Marie Sarah van der Zyl OBE (née Kaye; born November 1965) is the 48th president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. When she was elected in May 2018,[1] she was only the second female president in the 258-year history of the organisation.[2] She was re-elected in May 2021.[3]

Early life and career

She was born in the London Borough of Redbridge, the daughter of Barry Kaye, who was in tailoring, and his wife Szusanne, a beautician, and grew up in South Woodford, London, where she attended the local comprehensive school.[2] She took a law degree at Liverpool Polytechnic (now Liverpool John Moores University).[4]

Specialising in employment law,[5] she was a partner at Ince in London.[4] In June 2023, she joined Keystone Law in London as an employment partner.

Board of Deputies of British Jews

Van der Zyl was initially a Deputy for the Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade.[6] She took office as President on 1 June 2018, succeeding Jonathan Arkush, who did not seek re-election.[1][7] She is the second ever woman and fourth lawyer in a row to hold the role.[8]

Her visits to her grandparents gave her, she says, "a great passion for Israel"[2] and she believes that the Board exists "to promote a sympathetic understanding of Israel."[5] She has pledged to "defend Israel’s legitimacy and its centrality to Jewish identity".[9] She is a self-described "fighter" and takes as a compliment the comparison that "the only difference between me and a Rottweiler is that a Rottweiler eventually lets go".[10]

In 2018, The Jerusalem Post ranked her as the 40th most influential Jew of that year.[11]

Van der Zyl was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to faith and integration.[12]

Other roles

Van der Zyl is an associate member of Mill Hill United Synagogue and has been a member of the management board of West London Synagogue.[9] She is a trustee of the Jewish Leadership Council.[13]

Personal life

Marie van der Zyl lives in Mill Hill, London.[6] She has two daughters with her first husband, Darell van der Zyl,[2] son of voice actress Nikki van der Zyl, whose father was Rabbi Werner van der Zyl. In September 2022 she married Adrian Cohen, a banking and finance lawyer, at West London Synagogue.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b "Marie Van der Zyl elected as the new Board of Deputies president". The Jewish Chronicle. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Rocker, Simon (18 May 2018). "The making of Marie". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  3. ^ Harpin, Lee (11 May 2021). "Marie van der Zyl re-elected Board of Deputies president". Jewish News. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Marie van der Zyl: Partner". Ince. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b Dell, Josh (6 December 2018). "How to represent the British Jewish community?". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Marie van der Zyl Unanimously Voted as JLGB's Deputy". Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  7. ^ Sugarman, Daniel (13 March 2018). "Sheila Gewolb and Marie Van der Zyl running for Board of Deputies president". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  8. ^ Cooper, Zaki (19 May 2018). "Election marks sea change for British Jewry". The Times. Retrieved 6 June 2018. (subscription required)
  9. ^ a b "Marie van der Zyl announces Board of Deputies presidency bid". Jewish News. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  10. ^ Van der Zyl, Marie (18 November 2018). "Engagement does not mean concessions". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  11. ^ Chernick, Ilanit; Dell, Josh (9 September 2018). "40. Mare van der Zyl". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  12. ^ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N16.
  13. ^ "Trustees". Jewish Leadership Council. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  14. ^ Glaser, Karen (8 September 2022). "Mazeltov! Board President has big Jewish wedding of the year". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 10 September 2022.

External links

Board of Deputies of British Jews
World Jewish Congress
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