and offensive langua ...

. In April, Manson said on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

's ''

Today programme ''Today'', colloquially known as ''the Today programme'', is BBC Radio 4's long-running morning news and current-affairs radio programme. Broadcast on Monday to Saturday from 06:00 to 09:00 (starting on Saturday at 07:00), it is produced by BB ...

'', referring to a survey conducted by

Campaign Against Antisemitism Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) is a British non-governmental organisation established in August 2014 by members of the Anglo-Jewish community. It conducts litigation, runs awareness-raising campaigns, organises rallies and petitions, provi ...

: "Evidence including very recent evidence commissioned by a Jewish body suggests the very worst antisemitism is still on the

right Rights are law, legal, social, or ethics, ethical principles of freedom or Entitlement (fair division), entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal sy ...

, on the

far right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and Nativism (politics), nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on ...

and always has been." In November 2019, Manson dismissed Chief Rabbi

Ephraim Mirvis Sir Ephraim Yitzchak Mirvis (born 7 September 1956) is a British Orthodox rabbi who serves as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. He served as the Chief Rabbi of Ireland between 1985 and 1992. Early life ...

' comments that the Labour Party was "incompatible" with British values. She told

ITV News ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British news television channel of ITV (TV network), ITV. ITV has a long tradition of television news. ITN, Independent Television News (ITN) was founded to provide news bulletins for the netwo ...

that she had "never been happier than now" to be a Jew in the Labour Party, defended Corbyn and said that the Mirvis did not represent all Jewish people. The following month, in a letter to

Director-General of the BBC The director-general of the British Broadcasting Corporation is chief executive and (from 1994) editor-in-chief of the BBC. The post-holder was formerly appointed by the Board of Governors of the BBC (for the period 1927 to 2007) and then the ...

Tony Hall and the BBC's news and current affairs director Francesca Unsworth, Manson along with JVL co-chair Leah Levane wrote: "In the closing stages of an acrimonious election campaign, the BBC's coverage of anti-semitism charges against the Labour Party has been both unbalanced and uncritical." In January 2020, Manson, along with JVL co-chair Leah Levane, expressed concerns over the impact of the

Board of Deputies of British Jews The Board of Deputies of British Jews, commonly referred to as the Board of Deputies, is the largest and second oldest Jewish communal organisation in the United Kingdom, after the Initiation Society which was founded in 1745. Established in 17 ...

(BOD)'s 10-point pledge "to tackle the anti-semitism crisis" suggesting they would silence hundreds of their members and those who hold views that differ from the BoD. In May 2020, she said regarding

's submission to the

Equality and Human Rights Commission The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is a non-departmental public body in Great Britain, established by the Equality Act 2006 with effect from 1 October 2007. The Commission has responsibility for the promotion and enforcement of e ...

(EHRC) in response to its investigation into institutional antisemitism in the Labour Party: "We find overwhelmingly that LM's submissionfails to establish its case that Labour 'is no longer a safe space for Jewish people or for those who stand up against anti-semitism'."

Personal life

Manson is a secular Jew. She cites her family connection to

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

as influencing her views on Israel and the

Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...

. In 1969, after graduating from university, Manson moved to London and married Michael Manson, a medical and veterinary book publisher. They have lived in the same house in

since 1973 and have two daughters, Jessica and Lydia, who both attended the Garden Suburb School.

Books

References

External links

Jewish Voice for Labour website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manson, Jenny 1948 births Living people Date of birth missing (living people) British Ashkenazi Jews English people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent English people of Dutch-Jewish descent English people of German-Jewish descent English women non-fiction writers Jewish English writers Jewish non-fiction writers 21st-century English women writers 21st-century British non-fiction writers Labour Party (UK) councillors Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Councillors in the London Borough of Barnet Women councillors in England Jewish British politicians English socialists Jewish socialists Jewish British anti-Zionists British anti-Zionists Jewish British activists for Palestinian solidarity British activists for Palestinian solidarity English civil servants 21st-century British women civil servants British charity and campaign group workers School governors Writers from the London Borough of Barnet People from Harpenden People from Golders Green Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford Jenny Manson