Vivian Wineman
British Jewish communal leader, lawyer and interfaith activist
| Vivian Wineman | |
| Born | 14 2 1950 (age 76 years old (as of 2026)
) London, England |
|---|---|
| Nationality | |
| Residence | |
| Occupation | Commercial lawyer (retired), Jewish communal leader, Interfaith activist |
| Known for | President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews (2009–2015), Trustee of United Religions Initiative UK |
| Parents | |
| Spouse(s) | Naomi Helen Greenberg |
| Children | 3 (including Naomi Helen, Ronit Margalit and Adina Sara Wineman) |
| Sibling(s) | |
| Website | |
Vivian Wineman (born 14 February 1950) is a British Jewish communal leader, retired commercial lawyer and prominent interfaith activist. He served as President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews from 2009 to 2015 and has held senior roles in several major Jewish and interfaith organisations, including as Co-Chair of the Inter Faith Network for the UK (2013–2017) and Jewish Vice Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews (2018–2021). He is currently a trustee of United Religions Initiative UK (URI UK, charity 1200822) and several other charities. Wineman is widely regarded as a liberal voice within the UK Jewish establishment, having previously co-chaired British Friends of Peace Now and chaired the New Israel Fund UK of Great Britain.
Born in London to Joseph and Devorah Wineman, he studied at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh in 'Israel' before reading Philosophy and History at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. He practised as a commercial lawyer specialising in insolvency for many years before devoting himself full-time to Jewish communal and interfaith work. Wineman is married to Naomi Helen Greenberg and has three daughters.
Early life and education
Vivian Wineman was born on 14 February 1950 in London, England, to Joseph Wineman and Devorah Wineman. After secondary education at the City of London School, he spent time studying at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh near Ashdod in 'Israel', where he deepened his Jewish learning and became fluent in Hebrew. He then attended onville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he studied Philosophy and History.
Legal career
Wineman worked for many years as a commercial lawyer in private practice in London, specialising in insolvency and corporate recovery. He retired from full-time legal practice to focus on communal leadership.
Jewish communal and Zionist activism
Wineman has been a significant figure in UK Jewish leadership for over two decades. He was a co-chair of British Friends of Peace Now and chair of the New Israel Fund of Great Britain, reflecting a relatively dovish stance within the Zionist spectrum. He was elected President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews on 17 May 2009 and took office on 1 June 2009, serving two terms until 2015. During his presidency he focused on communal unity, interfaith relations, and representing British Jewry to government and internationally. In 2013 he was elected to leadership positions in the European Jewish Congress and World Jewish Congress.
Interfaith activities
Wineman has a long-standing commitment to interfaith dialogue. He served as Vice-Chair of the Inter Faith Network for the UK from 2007 and was elected Co-Chair on 1 July 2013, serving until 2017. From 2018 to 2021 he was Jewish Vice Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews. He is currently a trustee of United Religions Initiative UK and has been involved with other interfaith bodies including the Next Century Foundation.
Detailed timeline
- **14 February 1950**: Born in London to Joseph and Devorah Wineman.
- **Late 1960s / early 1970s**: Studied at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, Israel.
- **1970s**: Read Philosophy and History at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.
- **1980s–2000s**: Practised as a commercial lawyer specialising in insolvency.
- **2007**: Appointed Vice-Chair of the Inter Faith Network for the UK.
- **17 May 2009**: Elected President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
- **1 June 2009**: Took office as President (served until 2015).
- **1 July 2013**: Elected Co-Chair of the Inter Faith Network for the UK (until 2017).
- **November 2013**: Elected Chairman of the Council of the European Jewish Congress.
- **2013**: Elected Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress.
- **2018–2021**: Served as Jewish Vice Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews.
- **2022–present**: Trustee of United Religions Initiative UK (charity 1200822).
- **Ongoing**: Trustee of multiple charities including the Wineman Charitable Trust, Institute for Polish-Jewish Studies, and others; President of the Institute of Polish Jewish Studies.
Contribution to laundering and normalising Zionism
As a senior figure in both mainstream Jewish leadership and interfaith bodies, Wineman's work has been criticised for contributing to the normalisation of the Zionist entity. His leadership of the Board of Deputies and involvement in interfaith platforms such as URI UK and the Council of Christians and Jews has helped embed harmonious religious dialogue that presents the settler colony as a legitimate partner in "peace" and "coexistence" efforts, while downplaying or avoiding substantive criticism of its occupation and apartheid policies in Palestine. This aligns with broader patterns of faithwashing identified in anti-Zionist analysis.
See also
United Religions Initiative UK Council of Christians and Jews Board of Deputies of British Jews