London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism
UK educational charity studying contemporary antisemitism
| London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Charitable Incorporated Organisation |
| Registration ID | 1199428 |
| Status | Registered charity |
| Headquarters | Unit 136, 116 Ballards Lane, London N3 2DN |
| Location | London, England |
| Key people | Jo De Guia (COO) |
| Website | londonantisemitism.com |
The London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism (LCSCA) is a United Kingdom educational charity that studies contemporary antisemitism and seeks to challenge what it describes as the intellectual underpinnings of antisemitism in public life.[1] It was constituted on 23 June 2022 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation under the foundation model and is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales as charity number 1199428 and with Companies House under number CE029528.[2] The charity states that it maps and describes antisemitism "even where it is angrily denied by much academic orthodoxy" and works with universities while retaining legal independence.[3]
The centre is run by David Hirsh, Academic Director and Chief Executive Officer, who holds an academic post at Goldsmiths, University of London.[1] It supports the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism and a book series with Routledge, hosts conferences and seminar series, awards prizes, and says it provides expert reports to institutions, courts, trade unions and individuals.[2][4]
Objects and activities
The objects recorded in the trustees' reports are to advance education for the public benefit in the definition, history, causes, effects and prevention of antisemitism, and to promote racial harmony by the elimination of antisemitism, including awareness-raising and advocacy, assistance, care and relief for those affected.[2]
Stated aims include challenging antisemitism in public life and contemporary scholarship; supporting universities, academics and students facing hostile campus environments; interdisciplinary research; and acting as a centre of expertise for government, media and Jewish community institutions in Britain.[2] The Charity Commission for England and Wales summarises spending as public events, academic books, commissioned research, and two annual prizes.[5]
Conferences, seminars and publications
In September 2022 the centre held a two-day academic conference on 21st-century antisemitism after a planned public launch was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Organisers reported about 180 participants and 86 presentations.[6] A later international conference was convened at JW3 in the year ended 30 June 2025; responsibility for the 2026 conference was formally passed to the University of Haifa.[2]
The centre runs an online seminar series published on YouTube and the annual Robert Fine Memorial Lecture, held with the University of Westminster.[7][2] It collaborates with the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism, whose editor-in-chief Lesley Klaff is listed as a fellow, and with a Routledge series on contemporary antisemitism.[8][4]
The 2023 report said the centre contributed research and writing on antisemitism to the Home Office Prevent programme and completed a £9,000 project creating teaching materials for the department. It also co-funded open-access publication of research involving David Hirsh and Daniel Allington of King's College London, including work published in Nature.[6]
Governance
Trustees collectively manage the charity. Reports state that trustees received no remuneration or expenses.[2] The board has final say on decisions and states that no resources will be spent on projects that "legitimise, deny, downplay the significance of, or compromise with, antisemitism".[1]
Current trustees
| Name | Role / other affiliation (as given by the centre) | Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Cate Bronstein | Chief Operating and Strategy Officer, Sengii | 5 February 2026 |
| Charlotte Alexandra Henry | Journalist and author | 2 April 2025 |
| Howard Wollman | Former chair, British Sociological Association | 23 June 2022 |
| Derek Bryan Spitz | Barrister, One Essex Court | 23 June 2022 |
| Michael A Salberg | Formerly International Director, Anti-Defamation League | 23 June 2022 |
| Stuart Antony Adams | Partner, Mishcon de Reya | 23 June 2022 |
Charity Commission for England and Wales, Trustees: LONDON CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY ANTISEMITISM Charity Commission, accessed 10 September 2026.
Former trustees
| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| L A Muhlstein | Treasurer in 2023 accounts; resigned 5 April 2025 |
| S Eastmond | Resigned 5 March 2025 |
| J Gerber | Resigned 19 November 2025 |
Patrons
The centre lists Irwin Cotler and John Mann as patrons.
Staff
David Hirsh is Academic Director and CEO. Jo De Guia is Chief Operating Officer. The year ended 30 June 2025 accounts record an average of one employee and staff costs of £48,500, with further sums paid to freelance writers, publishers and researchers. The same year's trustees' report said the charity recruited a permanent fundraising lead and a Head of Volunteering.
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| David Hirsh | Academic Director and CEO |
| Jo De Guia | Chief Operating Officer |
| Yvonne Maxwell | Head of Volunteering |
| Martine Hayes | Administrator |
| Dean Lesser | Fundraising manager (named in a 2025 lecture introduction) |
| Mary Westover | Publishing administrator (named in a 2025 lecture introduction) |
| Danny Louise | Events organiser (named in a 2025 lecture introduction) |
London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, LCSCA Annual Robert Fine Memorial Lecture; Dr Dave Rich YouTube, published 8 December 2025.
Fellows
The centre publishes a large network of fellows and postgraduate fellows. Lesley Klaff is listed as Fellow and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism. Derek Spitz and Charlotte Henry appear both as trustees and as fellows. Adam Dickson is listed as Postgraduate Fellow and Special Advisor. Fellows named on the team page include Adi Schwartz, Amira Halperin, Andrea J Martin, Andre Oboler, André Sebastian Swanström, Andrei S. Markovits, Anna Zawadzka, Ariel Liberman, Avraham Russell Shalev, Ayal Feinberg, Balázs Berkovits, Chloe Pinto, Carol Iskiwitch, Carolyn M Dudek, Cary Nelson, Caryn Block, Chad Alan Goldberg, Charlotte Henry, Charlotte Littlewood, Cynthia Michelle Seton-Rogers, Dani Kranz, Daniel Allington, Daniel Chernilo, Daniel Miehling, Danny Trom, Dave Rich, David Barak-Gorodetsky, Deidre Butler, Derek Spitz, Eitan Oren, Elise Martel Cohen, Elke Rajal, Ephraim Nissan, Eric Heinze, Eve Garrard, Fiyaz Mughal, Florian Hartleb, Gustavo Guzmán, Hila Shachar, Hüseyin Çiçek, Isaac Amon, Ivor Chipkin, Izabella Tabarovsky, Jeffrey Herf, Jeffrey Sherman, Joanna Michlic, John Strawson, Jules Freeman, Julia Pohlmann, Kara Jesella, Karen Milner, Karin Stögner, Katie Cunningham, Lars Rensmann, Leonard Hammer, Leonid Gershovich, Lesley Klaff, Linda Maizels, Maiken Umbach, Maor Shani, Marc Goldberg, Marc Jacobsen, Marc Neugröschel, Marcin Starnawski, Martin Bright, Matthias Küntzel, Meng Yang, Mercédesz Czimbalmos, Navras Jaat Aafreedi, Nikolaus Hagen, Nikolai Schreiter, Pamela Walker, Perla Matusof, Perry Dane, Petr Oskolkov, Philip Spencer, Robin Douglas, Sara Yael Hirschhorn, Shany Mor, Sharon Shahaf, Sheree Trotter, Stefan Christoph, Stephan Grigat, Stephanie Share, Stephen Sussman, Steven K Baum, Suzanne D Rutland, Sylvie Bacquet, Tami Peterson, Tanya Ehmann, Tim Crook, Torkel Brekke, Walter Reich, Yitka Graham, Yaron Matras, Zalman Rothschild and Zbyněk Tarant.
Prizes and awards
The centre awards the £1,000 LCSCA Book Prize for the best book on contemporary antisemitism, the Pete Newbon Award for the greatest contribution to the public understanding of antisemitism, and hosts the annual Robert Fine Memorial Lecture.London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Prizes and Awards londonantisemitism.com, accessed 10 September 2026.
| Year | Robert Fine Memorial Lecturer | LCSCA Book Prize | Pete Newbon Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Howard Jacobson | Camila Bassi, Outcast: How jews were banished from the anti-racist imagination | Tracy-Ann Oberman |
| 2024 | Karin Stögner | Shalom Lappin, The New Antisemitism: the resurgence of an ancient hatred in the modern world | Heidi Bachram |
| 2025 | Dave Rich | Eli Sharabi, Hostage | Nicole Lampert |
Funding and finances
Income is mainly unrestricted donations, event income (tickets and payments for stalls and panels) and publication royalties. The 2023 report said launch and conference costs were met by donations, smaller one-off gifts, regular gifts via CAF Donate and Patreon, ticket sales of over £10,000, and organisational sponsorship from the Anti-Defamation League and through Arzenu (presumably via Arzenu UK). The Charity Commission for England and Wales records £9,060 income from government contracts in the period to 1 July 2023 and none in later published years; that figure corresponds to the Home Office teaching-materials work described in the 2023 report.[9] Later reports refer to "major funders" without naming them. All funds in the published accounts are unrestricted. The reserves policy is to hold unrestricted funds equal to three to six months' expenditure. Public donations are solicited through CAF Donate.[10] In 2022 David Hirsh wrote that the centre needed "£250k a year for three years" from Jewish communal institutions and others. Anthony Julius later appeared in a recorded fundraising appeal for the centre.[11]
| Year ended | Donations and gifts | Charitable activities | Investments | Total income | Total expenditure | Unrestricted funds carried forward | Cash at bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 June 2023 | £68,035 | £24,450 | — | £93,151 | £72,664 | £21,635 | £20,487 |
| 30 June 2024 | £189,797 | £7,810 | £241 | £197,848 | £53,695 | £165,788 | £171,788 |
| 30 June 2025 | £192,538 | £116,734 | £424 | £309,696 | £244,445 | £230,467 | £237,417 |
In 2024–25 charitable-activity income comprised £112,206 from events and £4,528 from publications. Expenditure that year included staff costs £48,500, event costs £91,160, freelance writers, publishers and researchers £59,505, and travelling costs £18,982. No employee was paid more than £60,000.
See also
Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism Antisemitism Policy Trust Campaign Against Antisemitism Community Security Trust
External links
Official website Team Prizes and awards Charity Commission entry Substack CAF Donate page LinkedIn
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, About londonantisemitism.com, accessed 10 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Annual Report and Unaudited Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2025, approved 13 May 2026.
- ↑ London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Home londonantisemitism.com, accessed 10 September 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 David Hirsh, OPINION: How you can help oppose antisemitism in academia Jewish News, 31 August 2022.
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, LONDON CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY ANTISEMITISM - 1199428 Charity Commission, accessed 10 September 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, 2023 Trustees Report and Financial Statements, approved 27 August 2024.
- ↑ London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Annual Report and Unaudited Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2024, approved 7 April 2025.
- ↑ London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Team londonantisemitism.com, accessed 10 September 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, Financial history: LONDON CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY ANTISEMITISM Charity Commission, accessed 10 September 2026.
- ↑ Charities Aid Foundation, London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism - Donate now CAF Donate, accessed 10 September 2026.
- ↑ London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Appeal by Anthony Julius on behalf of the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism YouTube, 26 March 2024.