The Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) is an independent research organisation, consultancy and think tank supporting Jewish communities in the UK and across Europe. It has stood at the forefront of Jewish community research for several decades and provides services and data-driven policy advice to those best placed to positively influence Jewish life.
JPR's mission is to provide independent research that informs policy decisions for both Jewish community leaders and government policymakers. It collects and analyses data on various aspects of Jewish life, such as demography, education, culture, identity and welfare, and then disseminates its findings through its website, publications and media outlets, as well as offering research services and policy advice to organisations that request them. JPR works with all segments of the Jewish community, from the most Orthodox to the most secular, to help them understand and address their needs and challenges. JPR aims to support Jewish organisations in achieving their objectives, using evidence-based research to guide them, and strives to foster diversity and inclusion within the Jewish community by recognising and respecting different forms of Jewish expression and practice.
JPR achieved several milestones in 2022. We expanded our research panel, which enables us to conduct surveys of the UK Jewish population with high quality and reliability. We examined the effects of the pandemic on the community and provided useful data on Jews in Ukraine and Russia to assist rescue and relief efforts and to estimate the level of need. We responded quickly to the first release of the 2021 Census religion data in England and Wales, and are working diligently to ensure that we can extract the most value from these data for the community. We enhanced our reputation in Europe, producing new data and analysis about the identities of European Jews, completing a complex sociodemographic research project about the Jews of Belgium, and strengthening our relationship with the European Commission by conducting a research study linked directly to its ten-year strategy to combat antisemitism and support Jewish life on the continent. We also made significant progress on our communications work, integrating a new Director of Communications, building and launching a new and improved website, and starting to establish new systems of communication via social media and e-newsletters to help share our research findings and insights more widely and effectively. We brought a new researcher onto the team to help manage our panel work and we established a new intern programme to help cultivate young researchers for the Jewish community while also adding to our capacity and outputs.
We also continued to serve Jewish communal organisations by conducting research for various clients, and presenting our results to Jewish leaders from different organisations across the UK such as the Jewish Leadership Council, Jewish Care and the Office of the Chief Rabbi, and from major international bodies including the Jewish Agency for Israel, JCC Global, and the Jewish People Policy Institute in Jerusalem. Throughout the year, we presented our work directly to an estimated 1,250 community leaders and policymakers, at over 30 events in ten cities around the world.
We have a number of new publications in the pipeline for publication in 2023, the work for which began in 2022. These include studies of how the 2021 War in Gaza impacted Jews in the UK; patterns of migration among European Jews; a new international study of intermarriage; and a major project for the European Commission mapping the research field of antisemitism and contemporary Jewish life across Europe to support its new ten-year strategy to combat antisemitism and foster Jewish life on the continent.
JPR faced many obstacles in 2022, as we began to return to normal working life after the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most notably, we had to function without a fundraiser for much of the year, which affected our ability to seek out and secure new sources of funding. However, we are very grateful to our loyal donors and foundations who continued to support the Institute, sometimes with increased contributions. Pears Foundation has been a steadfast partner of JPR for many years, and continued to provide unrestricted funding in 2022 to strengthen the Institute’s capacity and enhance our communications work. Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe similarly continued to provide considerable support in various areas, and helped us to expand and enhance our programme thanks particularly to a major new four-year grant. We also very much appreciated the continued support we received in 2022 from the Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation, as well as from the David and Ruth Lewis Family Charitable Trust, the Haskel Family Foundation, the Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust, the Kirsh Foundation Trust and many others. Our gratitude also goes to the Morris Leigh Foundation, which has been a loyal supporter of JPR for many years and remains a vital source of support, and indeed to all of our supporters whose ongoing donations are crucial for our sustained success.
2023 promises to be a busy and productive year for JPR. In addition to the projects mentioned above, we will continue to develop our UK Jewish research panel (a unique initiative in the Jewish diaspora), and commence work on a major new survey on Jewish people’s views and experiences of antisemitism, and an innovative study of the haredi community. We will also continue to analyse the 2021 Census data, expand our European Jewish demography programme beginning new country reports on Spain and the Netherlands, and further enrich our archive of research on contemporary European Jewish life. The most exciting news is that in mid-2023, working in partnership with Ipsos, we secured a major new contract from the European Commission for its study of attitudes towards Jews in all 27 EU Member States. This is the largest and most high-profile project JPR has won and will be a major focus of the Institute’s work for eighteen months from September 2023.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to two groups of people who have been instrumental in our work. First, to our wonderful trustees, who share our vision and give us the encouragement and resources to explore new possibilities and topics. A heartfelt thank you in particular to Professor Sergio DellaPergola, who stepped down from the board in 2022 - his expertise and passion will be greatly missed around the Board table, but I am very happy that he remains the Chair of our European Jewish Demography Unit, and an active contributor to our research work. In the coming year, JPR aims to recruit several new trustees to the Board, both to help enhance its diversity and knowledge, and to prepare for the departure of three current trustees who are due to stand down in 2024 when they will have reached the end of their third terms in office.
Secondly, I wish to convey my deep gratitude to the wonderful team at JPR for its dedication and excellence, led by our Executive Director, Dr Jonathan Boyd. Our research team in 2022 included our Senior Research Fellows, Dr Daniel Staetsky, Dr Carli Lessof and Dr David Graham, and our Research Fellows, Brigitta Horup, who left us in September, and Isabel Sawkins, who joined in May. Dr Keith Kahn-Harris continued to manage and direct our European Jewish Research Archive, and will be working more closely with us in the coming years, particularly to support our new project with the European Commission. Much gratitude too to our operations team of Richard Goldstein and Omri Gal, as well as to three members of staff who worked for us in 2022, but have now left JPR: Judith Russell, Carol Glenn and Rebecca Frankel. I particularly want to thank Judith, who served in various capacities at JPR with passion and diligence for over 25 years – the institute, and indeed the communities we support, all owe her a great deal of gratitude, and we wish her continued health, happiness and fulfilment in her retirement.
Finally, in early 2023, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Brian Smouha, who served as JPR's Treasurer and Vice-President for many years. Brian was a loyal and dedicated supporter of JPR and his invaluable contribution to the Institute's work will be greatly missed.
The trustees present their annual report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2022. The Institute for Jewish Policy Research is a charitable company limited by guarantee under registration number 894309 and is registered by the Charity Commission under registration number 252626. Please refer to pages 1 and 2 for further legal and professional information.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019).
The objectives of the charity as set out in the company’s Articles of Association are to promote, assist in, organise, and carry out the study of, and research into, and the increase of knowledge concerning the social, religious, cultural, economic and communal life and the welfare and status of Jews and Jewish communities throughout the world and of international and national questions, trends, views and conditions in regard to their effects on the life, welfare and status of the Jewish people and the relations between Jews and non-Jews.
In essence, JPR is a charity that provides independent research to help Jewish community leaders and policymakers make informed and evidence-based decisions. The Institute works with Jewish organisations of all backgrounds and orientations, from the most Orthodox to the most secular, to help them understand their populations and meet their needs. JPR uses data and analysis to help Jewish charities and foundations plan effectively for the future, sharing research insights and offering research services and policy advice to support their goals. In this way, JPR seeks to support diverse expressions of Jewishness and to reach out to all Jews regardless of their beliefs or practices.
JPR conducts research on various topics related to Jewish life. It examines demographic trends such as population size, mortality and fertility rates, age structure and migration patterns. It also explores specific issues such as health and wellbeing, socioeconomics, education, Jewish identity and practice, philanthropy, campus life, antisemitism and attitudes to Israel, providing insights into some of the most urgent challenges facing Jews today. We share our data widely with community leaders and policymakers to support their understanding of contemporary Jewish issues, and to guide their thinking about how to maintain and enhance Jewish life. Our data support charities, foundations and organisations working with Jews and on issues of concern to them, helping schools, elderly care homes, social welfare charities, Jewish community representative organisations, governmental bodies and NGOs to better understand Jewish communities and plan for their future.
JPR disseminates its research findings in various venues, such as symposia and seminars tailored to specific groups, strategic planning days with key communal leaders, training days for staff teams of specific organisations, academic conferences and public events. JPR communicates its work on its website and through online and print media, aiming to make it available at all times to target audiences and beyond.
PUBLIC BENEFIT
The Institute for Jewish Policy Research is an independent research institute that conducts and disseminates research on contemporary Jewish communities. JPR’s research is policy-oriented; it collects and analyses data and makes research available to policymakers, service providers and the general public through online and print publishing, presentations and events.
The Directors, having carefully considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit, have concluded that:
JPR’s aims and activities give clearly identifiable benefits to the public and continue to be charitable. The work particularly benefits the Jewish voluntary sector in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. Through its pioneering social research, JPR also makes contributions to the wider voluntary sector, by sharing its knowledge and scholarship, thereby benefiting wider society. The benefits are not unreasonably restricted in any way.
JPR'S WORK IN 2022
JPR had a successful year in 2022, undertaking research for organisations ranging from the European Commission to the Manchester Jewish Representative Council, and sharing and discussing our findings with Jewish leaders from a range of organisations in the UK including the Jewish Leadership Council, Jewish Care and the Office of the Chief Rabbi, and from global bodies such as the Jewish Agency for Israel, JCC Global and the Jewish People Policy Institute in Jerusalem.
The Institute’s work touched on several key global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as well as major internal Jewish community issues including antisemitism, the impact of dynamics in Israel on Jews in the UK and the changing nature of Jewish identity. JPR continued to develop and build its internal research infrastructure to help provide data and insights to Jewish community leaders and policymakers more efficiently, and we constructed and launched a new organisational website to help share our findings more widely and effectively.
1. RESEARCH REPORTS PUBLISHED DURING 2022
JPR produces freely downloadable research reports to disseminate the findings widely and enhance their impact in the field. In 2022, JPR completed six reports, with several others in progress. The Institute continued its work analysing the impact of COVID-19 on the British Jewish community as well as starting work on analysing the first data on Jews from the 2021 Census. In addition, JPR’s international work continued to support community policy development overseas.
1.1. UK REPORTS
Six takeaways about Jewish life under lockdown (September 2022)
Whilst research on the pandemic declined as a priority throughout 2022, JPR continued to keep an eye on developments, particularly with respect to how it affected Jewish life. This report charted how feelings of attachment to the community were affected by the changes wrought by the pandemic. It included measures of levels of engagement in different aspects of Jewish life, such as prayer services, educational activities and social events, and how confident different subgroups within the Jewish population have felt about the gradual return to a new type of Jewish normal. The data used in the report come from the first two national surveys JPR ran in 2020 and 2021 using our new UK Jewish Research Panel.
Jews in Britain in 2021: First results from the Census of England and Wales (November 2022)
One of the key developments in 2022 was the release of the first data on Jews from the 2021 Census. There is much more to come throughout 2023 and 2024 – we expect to commission data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) over time – but JPR was keen to analyse the first data as soon as possible after their release. Census data are of particular value to community leaders and planners because they provide a remarkably detailed and accurate view of the country’s Jewish population and allow us both to monitor change over time and predict future trends in several areas, including projected demand for school places and elderly care.
This first report on the census was published on 29 November, the day on which the first data on religion were released by ONS, and it contains the initial results about the geography of the British Jewish population. On that day, JPR held a joint webinar with the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), watched by 150 people, in which we analysed and discussed the findings.
1.2 INTERNATIONAL REPORTS
The Jewish identities of European Jews: What, why and how? (February 2022)
Throughout 2021, JPR analysed the responses of over 16,000 European Jews in 12 European countries who participated in the survey that we conducted for the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights in 2018. Utilising the data from that survey, this report took an in-depth look at how Jews across Europe express and understand their Jewish identities, and was particularly aimed at those working in the fields of Jewish community development and education across the continent. As the report itself was very detailed, JPR also published three short papers to highlight key aspects of the findings to make them more accessible: What is Judaism: are Europe’s Jews a religious or an ancestry group? (March 2022); Why be Jewish: The essential Jewish values of Europe’s Jews (April 2022); and How do Jews live their Jewishness? Religious lifestyles and denominations of European Jews (August 2022). A fourth paper in the series, focused on attachments to Israel, the EU and the countries in which European Jews live, was published in 2023.
How many Jews may be caught up in the conflict in Ukraine? (March 2022)
As the war began in Ukraine, some wildly different estimates of how many Jews might be caught up in it, whether on the Ukrainian or Russian side of the border, were being quoted, both in the media and among community organisations eager to offer support. In response, and drawing on the latest demographic research by researchers at JPR and the Hebrew University, JPR put this paper together to try to bring some clarity to the issue.
Haredi Jews around the world: Population trends and estimates (May 2022)
JPR continues to monitor carefully how the rapidly growing haredi population in the UK and around the world, is affecting the overall Jewish population balance nationally and globally. It is a major issue that will almost certainly have a highly significant impact on how Jews live their lives, how they are seen by others, and indeed, what Judaism is. Capitalising on new resources and advances made in the methods of estimation, this report was the first time that the global haredi population size has been estimated and calculated. It revealed that about 2,100,000 haredi Jews live worldwide, out of a total global Jewish population of 15 million. The report projected that the haredi population could double in size by the year 2040, rising to over a fifth of the total by that time.
Jews in Belgium: a demographic and social portrait of two Jewish populations (November 2022)
Part of the work of JPR’s European Jewish Demography Unit involves the production of detailed reports on the sociodemographic characteristics of Jews in particular countries. Following the first report in this series – about Austria – JPR published a new country report in 2022 on Belgium. Jewish population size estimates for Belgium have not been assessed systematically for many years, and researchers have therefore not had the data to enable them to clearly say what the population looks like in terms of its age, education, religiosity, and patterns of migration. This lack of up-to-date demographic information has meant that community leaders have no baseline data against which to assess their impact, and, more generally, there have been persistent difficulties in assessing the representativeness of surveys of the Belgian Jewish population. This report was designed to fill this data vacuum with a thorough assessment of the size and structure of this Jewish population, following an extensive demographic data collection project spanning eighteen months. JPR launched the report at public events in the two main Belgian Jewish population centres, Brussels and Antwerp, where the findings were presented to Belgian Jewish community leaders.
1.3. COMMISSIONED STUDIES FOR CLIENTS
Undertaking commissioned research for Jewish charities and foundations and governmental and non-governmental bodies is an important part of JPR’s work. During 2022, our UK clients included the Industrial Dwellings Society and the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, and our international clients included the European Commission and the European Jewish Association.
European Commission (EC)
JPR carried out a study for the European Commission (EC) in 2022-23 mapping the social research infrastructure on antisemitism and contemporary Jewish life in Europe. The project was directly related to the EC’s commitment to establish a research hub for the study of contemporary Jewish life and antisemitism, which was part of its ten-year strategy published in late 2021. The study was launched at an event hosted by the European Commission in Brussels in March 2023.
European Jewish Association
JPR completed a commission for the European Jewish Association (EJA) to take steps towards the creation of an index to measure how different European countries are doing with regard to major Jewish concerns. The project involved a pilot study that combined polling data and policy information to determine whether it is possible to create a single quality-of-life metric for Jews in 12 European countries with sizeable Jewish communities. The initial findings were shared at a seminar in Vienna with key Jewish community leaders from across Europe.
Following JPR’s 2021 study for them about a site in Mill Hill, a follow-up project mapping the Jewish population and Jewish services (schools, synagogues, community organisations, shops, restaurants, etc.) in Borehamwood was fulfilled in 2022.
Yesod Europe
JPR undertook a commissioned project for Yesod Europe, which involved providing training for European Jewish community educators and professionals on how to use data to monitor and evaluate their work.
1.4. RESEARCH REPORTS IN DEVELOPMENT DURING 2022
The process of preparing each report takes time, and work began in 2022 on a number of other publications that we expect to publish in 2023. These reports included investigating what British Jews thought about the May 2021 conflict in Gaza; Jewish migration patterns from 15 European countries; a commissioned project from the European Commission (EC) mapping the field of research of contemporary antisemitism and Jewish life in terms of topics, geography, individuals and institutions involved; and a new mini-report based on JPR's groundbreaking report ‘The Jewish identities of European Jews’, which explored European Jews’ levels of attachment to the countries in which they live, to Israel, and to the European Union.
Manchester Jewish Representative Council
In collaboration with the research agency, Mobilise, JPR completed work on a project commissioned by the Manchester Jewish Representative Council to carry out a mapping exercise to support strategic discussions about service provision in the Greater Manchester area. The Charity's role was to identify existing services in their main areas of interest, such as children, young people and families; Mobilise carried out stakeholder interviews and focus groups. The findings were presented by JPR and Mobilise to community and local government representatives in Manchester.
Industrial Dwellings Society
In 2022, JPR completed its work for the Industrial Dwellings Society (IDS) – a Jewish housing association working to build 500 new affordable units in Jewish neighbourhoods for low-income Jewish families and Jewish/non-Jewish professionals working in Jewish services.
2. PRESENTATIONS, DOWNLOADS AND ACTIVE USE OF JPR RESEARCH DATA AND FINDINGS
In 2022, JPR presented its work directly to an estimated 1,250 people, at over 30 events in ten cities around the world. Among the events and presentations were the following:
Date | Client | Detail |
January 22 | Office of the Chief Rabbi | Presentation of our climate change report and discussion of its implications for the community |
Eco Synagogue/ Board of Deputies/ World Jewish Relief | Findings of climate change report presented at Tu B’shevat event | |
February 22 | The Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies at York University, Toronto | Online panel discussion about antisemitism and anti-Israelism |
March 22 | Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry (ASSJ) | JPR webinar for over 50 academics and researchers on ‘Jewish identities today: concepts, measurements and realities’, drawing on our report on Jewish identity in Europe. |
Israel Embassy | Presentation/discussion with the Israeli Ambassador and her team exploring some of the key data on Jews in the UK | |
April 22 | Herzl Institute | Presentation about new research on how to measure and understand the parts of the Jewish population least connected to the organised Jewish community, including communities in Africa |
May 22 | Akademie für Politische Bildung | Presentation about global trends in antisemitism |
The Jewish People Policy Institute in Jerusalem | JPR webinar for over 100 academics, community leaders and researchers on ‘Haredi population growth: considering the implications’, based on our report about the haredi population worldwide | |
Westbury Group | Presentation in Berlin on the key issues facing European Jewry to leaders of key foundations investing in aspects of European Jewish life | |
June 22
| JCC Global | Presentation of the key data on European Jewish life, for a training programme for Jewish community leaders from the former Yugoslavia |
Consistoire de France | Presentation on antisemitism in France | |
Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) | Presentation to JAFI educators about our report on European Jewish identity and particularly how antisemitism plays a significant role in how Jews understand their Jewishness. | |
London Jewish Museum | Presentation to senior staff and lay leaders on the future of Jewish life in the UK | |
Edgware United Synagogue (and wider United Synagogue) | Presentation of some of the key data on Jewish life in the UK, and how 2021 Census data are expected to sharpen our understanding. Part of the synagogue’s adult education programme |
July 22 | Gesher Institute for Leadership | Overview of demographic and social data on Jews in the UK to senior staff from the Israeli Ministry of Education, departments of education at various Israeli municipalities, the IDF and Israel’s Channel 13 News |
JLC | Presentation/discussion at the 10th annual Jewish Community Trustees’ Conference on key issues the UK Jewish community leaders need to know about the future of Jewish life in the UK | |
September 22 | Natan Fund | Presentation to trustees about antisemitism in Europe |
European Association of Israel Studies | Presentation to 10th Annual Conference on Israeli Jewish demography | |
November 22
| Belgian Jewish community leaders | Two launch events of JPR’s report on the demography of the Belgian Jewish community to community and political leaders In Brussels and Antwerp |
Jewish Care | Presentation to the trustees on social and demographic data on the UK Jewish community, and what the data tell us about elderly care needs going forward | |
Woolf Institute | Academic lecture: “Limitations of tolerance? Circumcision of male infants and kosher slaughter in Europe today” | |
European Commission Civil Society Forum | Presentation in Brussels on our work to highlight research gaps in combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life | |
Rabbinic Training Academy in the UK | Presentation/discussion on: “The key data every rabbi needs to know about the future of Jewish life in the UK” | |
Joint event with the Jewish Leadership Council | Webinar to present the initial results of the 2021 UK Census religion question | |
December 22 | JLC Council | Webinar and discussion about the initial results from the 2021 UK Census |
Adam Science Group | Session on key data about the Jewish community in the UK to young leaders | |
Jewish Care | Presentation to Holocaust survivors about what some of the recent data tell us about the impact of the Holocaust on contemporary Jewish life, and the future of Jewish life in the UK and Europe | |
Association of Jewish Studies | Presentation in Boston at the annual conference of Jewish Studies academics, looking at haredi population trends worldwide | |
Limmud | Presentation of data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK Jewish community |
In addition to the above-mentioned reports and papers, JPR’s Executive Director, Dr Jonathan Boyd wrote a regular column in the Jewish Chronicle in which he used data generated by JPR and other agencies to share his reflections about contemporary Jewish life on a wide range of topical issues. This helped raise awareness about JPR and its work and to promote the use of data in understanding community trends and issues.
In 2022, JPR reports were downloaded 61,750 times and JPR’s e-newsletters reached close to 3,700 people every edition, with an opening rate of over 30%.
3. OTHER INITIATIVES AND DEVELOPMENTS
Communications
JPR launched its new website in early October (www.jpr.org.uk). Innovations include a mobile-friendly and responsive design, a new insights section that includes short analytical and opinion pieces written by members of the JPR team discussing specific aspects of the Institute’s findings, the use of video on the website – including live broadcasts of events – and tags to allow users to search reports and insights by topic, country, type of publication and authors.
JPR continues to develop its digital marketing profile, specifically increasing its profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube, and as the Charity learns more about its users, JPR is improving its ability to deliver our reports and insights to a wider and more diverse audience. A Facebook and Instagram campaign to launch the website reached over 70,000 people.
Going forward, JPR is investing in finding new ways to engage with key audiences. A new partnership was established with JW3 and Earshot Strategies in 2022 to create a six-part series of podcasts in which the results of the 2022 National Jewish Identity Survey and their policy implications will be discussed. JPR is working to launch its first series in autumn 2023, to align with the publication of the key findings from the survey.
The JPR Research Panel and surveys
At its core, JPR’s Research Panel consists of a large database of Jews from across the UK who have agreed to participate in our surveys. However, beyond this simple description, it is a complex technological instrument, that allows JPR to run its own online surveys, link the records of individual respondents across surveys to better track change over time, undertake longitudinal analysis, and field questions for client organisations. It is a unique resource in the Jewish world – no other Diaspora community has such a facility – and whilst it remains in development and more work needs to be done to enhance and sustain it, the panel is improving all the time. JPR made considerable progress in developing the panel in 2022, working with external data managers and processors to help set up the systems that will enable it to run more efficiently going forward, and produce the data from it quickly and efficiently so that it can be analysed with optimal speed.
JPR conducted the fieldwork for our National Jewish Identity Survey in November and December 2022. It was the third survey we have undertaken using our Research Panel and it was designed to provide in-depth information about Jewish identity issues and to compare Jewish life now with life as it was a decade ago, in order to help inform planning work in the areas of community development and education. Work also began on our fourth panel survey, which went into the field in April 2023, to run a version of the multinational study of Jewish people’s perceptions and experiences of antisemitism being conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) at the same time. That survey is designed to generate data to determine how the situation has changed in the UK since data were previously gathered in 2012 and 2018, and to compare the current situation in the UK with that of other Jewish communities across Europe. Work similarly began on a further panel survey planned for late 2023 which will look at the attitudes of haredi Jews in the UK on a range of issues, both to help haredi community leaders better understand some of the dynamics within their community and to encourage haredi Jews to join the JPR panel.
European Jewish Research Archive (EJRA)
Work progressed on JPR’s European Jewish Research Archive (EJRA), a publicly available online archive for research publications on contemporary European communities. The archive includes social research reports conducted about European Jewish communities since 1990. In 2022, the archive had 23,722 unique visitors to the site (a 19% increase on 2021), who spent 26,684 unique sessions on the site (a 19% increase on 2021) and produced 37,214 page views (a 16% increase on 2021). The archive now contains over 4,669 items in 27 languages covering 56 countries.
PERFORMANCE
In general, JPR had a successful 2022. It made significant progress with the research panel, enhancing its capacity to run surveys of the UK Jewish population that should stand it in good stead for the future. The Institute conducted further work on the pandemic to assess its impact on the community and generated valuable data on Jews in Ukraine and Russia to try to support rescue and relief work and to help inform understanding of the scale of need. The Charity reacted swiftly to the first release of the 2021 Census data in England and Wales, and is now working hard to ensure that it develops the means of maximising the value of these data to the community. JPR enhanced its reputation in Europe, producing new data and analysis about the identities of European Jews, completing a complicated sociodemographic research exercise about the Jews of Belgium and building a good working relationship with community leaders there. It strengthened its relationship with the European Commission through conducting a research study tied directly to its ten-year strategy to combat antisemitism and support Jewish life on the continent. Furthermore, JPR made significant progress on communications, integrating a new Director of Communications, building and launching a new and improved website, and starting to establish new systems of communication via social media and e-newsletters. It brought a new researcher onto the team to help manage its panel work and established a new intern programme to help cultivate young researchers for the Jewish community whilst also adding to our capacity and outputs.
In general, JPR’s services are more in demand than ever. As it has enhanced its communications work, it is finding itself being approached by increasing numbers of organisations requesting research support, and the greatest challenge is that it simply does not have sufficient capacity to do everything that is being asked. As it works to enhance and strengthen its team, JPR needs to address this challenge: while its work is clearly needed, it has to find new ways to continue to build the research infrastructure required to meet demand.
FINANCIAL REVIEW FOR THE YEAR
The Chairman’s Statement on pages 1-2 provides a summary of activities during the year. The results for the year are shown in the Statement of Financial Activities on page 21.
JPR’s income continues to come from four main sources: the MCA Endowment; grants from foundations; commissioned work and donations.
The value of the investments was £2,665,530 at the end of 2022. This marks a decrease from the start of the year of 9% (£2,932,100). The income received from the fund’s investment was £109,945, as budgeted in advance by the Trustees.
The fund’s investment manager noted that while income targets had been met in 2022, in terms of the value of the fund, this was a challenging year for markets with the impact of inflation and geopolitical events causing most major asset classes to fall. Central banks increased interest rates at the most aggressive speeds in recent times, leading to multiple equity sectors to rerate and bond values to fall as their yields increased. While this is a challenging backdrop for investments, the portfolio offered good downside protection and significantly outperformed the peer group over the year, despite negative overall returns. One benefit from the rise in interest rates has been income generation which has become less of a challenge than it has been in recent years. The yield on UK investment grade has risen to 5% and the natural yield of the portfolio now sits at c.4%.
In terms of the positioning of the portfolio, the investment managers started de-risking the portfolio over the year by reducing equities and increasing cash holdings. This was aimed at not only helping provide downside protection but also having the cash available to reinvest when they felt there were attractive opportunities. Most of the cash balance is now held in a liquidity fund, where the yield has been rising over the year and finished at c.3% - still providing an income for the charity. Performance at the end of the year was ahead of the peer group over all periods, providing downside protection in the falling market but also participating in the rally towards the end of the year. The progress in the shorter-term figures has also fed through to the 3-5 years, showing the portfolio ahead of the peer group over both of these periods. Overall, the investment managers believe the portfolio has performed well, being ahead of the peer group whilst delivering the income requirement agreed upon.
Looking to 2023, investment managers expect an economic downturn and recession in the US which will carry through to Europe. It is probable that this would lead to a fall in inflation data and quicker-than-expected rate reductions from Q4 2023 which hopefully will see markets improve. The market is currently at odds with this view, suggesting that whilst a slowdown of growth is priced in, a recession is not. Since the end of the year, the main focus of portfolio trades has been to increase the bond weighting in UK investment grade, with this being funded via the sale of a gilt and lowering the cash held. The current yield of this fund is c.5% so should help meet the new 2023 income target of £110,000, whilst also being attractive for potential growth if interest rates start to fall.
The fund manager’s quality, sustainable growth approach maintains focus on companies underpinned by long-term structural growth themes. They seek to identify businesses that will benefit from shifting trends while avoiding those where change will be detrimental. Experience has taught that companies that have strong balance sheets and can create value by generating cash flow exceeding their operational requirements tend to generate stronger and more sustainable returns. They are also usually better positioned to reinvest in their businesses and distribute earnings to shareholders. The fund manager believes these types of companies merit long-term positions in portfolios regardless of shorter-term sentiment.
In 2022, JPR secured a total of £611,518 in unrestricted donations, up from £482,365 in 2021. This included a new major investment of £600,000 from the Rothchild Foundation to be distributed over four years, £75,000 from both the Pears Foundation and the Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation, as well as an increased donation of £40,000 from the David and Ruth Lewis Family Charitable Trust (which was increased further in 2023). We were also very grateful for the sizable and repeated donations from the Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust, and the Bloom, Haskel Family and Kirsch Foundations. Income from commissioned work brought in £240,946 in 2022. This was a slight reduction from 2021 of £291,631, but as explained above, was due to JPR’s lack of a dedicated Head of Fundraising and reluctance among some charities to commission new studies during a period of economic instability.
With the new investment from the Rothschild Foundation, the continued support of all of our existing major donors and the income that will come from the new European Commission tender we won in mid-2023, the financial outlook for JPR in 2023 looks encouraging. JPR managed successfully to navigate the loss of its Head of Fundraising for much of 2022, and the plans now afoot to secure a replacement in 2023 points to a bright future for JPR.
RESERVES POLICY
JPR’s reserves policy is to seek to hold three to six months of overheads. This would amount to between £264,298 and £528,596. As of 31 December 2022, there was a surplus of unrestricted finds of £368,003, which is in line with the target range as set out above.
JPR has adopted this policy to cover the risk of any unforeseen emergencies, such as unexpected IT costs or day-to-day operational costs, such as employing temporary staff to cover sickness absence during major projects. The reserves policy will also cover any fluctuations in income, such as late payments for commissioned work or large grants being delayed or not renewed. The reserves will ensure any expenditure is covered on preparatory work on projects, as well as any necessary organisational development costs not covered by income.
The policy of holding three to six months’ reserves will enable JPR to develop new sources of finance or cut back on expenditure should an emergency arise. In the meantime, such a prudent policy provides a stable base for JPR’s research and the dissemination of the results to assist Jewish communities in the UK and continental Europe.
PERMANENT ENDOWMENT INVESTED ON TOTAL RETURN BASIS
The MCA Endowment Fund is a separate fund for the purpose of promoting and assisting the preparation and production of research into the state of the contemporary Jewish communities in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, together with the promotion of other charitable aims, objects and activities of the Charity as shall be conducive to the implementation of the said purposes. The income of the Fund may be spent by the Charity on a year-to-year basis, as long as the total of the income and gains spent in any one year does not exceed 8% of the Original Grant ($5,000,000, converted to £3,466,337 at the date transferred) as increased in accordance with the United Kingdom Retail Prices Index (“RPI”).
In order for capital to be spent, it is necessary to satisfy two conditions:
The total amount of income and gains spent in any full financial year of the Charity must not exceed 8% of the Original Grant as increased by the percentage increase, if any (ignoring any reduction) in RPI, from the beginning of the financial year.
Thirty days before the trustees resolve to spend the capital, the market value of the Fund must be not less than the Original Grant (increased in accordance with RPI) after excluding the gains resolved to be spent.
It is possible to carry forward the unspent part of such 8% and spend it in subsequent financial years in addition to the 8% limit for each year.
The fund is invested in a discretionary agreement with abdrn (formerly Aberdeen Standard Capital). Charlie Thompson and Rob Richardson took over as account managers in July 2019 and work together to maximise the long-term return whilst providing a good level of income as agreed with the Board. Charlie has 19 years of investment experience, is a Chartered Wealth Manager and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. Rob has seven years of investment experience, is an IMC holder and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment.
The Board has adopted an ethical policy for the investment of these funds, namely, not to invest in any companies involved in the manufacture and distribution of tobacco and arms or any companies that boycott Israel.
RISK ASSESSMENT
Risk management is reviewed regularly by staff and a Risk Register is submitted to the Board for approval on an annual basis. The Directors have identified the main risks to which the charitable company is exposed and have taken steps to mitigate them.
LOOKING AHEAD
As well as the reports mentioned above, JPR has several exciting projects to look forward to in 2023.
Analysis of 2021 Census data as the Office for National Statistics releases further data throughout the year. JPR will be working to understand the data being released including such issues as the underreporting of haredi Jews, and the uncertainty about the numbers of Jews who have identified as Jewish exclusively by ethnicity. JPR plans to present the findings to community leaders wherever possible and utilise the new data to support various projects commissioned by community organisations that are keen to understand demographic issues relevant to their own planning.
Continuing development of JPR’s UK Jewish population Research Panel with a particular emphasis on increasing the representation from the strictly Orthodox community, young adults and Jews who are not affiliated with the Jewish community. In addition, JPR will continue to enhance the technological infrastructure that holds the panel, to help mechanise data processing to aid analytical effectiveness and efficiency.
Using the Research Panel, JPR plans to run a UK version of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) survey of Jewish people’s perceptions and experiences of antisemitism. FRA will run the survey within the EU in early 2023 and JPR will utilise a similar questionnaire to assess the current position of Jews in the UK, in order to compare that with opinions measured in the equivalent previous surveys from 2018 and 2012. We expect to publish the findings in 2024.
JPR will look to run a survey of the haredi community in 2023 in cooperation with the Interlink Foundation and Pinter Trust. The purpose is primarily to gather data to support the work of these two organisations, but it also designed to help JPR to recruit more haredim to the panel to ensure better representation of haredi Jews in future surveys.
JPR will continue to develop its European Jewish demography programme. A new country report on Spain is planned, as well as a similar study in the Netherlands (part-funded by the Dutch Jewish community) and a new report on patterns of migration to and from Europe.
JPR will continue to maintain its archive of research on contemporary European Jewish life. The archive, which was established in 2014, is the repository of all social research on Jewish life in Europe since 1990. The Institute has secured further funding from the Rothschild Foundation until 2025, which will enable it to continue to employ an archive manager to seek out and add new items to the archive.
JPR will seek to complete a study of Jewish community income and expenditure to assess both how the community fared during the pandemic and establish benchmarks by which we can do ongoing work to determine whether income levels are going up or down over time.
Working together with Ipsos, JPR won a tender from the European Commission (EC) in 2023 for its study of attitudes towards Jews in all 27 EU Member States. This is the largest and most high-profile project JPR has won, and forms a central part of the EC strategy to combat antisemitism across Europe. The project is scheduled to begin in September 2023, and will run until 2025. Subject to permission from the EC and securing the necessary funding, JPR hopes to be able to extend the survey into the UK.
The Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR) is a registered charitable company and a company limited by guarantee. JPR is governed by its Articles of Association and by the regulations of the Charity Commission and company law.
JPR’s governance structure consists of the Board of Directors and a working group of Honorary Officers (Chair and Treasurer), who oversee management matters. Members of the Board are non-executive Directors and Trustees of the charitable company. They determine the overall direction of JPR, provide leadership and fulfil their fiduciary responsibilities.
The Members of the Board of Directors who served during 2022 are:
Stephen Moss CBE (Chairman) | (appointed 07/09/2010) |
Lord Leigh of Hurley (President) | (appointed 29/06/2015) |
Michael Karp OBE | (appointed 21/01/2015) |
Elizabeth Crossick | (appointed 29/06/2015) |
Sergio DellaPergola | (appointed 28/01/2019 and retired 04/02/2022) |
Jonathan Haskel CBE | (appointed 28/10/2019) |
Miles Webber | (appointed 17/04/2020) |
Hilda Worth | (appointed 06/07/2020 and retired 20/02/2023) |
William Benjamin | (appointed 17/04/2020) |
Early in 2022, Professor Sergio DellaPergola retired from the Board. He contributed greatly to the work of the charity and we are delighted that he remains one of JPR’s Senior Research Advisers, as well as Chair of the Institute’s European Jewish Demography Unit. Hilda Wirth also stepped down from the Board later in the year. Hilda contributed greatly to JPR and her input will be greatly missed by the Trustees.
JPR also has three Honorary Vice Presidents, who hold a general oversight role as required. They were Lord Haskel, Harold Paisner and Brian Smouha, all of whom previously held senior positions on the Board of Directors. Sadly, Brian Smouha passed away in 2023. Sir Trevor Chinn recently agreed to become an Honorary Vice-President, and his position was approved by the Trustees in July 2023.
Trustees are appointed (or reappointed, as the case may be) for a three-year term of office on the recommendation of the Chairman and require approval by the Board. Under usual circumstances, Trustees can serve a maximum of three consecutive terms of office. An amendment was added to the Articles of Association in 2017, allowing for the possibility of further extensions in special circumstances. This amendment was passed by adopting a Special Resolution at the General Meeting of the Company on October 23rd, 2017. It was determined that any further additional term or terms (of any such length as is determined by the Trustees), would need to be approved at a meeting of the Trustees.
The Trustees must appoint a Chairman from among their number. An amendment was added to the Articles of Association in 2021 to allow the Chairman to serve for three three-year terms, instead of two, and this may be extended by a single year as an emergency measure. The Chairman may only hold office for such time as he or she is a Trustee.
At all times there must be a President of the Charity, who is appointed by the Trustees. The President may also be a Trustee of the Charity if appointed as such by the Trustees. The President holds office for a three-year term and may be reappointed by the Trustees for any number of further three-year terms as the Trustees see fit.
The Board appoints the Executive Director, who reports to the Board on the substantive areas of the Institute’s management. The Board can appoint a Company Secretary who oversees the work in matters of compliance with company and charitable company law. While day-to-day matters are delegated to the staff, all substantive decisions are referred to the Board for approval.
The Board also appoints a Finance Committee which meets regularly during the year to oversee the annual audit, investment strategy and charge-out rate for commissions and to carry out an annual financial review; a Fundraising Committee which sets out and supports the fundraising strategy and monitors its progress during the year; and a Nominations Committee to oversee succession planning for the JPR Board and Committees. In addition, the Chairman and the Treasurer both review staff salaries each year and must approve any changes.
On acceptance to the Board, the Trustees receive the JPR Governance Handbook, which outlines JPR’s governance structure and the responsibilities of Board members, and up-to-date documentation on the Institute’s aims and programmes.
The key management personnel comprise the Executive Director and the Director of Operations. The total employee benefits of the Executive Director and the Director of Operations were £205,194 (2021 £194,662). The Chairman and Treasurer review the salaries of all employees annually, including the above-mentioned two key management personnel, with reference to their duties and responsibilities, having regard to the resources of JPR, charity remuneration benchmarks and employment legislation.
In accordance with Section 485 of the Companies Act 2006, a resolution proposing that Sobell Rhodes LLP (formerly Martin May) be reappointed as auditors of the company will be put to the Annual General Meeting.
The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Institute for Jewish Policy Research (the ‘charity’) for the year ended 31 December 2022 which comprise the statement of financial activities, the balance sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
In our opinion, the financial statements:
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.
Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.
Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.
We have nothing to report in this regard.
We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:
the information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the trustees' report; or
sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or
the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or
we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.
As explained more fully in the statement of trustees' responsibilities, the trustees, who are also the directors of the charity for the purpose of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
We enquired of management to obtain an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the charity. The most significant that are relevant to the charity are the United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practices, the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) and the tax legislation in respect of Corporation tax, VAT and PAYE. We understood how the charity complies with these through enquiries of management and asked of any instances of non-compliance in these areas.
We assessed the susceptibility of the charity's financial statements to material misstatements, including how fraud might occur through enquiries of management and to understand where they considered there was susceptibility to fraud. We obtained an understanding of the controls that the charity has established to address the risk that prevents, deters, and detects fraud.
Based on this understanding, we designed our audit procedures to detect irregularities including fraud which primarily consisted of the following:
1. Identifying and testing of journal entries including large and unusual transactions to understand their rationale.
2. Enquiries of management and those charged with governance on instances of any known fraud and around actual and potential litigation claims.
3. Enquiries of the tax engagement team that are independent of the audit team for instances of non- compliance.
The Senior Statutory Auditor reviewed the experience and expertise of the audit engagement team to ensure that they had the appropriate competence and capabilities to identify any instances of fraud and non-compliance with the relevant laws and regulations.
The objective of our audit, in respect of fraud, are: to identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements due to fraud; to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the assessed risk of material misstatement due to fraud, through designing and implementing appropriate responses; and to respond appropriately to fraud or suspected fraud identified during the audit. However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud rests with both those charged with governance of the entity and management.
The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.
A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Use of our report
This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with part 4 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charity's trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.
Sobell Rhodes Audit Limited is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year.
All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The Institute for Jewish Policy Research is a private company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. In the event of the Charity being wound up, the liability in respect of the guarantee is limited to £1 per member of the Charity. The address of the registered office is given in the Charity Information on page 1 of these financial statements. The nature of the charity’s operations and principal activities are noted in the Report of the Directors.
The Charity constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.
The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value. The financial statements are presented in sterling which is the functional currency of the Charity and rounded to the nearest £1.
The significant accounting policies applied in the preparation of these financial statements are set out below. These policies have been consistently applied to all years presented unless otherwise stated.
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the Charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.
Designated funds comprise unrestricted funds that have been set aside by the trustees for particular purposes. The aim and use of the designated funds are set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the Charity for particular purposes. The cost of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.
Permanent endowment funds represent those assets which must be held permanently by the charity, principally comprising of investments. Income arising on the permanent endowment funds can be used in accordance with the objects of the Charity and is included as unrestricted income. Any capital gains or losses arising on the investments form part of the fund. Investment management charges and legal advice relating to the fund are charged against the fund.
All incoming resources are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SoFA) when the Charity is legally entitled to the income after any performance conditions have been met, the amount can be measured reliably and it is probable that the income will be received.
For donations to be recognised the Charity will have been notified of the amounts and the settlement date in writing. If there are conditions attached to the donation and this requires a level of performance before entitlement can be obtained then income is deferred until those conditions are fully met or the fulfilment of those conditions is within the control of the Charity and it is probable that they will be fulfilled.
For legacies, entitlement is the earlier of the charity being notified of an impending distribution or the legacy being received. At this point income is recognised. On occasion legacies will be notified to the charity however it is not possible to measure the amount expected to be distributed. On these occasions, the legacy is treated as a contingent asset and disclosed.
Income from performance related grants are recognised at fair value when the Charity has entitlement after any performance conditions have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably. If entitlement is not met then these amounts are deferred.
Investment income is earned through holding assets for investment purposes such as shares and property. It includes dividends and interest. It is included when the amount can be measured reliably. Interest income is recognised using the effective interest method and dividends are recognised as the charity’s right to receive payment is established.
No amount is included in the financial statements for volunteer time in line with the SORP (FRS 102). Further detail is given in the Trustees’ Annual Report.
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. Expenditure is recognised where there is a legal or constructive obligation to make payments to third parties, it is probable that the settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. It is categorised under the following headings. Note 5 should be referred to for details of the nature and cost involved:
• Costs of raising funds
• Expenditure on charitable activities
• Other expenditure represents those items not falling into the categories above.
Support costs are those that assist the work of the Charity but do not directly represent charitable activities and include office costs, governance costs and administrative payroll costs. They are incurred directly in support of expenditure on the objects of the charity. Where support costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to costs of raising funds and expenditure on charitable activities on a basis consistent with use of the resources. Support costs detailed under note 5 are allocated on the basis apportionment of the time spent on these activities.
Costs of raising funds are those incurred in seeking voluntary contributions and do not include the costs of disseminating information in support of the charitable activities.
The analysis of these costs is included in note 5.
Intangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulative amortisation and any accumulative impairment losses. Trade marks are written off over their useful life.
Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.
Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:
The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is recognised in the statement of financial activities.
Investments are recognised initially at fair value which is normally the transaction price including transaction costs. Subsequently, they are measured at fair value with changes recognised in ‘net gains / (losses) on investments’ in the SoFA if the shares are publicly traded or their fair value can otherwise be measured reliably. Other investments are measured at cost less impairment.
Assets not measured at fair value are reviewed for any indication that the asset may be impaired at each balance sheet date. If such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset, or the asset’s cash generating unit, is estimated and compared to the carrying amount. Where the carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount, an impairment loss is recognised in the SoFA unless the asset is carried at a revalued amount where the impairment loss is a revaluation decrease.
Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand, deposits held at call with banks, other short-term liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less, and bank overdrafts. Bank overdrafts are shown within borrowings in current liabilities.
Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to the SoFA on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.
Foreign currency transactions are initially recognised by applying to the foreign currency amount the spot exchange rate between the functional currency and the foreign currency at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency at the balance sheet date are translated using the closing rate.
Provisions
Provisions are recognised when the Charity has an obligation at the balance sheet date as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount can be reliably estimated.
Leasing
Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to the SoFA on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.
Pensions
The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charitable company in independently administered funds. Contributions are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities as they become payable in accordance with the rules of the scheme.
In the application of the charitable company's accounting policies, the trustees are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ form these estimates.In preparing these financial statements, the trustees have made the following key judgments:
a) The trustees have considered the level of funds held and the expected level of income and expenditure for 12 months from authorising these financial statements. They believe there will be sufficient funds available to support the core costs of the Charity.
b) To determine the proportion of commissioned projects that have been completed, the trustees use costs incurred as a basis and judge that income to be recognised is equivalent to that. Any actual surplus or deficit is determined at project completion and transferred to or from unrestricted funds.
Charitable Activities
Charitable Activities
Research projects and sales of reports
General bank interest receivable
Fund raising for donations
Charitable Expenditure
Charitable Expenditure
Research project costs
Lectures and seminars
Research and organisational development costs
The analysis of auditor's remuneration is as follows:
None of the trustees received remuneration for their services nor did they receive any reimbursement of expenses during the year.
The key management personnel comprise the Executive Director and the Director of Operations. The total employee benefits of the Executive Director and the Director of Operations were £205,194 (2021 £194,662).
The average monthly number of employees during the year was:
The charitable company operates a contributory pension scheme. It is a defined contribution scheme and contributions are charged in the statement of financial activities as they are paid. The charge for the year was £34,959 (2021 - £32,502) and the liability outstanding at the year end was £1,204 (2021 £1,692).
The fair value of listed investments is determined by reference to the quoted stock market price at the balance sheet date.
Other investments are measured using the following methods:
a) UK government securities using the London Official Bid & Ask price to calculate the mid-price.
b) Unlisted and suspended securities at a zero value.
c) Securities in liquidation using the most recent and reliable valuations available. The most reliable valuation may include using Aberdeen Standard Capital’s best price estimates.
d) Unlisted Floating Rate Notes valued at face or nominal value.
e) Investments with extended settlement periods (e.g. hedge funds, placings and some unit trusts) use the latest available Net Asset Value.
f) All values provided are as at the close of business on the valuation date. If the valuation date falls on a non-business day, the prices quoted will be those as at the close of business on the last business day
New Designation
New Designation
The charitable company has restricted rights over the capital. It is entitled to the total income, realised and unrealised gains, in any financial year provided these do not exceed 8% of the original grant (£3,466,337) adjusted for inflation.
The MCA Endowment Fund is a separate fund for the purpose of promoting and assisting the organising and carrying out of research into the state of the contemporary Jewish communities in the UK and elsewhere in Europe together with the promotion of other charitable aims, objects and activities of the Charity as shall be conductive to the implementation of these purposes. The income of the Fund may be spent by the Charity on a year to year basis as long as the total of the income and gains spent in any one year does not exceed 8% of the Original Grant ($5,000,000 converted to £3,466,337 at the date transferred) as increased in accordance with the United Kingdom Retail Prices Index ("RPI").
In order for capital to be spent it is necessary to satisfy conditions:
(1) The first condition is that the total amount of income and gains spent in any full financial year of the Charity must not exceed 8% of the Original Grant as increased by the percentage increase, if any (ignoring any reduction) in RPI, from the beginning of the financial year.
(2) The second condition is that 30 days before the trustees resolve to spend the capital, the market value of the capital of the Fund must not be less than the Original Grant (increased in accordance with RPI) after excluding the gains resolved to be spent.
It is possible to carry forward unspent part of the 8% and spend it in subsequent financial years in addition to the 8% limit for each year.
The Fund is invested on professional advice in order to obtain the maximum long-term return (net of any tax) which is regarded from time to time as a prudent target for the Fund.
Transfer (to)/from unrestricted funds
Transfer (to)/from unrestricted funds
The aim and use of each restricted fund is as follows:
(a) Project: European Jewish Demographic Unit - Established in January 2019, JPR’s European Jewish Demography Unit is dedicated to generating data about Jewish populations in Europe to help support community development across the continent. Currently supported by the Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe, it is led by JPR Senior Research Fellow, Dr Daniel Staetsky, and chaired by the world’s leading expert in Jewish demography, Professor Sergio DellaPergola.
(b) Project: The European Jewish Research Archive: supported by Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe, this is a project to build and maintain an online free to access archive of research publications on contemporary European Jewish communities. The archive includes reports, articles and other relevant materials that draw on, or discuss, social research on European Jewish communities since 1990.
(c) Commission: Jewish Blind and Disabled (JBD) – this study was designed to look at the socio-demographic characteristics and levels of disability among Jews living in Barnet, Hertsmere, Redbridge and Essex, as part of JBD’s strategic review.
(d) Commission: JW3 Monitoring and Evaluation Project – this annual study is aimed at helping JW3 to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their work. It involves helping them to determine what they need to measure in view of their new strategic plan, advising them on how best to gather the required data, and then working with them to determine how best to use it for their purposes.
(e) Commission: Industrial Dwellings Society (IDS) – this project mapped the Jewish population and Jewish services (schools, synagogues, community organisations, shops, restaurants, etc.) in the immediate vicinity of specific sites to support IDS’s future planning.
(f) Project: Study of Antisemitic Attitudes - first run by JPR together with Ipsos MORI in 2017, this survey, monitoring anti-Jewish and anti-Israel attitudes among the British population, was due to be repeated in 2020. However, due to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the study was postponed, and is now expected to take place in 2024/5.
(g) Project: Communications - With thanks to support from three key foundations, JPR recruited its first Director of Communications in October 2021. The priorities for the first year of the position are (i) to communicate JPR’s research outputs to the media and key target audiences; (ii) to redesign the JPR website; and (iii) to build JPR’s social media presence. Work began on all three of these areas in the last quarter of 2021 and the new website was launched in October 2022.
(h) Commission: IDS II – Industrial dwellings society II – This project mapped the Jewish population and Jewish services (schools, synagogues, community organisations, shops, restaurants, etc.) in the immediate vicinity to support IDS’s future planning for a Jewish housing association working to build 500 new affordable units in Jewish neighbourhoods for low-income Jewish families and Jewish/non-Jewish professionals working in Jewish services.
(i) Commission: EVENS – a national survey designed to gather information about inequality among ethnic minorities. Our input is specifically designed to help them gather data on Jews and advice on how to analyse it, although we also hope to learn from their work to help inform our own future analysis of Jewish populations.
(j) Commission: European Jewish Association - The European Jewish Association commissioned JPR to create an index to measure how different European countries are faring with regard to major Jewish concerns.
(k) Commission: Census 2021 - The JLC provided a small grant to support JPR's ongoing analysis of Jewish population data gathered by the Office of National Statistics in the 2021 Census of England and Wales, and general research advice to support the JLC's own work. The grant included funds for a joint event to share the findings of JPR's first report on the initial release of census data.
(L) Project: European Commission Mapping - As part of the EU strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, the European Commission (EC) has committed to creating a European research hub on contemporary antisemitism and Jewish life. The EC commissioned JPR to map the research field and make recommendations about how the proposed hub should support research on antisemitism and Jewish life in future.
(M) Commission: Manchester-JRC & Mobilise - JPR and Mobilise collaborated on a mapping exercise commissioned by the Manchester Jewish Representative Council. The purpose of the exercise was to support strategic discussions about service provision in the Greater Manchester area. JPR’s role was to identify existing services in their main areas of interest such as children, young people and families. The findings were presented in September to community and local government representatives in Manchester.
All the funds represent donations received and take into account the research costs incurred during the year.
At the year end the company had annual commitments under a non-cancellable property lease as set out below:
Total lease payments made during the year amounted to £45,520 (2021: £24,125)
Contractual commitments for the refurbishment work for the office contracted for but not provided in the financial statements amount to £nil (2021 - £nil).
The company is limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The liability of its members is limited to £1 per member.
During the year the charity entered into the following transactions with related parties:
The following amounts were outstanding at the reporting end date:
During the period €19,500 was transferred to the Stichting Institute for Jewish Policy Research, an entity registered in the Netherlands under the control of the charity, for working capital purposes. This amount, included within other debtors, is interest free and repayable on demand.