A Jewish Socialists' Group timeline

Highlights from our history

1974-1977 Founded in Manchester/Liverpool as lobby group campaigning around two issues: awakening the Left, anti-racists and the Jewish community to the growing threat posed by the National Front; and campaigning for Left parties and groups to relate more positively to Jewish issues including its analysis of the Israel/Palestine conflict where traditional anti-Zionism had often slipped into antisemitism and uncritical support for all Arab nationalism, which was alienating Jews from the Left

1977 London branch of JSG begins to meet .

1978 Campaigns in support of the Anti-Nazi League. Cambridge JSG formed. Growing confrontations with Jewish establishment over anti-fascist strategies and affiliations.

1979 London branch establishes regular fortnightly meetings. Continues to campaign for Jewish involvement in broad anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigns. Annual conference confirms that the JSG has moved beyond being a lobby group on a small number of issues to being a political organisation with policies on a wide range of issues, including the Left’s whole approach to cultural/national identity. Consciousness raising group formed in London.

1980 Street-level campaigning in local Jewish communities to mobilise responses to antisemitic attacks. Articles and meetings confronting antisemitism within the Left. JSG student groups/discussion groups established at Manchester and Bristol Universities. Stall at 'Beyond the Fragments' conference, an event aimed at rebuilding the Left with full participation of autonomous movements.

1981 Adopts new manifesto. Split after annual conference in Cambridge over issue of internal democracy, policies on Israel/Palestine and on confronting the Jewish establishment on fighting antisemitism. Student group established at Sussex University.

1982 JSG becomes a founding member of the International Jewish peace Union. Cooperates with left wing Israelis and unaffiliated Jews to set up the Campaign for Israel-Palestine peace (CIPP). Takes part in demonstrations against the War in Lebanon. Publishes 'Jewish Socialist Perspectives' — collection of Jewish Socialist articles. Distributes pamphlet by French neo-Bundist Richard Marienstrasse, produced by Medem Jewish Socialist Group in New York

1983 Helps CIPP organise first public meeting in Britain with members of Israeli peace movement and the PLO on the same platform, at County Hall, London. Provides stewards for this meeting and others in volatile atmosphere around Israel/Palestine meetings. Smear campaign against JSG led by Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen (AJEX). Annual conference clarifies position on Zionism and the diaspora

1984 Receives grant from GLC to launch Jewish Cultural and Anti-Racist Project. Holds conference on 'The Jewish anti-Racist Tradition', addressed by Cable Street veteran Charlie Goodman and other speakers. Launches Yiddish class in London. Publishes campaigning material on diasporism, Soviet Jewry, Israel/Palestine, fighting racism and fascism. AJEX step up smear campaign, joined by Board of Deputies and Jewish Chronicle. Group responses vigorously and publishes expose of their lies and misinformation called 'False witness'. Right wing Zionists attempt to physically break-up JSG/JCARP public meetings.

1985 makes touring exhibition 'the aliens Act Revisited'. Publishes 'Facing Up to Antisemitism: how Jews in Britain countered the threats of the 1930s'. Holds Conference on 'Countering Racism and Fascism'. Launches 'Jewish Socialist' magazine. Contact established with Union of Progressive Jews of Belgium. Editor of Jewish Quarterly magazine sacked after publishing article by JSG member criticising defence policies of the Board of Deputies.

1986 Publishes 'From Awareness to Action' — the papers from the JCARP conference. Commemorative meeting in Manchester to remember and celebrate the life of the late Joe Garman, founder member of JSG. Supports the launch of Jews Against Apartheid, chaired by JSG member Shalom Charikar. Jewish Socialist discussion group formed in Newcastle. Veteran Jewish trade unionist Mick Mindel speaks at JSG May Day event in east end. JSG contingent on 90th anniversary of Cable Street march and festival.

1987 Holds large meeting in London addressed by Meir Vanunu, brother of imprisoned nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu. Organises benefit at the Red Rose Club in support of Yesh Gvul (Israelis refusing army service in Lebanon and Occupied Palestinian Territories) and Palestinians women’s committees in the Occupied Territories together with Khamsin and Jewish Women support the Palestinians. JSG delegates attend and speak at Bund 90th anniversary seminar and celebration in New York. Holds 90th years Bund meeting in London and launches pamphlet ‘A Revolution in Jewish Life: the Jewish Workers’ Bund' written by Clive Gilbert with a foreword by Majer Bogdanski. New JSG manifesto produced.

1988 Holds two public meetings with Jewish and PLO Palestinian speakers in solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians fighting against Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land. Supports the launch of Friends of Yesh Gvul. JSG delegates active in the Joint Committee for Palestine. JSG conference discussion on homophobia leads to formation of Jews Against the Clause (later Section 28).

1989 JSG members in delegation of International Jewish Peace Union meets with Yasser Arafat in Paris. JSG lays wreath and addresses rally at anti-fascist Remembrance Day demonstration at the cenotaph organsied by Searchlight and other anti-fascist groups.. Publishes statement in support of Salman Rushdie, under threat from Islamic fundamentalists. JSG group formed in Nottingham.

1990 Furore over JSG members excluded from an Israeli film festival by Jewish community 'security'. Bumper 5th anniversary issue of 'Jewish Socialist' produced. Anniversary benefit for 'Jewish Socialist' magazine at Swiss Cottage Community Centre with Jewish and Irish bands, poets. JSG jointly organises picket of Enoch Powell at Yakar, North west London, together with Mapam. Local JSG group starts to meet in Hackney. 700 attend day of 'Jewish Culture and Resistance' organised by Hackney Jewish Socialists Group. JSG delegates attend Brussels conference of Jewish socialist organisations from Belgium, Britain, France and Holland. Large public meeting on rise of antisemitism in Britain and France

1991 JSG features in 'A sense of Belonging' a TV documentary about Anglo-Jewry. JSG public meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of the deaths of Bund leaders Erlich and Alter. Film benefit for Jewish Socialist magazine at Rio, Dalston, showing 'Forever Activists' about Spanish Civil War veterans and 'The Golem of Princelet Street.' Publishes 'Beyond the Slogans', a collection of articles from 'Jewish Socialist' on Zionism. Jewish/Palestinian Seder Night with guest PLO representative Afif Safieh and family

1992 JSG members receive threatening phone calls from fascists. JSG members active in protests against David irving. Local JSG starts meeting in Norwich. Magazine opens debate on circumcision. Supports demonstrations against Gulf War.

1993 Together with Bundist survivors, form the Szmul Zygielbojm Memorial Committee, to campaign for a permanent memorial in London. JSG active in ‘unity’ committee organising march on BNP headquarters. Publishes ‘You Are, Aren’t You' a collection of poems by Mike Rosen, jointly with Mushroom Books. Israeli and PLO speakers share platform at public meeting organised by Nottingham JSG. leaflet the Chief Rabbi’s 'Jewish unity' walk in Hyde park in support of Jewish gays and lesbians excluded from the walk

1994 Large JSG contingent on TUC march against racism in London’s East end. Sell-out Comedy night benefit for 'Jewish Socialist' magazine at the Cochrane Theatre, with Jo Brand, Jeremy Hardy, Linda Smith, Arnold Brown and Ivor Dembina. Dayschool on women, equality and community. JSG members active in newly formed Jewish Women’s Network.

1995 Dayschool on Refugees and immigration. Large JSG mobilisation for protest after Jewish cemetery desecrated in East London

1996 Unveiling of the memorial plaque for Szmul zygielbojm attended by 200 people.. Speeches at the commemorative meeting from the Polish ambassador, Bundist veterans, professor David Cesarani, and Zygielbojm’s family in America. Part of the organising committee for the 60th anniversary of Cable Street. JSG speaker at rally. Music and comedy benefit for 'Jewish Socialist' in Nottingham.

1997 JSG delegate at Bund’s 100th anniversary celebration in New York. Formed Bund Centenary committee which organises 'A day to relate, debate and celebrate 100 years of Jewish Socialism'. 350 attend this event in North London. Lottery funding received for Red Herring Club children’s workshops which are launched at the Bund event. JSG delegate attends Bund anniversary conference in Warsaw.

1998 memorial meeting for JSG anti-racist activist Reuben Goldberg who died in October 1997. Public meeting in support of Roma asylum seekers. JSG discussion group formed.

1999 Active in emergency Jewish campaign responding to crisis in Kosova. Publishes statement on Kosova within the Left and the Jewish community. Dayschool on 'Rights and Rituals'. Launch of Jewish Socialist Club. JSG active in mobilisations in support of refugees and asylum-seekers. Launches £4000 appeal for relaunch of Jewish Socialist.

2000 Supports mobilisations in support of refugees and asylum-seekers. Relaunch of 'Jewish Socialist' magazine. Launch of JSG website

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