25% of NSW Deputies under 30

Boding well for the NSW community’s future was the election of 19 members of the community under the age of 30 as deputies in the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies election.

More than 10,000 votes were counted for the election in which 94 candidates vied for 77 spots. The entire membership was entitled to cast their votes through the postal service.

“This method of engagement and the significant communal input into the election process are what makes the Board unique and gives it the authority to act in its role as the peak body” said Board President Yair Miller. He added that “when we add to that the Deputies representing our 63 constituent organisations, we have a truly representative model.”

The elected group is a combination of those re-elected and new delegates. Many deputies have served for several decades, while there are 19 deputies under the age of 30, representing a wide demographic of the community. There are those who strongly identify with the right and the left on the Australian and Israeli political spectrums and those who identify as Orthodox, Progressive and non practising. Each will serve a two year term from January 2012 to December 2013.

Miller congratulated the new deputies and said: “This is a great outcome. The experience of our re-elected deputies, the addition of the new faces, and a generous representation of young adults, are a testament and clear indication of the exceptional interest and growing awareness of the meaningful work that the Board of Deputies does, coupled with a genuine desire to get involved and make a difference.

“We warmly welcome every one of the elected deputies and look forward to their active participation.”