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The People Shaping the UK Community – Jewish Chronicle

In January, we asked readers to help us identify the 100 people who exercise the greatest influence on British Jewry today. Entries could be made on the grounds of religious or communal impact, cultural and social leadership, financial support or fundraising contributions, or in shaping perceptions of the community in the wider world. Where applicable, non-Jews could be nominated.

An expert panel of communal figures then spent weeks discussing your suggestions and making a few nominations of their own. They faced the tough task of assessing who should come where in the final list of 100 names.

The panel reflects a wide range of views within the community. But chairman Ben Rich explains: “We intentionally avoided seeking to pretend the panel can represent every interest group. Instead, there is a strong bias towards those whose job it is to understand how influence works and real power is exercised.”

Thus as well as Mr Rich, a senior public-affairs professional, the panel comprises Orthodox and Liberal rabbis, a PR consultant with many communal clients, an experienced fundraiser, a long-time ‘professional volunteer’, the Daily Mail’s City editor and two savvy political operators.

The Power 100 is the product of hours of passionate debate. The final list was compiled after a long lunch at the JC offices at which last-ditch pleas were made for some of those ‘bubbling under’ and even for certain names not previously on the list. Equally, there was heated opposition over the place within the 100 of some candidates, whether too high, too low, or “should not even be there”.

Today, we start the countdown to Britain’s most influential Jew by listing the last 30 names on the Power 100. The list continues next week, with the top places revealed in our issue of April 27. Then we will welcome your views on the list.

#78: Samuel Green

The 24-year-old South Londoner makes the list partly for his role as mazkir (national director) of the Federation of Zionist Youth, Britain’s largest Zionist youth organisation, which has a current membership of 1,700. And under his alter ego of Antithesis, he pursues a musical career as a rapper and a DJ. He released his first album in 2003, and in 2005 launched Kol Cambridge – the UK’s only radio show dedicated to Jewish and Israeli music. Kol Cambridge is now broadcast on London’s Shalom FM.

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