Laura Marks

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This article is about the activist. For the media scholar, see Laura U. Marks.

Laura Marks
CBE
Born (1960-04-26) 26 April 1960 (age 64)
London, UK
SpouseDan Patterson
Children3

Laura Elizabeth Marks CBE (born 26 April 1960) is an inter-faith social activist, policy adviser, writer and media commentator. Marks has founded and chaired social organisations including Mitzvah Day International and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.[1]

Early life and career[edit]

Marks was raised in North-West London, attending South Hampstead High School and Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls.[2] Her family were members of Elstree and District Reform Synagogue and Marks was a member of the youth group Habonim Dror.[3] She graduated from University College London before training as a teacher at the UCL Institute of Education. Marks later undertook a Commonwealth Scholarship to Canada for an M.Ed. Marks joined Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO in 1987, becoming planning director.[4] In 1997, Marks left AMV BBDO to start her own planning consultancy. Between 1994 and 1998, Marks also served as chair of the Association of Qualitative Research Practitioners.[5]

Mitzvah Day[edit]

In 2005, Marks founded Mitzvah Day International, an annual day of faith-based social action that takes place in November each year.[6] Marks has said that the inspiration for Mitzvah Day International came after she was asked to sing in an old people's home while living in Los Angeles.[7] Since its establishment, Mitzvah Day International has both become the UK's largest faith-led day of social action and spread to numerous cities internationally with over 40,000 participants now taking part worldwide each year.[8][9]

Other causes[edit]

In 2011, Marks founded and chaired the Commission on Women in Jewish Leadership and in 2020 relaunched the independent Alliance of Jewish Women and their Organisations.[10][11] She is a trustee of both the Jewish Leadership Council and the Commonwealth Jewish Council.[12][13] Between 2012 and 2015, Marks served as the Elected Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.[14] In 2016, Marks became Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, a UK charity that supports and promotes Holocaust Memorial Day by working to educate people about the dangers of hatred.[15] In 2017, Marks co-founded Nisa-Nashim, a national Jewish Muslim women's network that works to connect the Jewish and Muslim communities by empowering women.[16] As of early 2020, Nisa-Nashim has 26 local UK groups and is the fastest growing initiative between the Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe.[17] Marks’ other inter-faith work with the Muslim community includes involvement with Sadaqa Day.[18] She regularly speaks at interfaith events including the New Horizons Conference.[19] In 2019, Marks was appointed to the Mayor of London's Equalities Diversity and Inclusion committee.[20]

Media engagement[edit]

Marks sits on the board of the Jewish News.[21] She is a regular media commentator, contributing to platforms including BBC Radio 2 Pause for Thought, BBC Breakfast, BBC London News, HuffPost, Evening Standard, The Jewish Chronicle, Jewish News, The Times of Israel and the Ham & High.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]

Honours[edit]

Marks was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to interfaith relations.[30] In the same year, The Jewish Chronicle named her one of the ten most influential British Jews in "The JC Power 100".[31] She was awarded the Archbishop of Canterbury's Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation in 2019.[32]

She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to inter-faith relations, Holocaust education and commemoration, and women's empowerment.[33]

Personal life[edit]

Marks is married to Dan Patterson, a television producer.[34] They have three children and live in Primrose Hill, London.[35][36] She is a member of North Western Reform Synagogue.[37]

Publications[edit]

In September 2020 Marks will be publishing a book focussed on the application of qualitative research.[38]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Laura Marks's Blog". blogs.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  2. ^ https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-jewish-chronicle/20120615/283338994326912. Retrieved 19 March 2020 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-jewish-chronicle/20120615/283338994326912. Retrieved 18 March 2020 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-jewish-chronicle/20120615/283338994326912. Retrieved 18 March 2020 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ "Laura Marks leaves AMV BBDO to create planning company". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Thousands turn out for Mitzvah Day". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  7. ^ Getzels, Rachael (20 October 2012). "Founder of Mitzvah Day says we need to make time for the elderly". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  8. ^ Rothstein, Simon. "Mitzvah Day 10th anniversary: 10 good reasons to do good deeds!". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  9. ^ "Forty thousand due to take part in global Mitzvah Day". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  10. ^ "The impact of WJL". The Jewish Leadership Council. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  11. ^ Reporter, Jewish News. "Consultation finds 77 percent think community hasn't achieved gender equality". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  12. ^ "JLC elects new trustees, Louise Jacobs, Laura Marks OBE and Keith Black". The Jewish Leadership Council. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  13. ^ "LEADERSHIP". COMMONWEALTH JEWISH COUNCIL. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  14. ^ "The Team – Nisa-Nashim". www.nisanashim.org. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  15. ^ Mendel, Jack. "Mitzvah Day founder appointed Shoah charity's trustee chair". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  16. ^ Peled, Daniella (7 March 2017). "Britain's Jewish and Muslim Women Look for Common Ground - So Israel Is Off the Agenda". Haaretz. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  17. ^ "Jewish and Muslim women advance bridge-building partnership". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  18. ^ "'Our faiths are more united than divided'". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  19. ^ "Jewish and Muslim women challenging the narrative, by Julie Siddiqi and Laura Marks - New Horizons". www.nhorizons.org. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  20. ^ "Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Group". London City Hall. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  21. ^ Ferrer, Richard. "Laura Marks joins Jewish News board". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  22. ^ "BBC Radio 2 - Pause For Thought, Pause For Thought: "We were slaves, but now we are free."". BBC. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  23. ^ Trust, Holocaust Memorial Day (27 January 2020). "HMDT Chair, @Laura_E_Marks, is on @BBCBreakfast speaking about the importance of marking #HolocaustMemorialDay and the diverse range of activities happening across the UK today for #HMD2020.pic.twitter.com/EWkYAevUnZ". @HMD_UK. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  24. ^ "HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media". consent.yahoo.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  25. ^ "Laura Marks". Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  26. ^ "Remembering the Roma". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  27. ^ "Laura Marks". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  28. ^ Laura Marks OBE, founder and chairwoman of Mitzvah Day (21 November 2019). "Opinion: Mitzvah Day celebrates 'shared values'". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  29. ^ "Laura Marks". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  30. ^ Lamden, Tim (2 January 2015). "Mitzvah Day founder made OBE for services to interfaith relations". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  31. ^ "JC Power 100 2014". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  32. ^ "Archbishop of Canterbury presents 2019 Lambeth Awards". The Archbishop of Canterbury. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  33. ^ "No. 64082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2023. p. B10.
  34. ^ Round, Simon. "Interview: Dan Patterson - Why 'Mock The Week' man is out for a Duck". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  35. ^ "Mitzvah Day grew into a celebration of family". blogs.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  36. ^ Burke, Dave (9 December 2015). "Hampstead Mitzvah Day volunteer picks up Downing Street award from Theresa May". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  37. ^ https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-jewish-chronicle/20120615/283338994326912. Retrieved 18 March 2020 – via PressReader. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  38. ^ Marks, Laura (2000). Qualitative Research in Context. Admap Publications. ISBN 1841160636.
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