Progressive Judaism Co-Leads Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Charley Baginsky joined faith and civic figures at the House of Lords for the launch of the Commission on Interfaith Relations: UK Faith Groups and Global Conflicts, convened by the Woolf Institute.
The Commission will be chaired by Dr Ed Kessler MBE, who is also Chair of The Movement for Progressive Judaism. It will assess how international crises are shaping interfaith relations in Britain and provide practical guidance for communities.
Rabbi Josh Levy, Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Dr Ed Kessler
Rabbi Charley spoke at the launch, highlighting why this work is so urgent. She said: “Interfaith relations in the UK are no longer a specialist or peripheral concern; they are a frontline issue for social cohesion, public trust and national resilience.
“Global conflicts now arrive in our communities not only through politics, but through people, relationships, memory and fear. Interfaith relationships have become a frontline test of whether a diverse society can hold together under strain.”
The Commission brings together 14 commissioners from across faith leadership, policing, academia, youth engagement and civil society, with further appointments expected from local government and the media. Running for 18 months, it will gather evidence from national and local levels. Its final report will include recommendations and a ‘playbook’ for local, regional and national bodies.
Other speakers at the launch included Bishop Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy and Imam Saifullah Nasser, who both emphasised the need for sustained engagement, research and dialogue.
The Commission will hold six public participation sessions across the UK in 2026, including events in Leicester, Manchester and Cardiff, before producing its final report and toolkit in 2027. For more information on the commission, please click here.
- Top picture by: Hamza Sohaib