SCoJeC is delighted to announce that we have been awarded a £10,000 grant from the media and entertainment company Sky through the grant-giving organisation, the Corra Foundation.  SCoJeC is the only representative organisation amongst the five recipients of this funding, the others being umbrella organisations that work in community relations, interfaith, and other areas of equality and diversity.

Although the overarching aim of the fund is to support work to tackle racism and antisemitism, we do not want the Jewish Community to be seen through the prism of antisemitism, nor to frame our materials solely in those terms. Although that will be covered, our aim is to use this grant to produce materials that present a positive picture of Jews and Judaism in Scotland. Our aim is therefore to tackle anti-Jewish prejudice by promoting a better understanding of Jews and Judaism in Scotland – our past and our present, our vibrant and diverse histories and stories, as well as the challenges that being Jewish in Scotland can bring.

This funding will be used to create a range of resources under the overall heading of Sharing Jewish Scotland, that will be delivered in schools and elsewhere, to help create a better understanding of our community. The work undertaken will both update existing content and create new, modern content to appeal to wider audiences, and in particular, educators and young people.

We are also delighted to welcome back a familiar face to manage the Sharing Jewish Scotland project – Danielle Bett. Danielle, who previously worked with SCoJeC when she was the Jewish Leadership Council’s Scotland Manager, brings with her a wealth of experience in interfaith and anti-racism initiatives. Danielle said, “This is an exciting opportunity for SCoJeC that I’m certain our community will see great benefit from. I’m looking forward to working with Kirsty and the SCoJeC team again on this unique project.”

We are very grateful to Sky and Corra for this funding and for the exciting opportunity it creates for us to introduce people all over Scotland to our community. We firmly believe that education and engagement are key to tackling ignorance and antisemitism, and key to building bridges and creating new friendships. We look forward to sharing our progress over the coming year.

Carolyn Sawers, Acting Chief Executive of Corra, commented, "We are very excited to be able to support the important work of SCoJeC. This grant is part of a wider package of donations from Sky which Corra is delighted to be delivering to organisations working to tackle racism, including antisemitism. Education is a crucial area for this work: the more we understand, the better we can value and celebrate the diversity of all Scotland's communities."