The Anglo-Jewish Association

Supporting education and understanding

The AJA has a proud 150 year history of supporting British Jews.

Established to defend the interests of British Jews, its aim are to ensure the safety of the British Jewish community and work towards ensuring a vibrant, thriving Jewish community in the UK over the next 150 years.

Our History

The Anglo-Jewish Association (AJA) was established in 1871 by leading members of the Anglo Jewish Community to represent views on matters relevant to Jews and to facilitate education through operating a network of Jewish schools across the British Empire.

The AJA continues to be active in defending the interests of Jews through its ongoing roles as a founding member of two major international organisations.

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (the Claims Conference), which represents Holocaust survivors in negotiations for compensation and the restitution of appropriated assets; and The MFJC, the sole international body dedicated to advancing Jewish cultural activities.

Together with the Alliance Israélite Universelle, the AJA is a constituent organisation of the Consultative Council of Jewish Organisations and is represented at a number of non-governmental organisations, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the United Nations Association.

The AJA is a Privileged Body of the Crown enabling it to present petitions and messages of congratulation to the Royal Family.

Our Partners

René Cassin

Human rights organisation René Cassin provides unique and enriching leadership-oriented initiatives that help build the skills to promote social justice and human rights. They work to make the case for human rights as a legacy of the Holocaust and campaign for change in the UK in defined human rights areas.

They stand for the rights of everyone, everywhere and work collaboratively to nurture and mobilise relationships.

They are inspired by Jewish values and experience and turn today’s Jewish human rights activists into tomorrow’s leaders.

National Holocaust Centre and Museum

The National Holocaust Centre and Museum in Nottinghamshire has various exhibitions and provides training for schools, councils, unions and police to act on anti-Jewish racism. It provides live stream Zoom sessions with Holocaust survivors, a mixed reality virtual exhibition, a Holocaust exhibition and video learning for primary and secondary schools. It also has The Forever Project to keep survivors’ stories alive.

Already a sponsor of the National Holocaust Museum, the AJA are committed to enabling it to accelerate the roll-out of its Racism Response Unit, further to the atrocities of 7 October.

In light of growing anti-semitism since the Israel-Gaza war, which has led to hate crime, abuse and intimidation in the UK, further support of the project will educate staff and students on University campuses.

This new reactive education service can also have a big impact on helping organisations and institutions to recognise and act on anti-Jewish racism, given that anti-semitism is not widely understood; even less that it is racism.

The service explains racist terminology; decodes images and social media memes; busts myths and provides mechanisms for education, deterrence and the improved reporting of hate crimes. It has been successfully trialled for one year at the University of Nottingham