Marie van der Zyl
Marie Sarah van der Zyl (née Kaye; born November 1965) is the 48th President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. She was elected in May 2018[1] and re-elected in May 2021.[2]
Early life and career[]
Van der Zyl grew up in South Woodford, London, the daughter of Barry Kaye, who was in tailoring, and his wife Szusanne, a beautician. She attended the local comprehensive school,[3] and took a law degree at Liverpool Polytechnic (now Liverpool John Moores University).[4]
Specialising in employment law because, she says, "I have always felt a real sense of justice and fairness", she defended gentlemen’s club chain Stringfellows in 2012, successfully arguing that the claimant, a lap dancer, was self-employed.[5]
Board of Deputies of British Jews[]
Van der Zyl was initially a Deputy for the Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade.[6] She took office as President on 1 June 2018, succeeding Jonathan Arkush, who did not seek re-election.[1][7] She is the second ever woman and fourth lawyer in a row to hold the role.[8] She is a self-described "fighter" and takes as a compliment the comparison that "the only difference between me and a Rottweiler is that a Rottweiler eventually lets go".[9]
Her visits to her grandparents gave her, she says, "a great passion for Israel"[3] and she believes that the Board exists "to promote a sympathetic understanding of Israel."[5] She has pledged to "defend Israel’s legitimacy and its centrality to Jewish identity".[10]
In 2018, The Jerusalem Post ranked her as the 40th most influential Jew.[11]
Other roles[]
Van der Zyl is an associate member of Mill Hill United Synagogue and a member of the management board of West London Synagogue.[10] She is a trustee of the Jewish Leadership Council.[12]
Personal life[]
Van der Zyl lives in Mill Hill, London.[6] Her husband Darell is an office furniture supplier and a member of West London Synagogue; they have two daughters.[3] She is the daughter-in-law of voice actress Nikki van der Zyl, whose father was the West London Synagogue rabbi Werner van der Zyl.
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Marie Van der Zyl elected as the new Board of Deputies president". The Jewish Chronicle. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- ^ Harpin, Lee (11 May 2021). "Marie van der Zyl re-elected Board of Deputies president". Jewish News.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Rocker, Simon (18 May 2018). "The making of Marie". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ "Marie van der Zyl: Partner". Gordon Dadds LLP. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Dell, Josh (6 December 2018). "How to represent the British Jewish community?". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Marie van der Zyl Unanimously Voted as JLGB's Deputy". Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
- ^ Sugarman, Daniel (13 March 2018). "Sheila Gewolb and Marie Van der Zyl running for Board of Deputies president". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ Cooper, Zaki (19 May 2018). "Election marks sea change for British Jewry". The Times. Retrieved 6 June 2018. (subscription required)
- ^ Van der Zyl, Marie (18 November 2018). "Engagement does not mean concessions". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Marie van der Zyl announces Board of Deputies presidency bid". Jewish News. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ Chernick, Ilanit; Dell, Josh (9 September 2018). "40. MARIE VAN DER ZYL". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ "Trustees". JLC. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
External links[]
- 1965 births
- Living people
- 21st-century English lawyers
- Alumni of Liverpool John Moores University
- English Jews
- People from Woodford, London
- Presidents of the Board of Deputies of British Jews