Andrew Gordon talks about his Jewish identity and goals for the future as he takes on the role of Chair at Jewish Renaissance

Last month, after 10 years in the post, Ian Lancaster stepped down as our Chairman and we welcomed Andrew Gordon into the role. He has been a member of our Board of Trustees for the past two years and is the son of our first ever Chair, Lionel Gordon. We are delighted to have him chairing the board and have invited him to tell us a little bit about himself…

You've been a member of our Board of Trustees for a little while already. What made you want to step up to the role of Chair?
My family and I spent many years living in Hong Kong and returned to London two years ago. I was keen to plug back into Jewish life and joined the board soon after getting back. Jewish culture in the widest sense is central to my own Jewish identity and JR – through the magazine and all its other activities – feeds and stimulates that interest. This is important to me, so in joining and now chairing the board, I hope to be able to contribute.

How will your past experience help in this position?
I love what JR does – the quality of the magazine, the great team and the breadth of tours, talks and collaborations with other Jewish cultural organisations. My professional background is in banking and running businesses in Asia for international banks, which equips me to support our executive director Aviva Dautch and editor Rebecca Taylor in doing their jobs, and working with the board to ensure that we can continue to deliver the quality that we do.

Which of your goals for JR are you most looking forward to getting stuck into first?
I am the proud father of two daughters (20 and 22) and understand how important it is for young adults to find the best way for each of them to express their Judaism. At JR, we’re very focused on the younger generation and have some exciting programmes coming up for them. We’ve already seen an increase in readership from students at universities both in and outside the UK, and we’re working on an amazing programme for emerging journalists. Look out for our further announcements on that soon.

Do you envision any big challenges arising?
The economy is suffering and, like everyone, we’ve seen an increase in our expenses. We are a charity and we’re extremely grateful to our readers and donors, but we do need to ensure that our activities are sustainable. So, we’ll be doing some fundraising to support what we do today, as well as the new plans that we have.  

Lastly, what's your favourite part of the magazine?
That’s hard – there’s lots to choose from. My wife Pattie and I are always on the lookout for interesting things to do, so love the features on films, and of course the listings. To me, the article on Golda Meir in the summer 2023 issue showed the best of JR – a stimulating article, but also a fascinating online panel discussion involving Golda’s grandson, her biographer, an actress who played her and an academic who has researched her. Go watch it on the JR YouTube channel if you haven’t seen it.

By Danielle Goldstein