Not only for ourselves – a history of JCore

JVL Introduction

We repost below extracts from Joseph Finlay’s recently published history of JCore (the Jewish Council for Racial Equality).

Organisational histories can be worthy but dull. This one isn’t.

It’s a short, fascinating account of the development and activities of one of the most important organisations the progressive Jewish world in the UK has produced in the last half century.

Finlay locates JCore’s work skilfully in a broader social context, giving full acknowledgement to the efforts of the handful of individuals who made it possible, most particularly Edie Friedman, who inspired it and led it until recently, and without whom it simply would not have happened..

Highly readable and strongly recommended, the book is available to buy here.

This article was originally published by Torat Albion on Fri 17 Jul 2026. Read the original here.