The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland

The Jewish Representative Council of Ireland (JRCI) is the main body representing the Jewish community in the Republic of Ireland (about 4,500 members in the late 1940s[1], and 2,193 individuals according to the 2022 Census).[2][3] It was established in 1938[4] as an umbrella organisation that brings under one roof Jewish institutions and groups across the country[1] and also serves as Ireland’s affiliate to the World Jewish Congress.[5][6]

The council speaks up for the Irish Jewish community when dealing with the Irish government[7], the media, other religious groups, and the general public. Its main areas of work include tackling antisemitism, helping people report hate crimes, keeping community life going, supporting Jewish education, and promoting good relations between different faiths.[2][4][6][8]

As of 2026, the council is chaired by Maurice Cohen and is based at Herzog House in Dublin.[3][8]

In recent years, the JRCI has become much more vocal about what it sees as a rising problem of antisemitism in Ireland. The organisation has presented many evidences to Irish parliamentary committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee in 2025, and has made several public statements with regard to governmental policies and public events affecting the Jewish community in Ireland.[8][9]

In mid-2025, as due to rising numbers of antisemitic incidents, the JRCI launched Ireland’s first community-run system for reporting antisemitic incidents.[8] In March 2026, the council put out its first report based on these submissions, documenting 143 incidents that took place in the country between July 2025 and January 2026.[3][2] According to the report, the incidents were not “independently investigated or adjudicated”.[3] The report also mentions the lack of an official government system for recording antisemitic incidents in Ireland and called for the development of a national plan to address the issue.[3][2][8][10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Miller, Dr. Rory (28 July 2008). "Ireland's Jews: Past, Present, Future". Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  2. ^ a b c d Conneely, Ailbhe (4 March 2026). "'Deep concern' over number of anti-Semitic incidents in Ireland". RTÉ. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e McGarry, Patsy. "Ireland's Jewish Council reports 143 anti-Semitic incidents in six-month period". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  4. ^ a b Skolnik, Fred; Berenbaum, Michael, eds. (2007). Encyclopaedia Judaica (PDF). Vol. 10 (Inz–Iz) (2nd ed.). Detroit: Thomson Gale. ISBN 9780028660974. OCLC 123527471. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  5. ^ "Jewish Representative Council of Ireland". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-09-05. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  6. ^ a b Congress, World Jewish. "Community in Ireland". World Jewish Congress. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  7. ^ McGarry, Patsy. "Jewish council to write to TDs on how to spot anti-Semitism". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  8. ^ a b c d e Bartov, Shira Li (2026-03-02). "Irish Jews report 143 antisemitic incidents in 6 months; state has no mechanism for reporting antisemitism". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  9. ^ "Opening Remarks: Maurice Cohen, Chairman of the Representative Council of the Jewish Community in Ireland to Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, 7/15/2025 | AJC". www.ajc.org. 2025-07-15. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  10. ^ Dylan (2026-03-02). "Jewish Representative Council of Ireland publishes its first-ever report documenting antisemitic incidents in the country". European Jewish Congress. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
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