Laura Marks

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

Laura Marks

OBE
Born (1960-04-26) April 26, 1960
London, UK
Spouse(s)Dan Patterson
Children3

Early life and career

Marks grew up in North-West London, attending South Hampstead High School and Haberdashers' Aske's School for Girls.[2] 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 was a member of the youth group Habonim Dror. Her family were members of Elstree and District Reform Synagogue.[3]

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

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 when 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

Marks is co-founder of Nisa-Nashim, a national Jewish Muslim women's network that works to connect the Jewish and Muslim communities by empowering women.[10] 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.[11]

Marks’ other inter-faith work with the Muslim community includes involvement with Sadaqa Day.[12] She regularly speaks at interfaith events including the New Horizons Conference.[13]

In 2016 Marks became Chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, a government-founded UK charity that supports and promotes Holocaust Memorial Day by working to educate people about the dangers of hatred.[14]

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.[15][16] She is a trustee of both the Jewish Leadership Council and the Commonwealth Jewish Council.[17][18]

In 2019 Marks was appointed to the Mayor of London's Equalities Diversity and Inclusion committee.[19]

Between 2012 and 2015 Marks served as the Elected Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.[20]

Media engagement

Marks 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.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]

The Jewish Chronicle named Marks in the top ten most influential British Jews in "The JC Power 100" in 2014.[29] Marks sits on the board of the Jewish News.[30]

Honours

In 2014 Marks was made an OBE for services to interfaith relations.[31]

Marks was awarded the Archbishop of Canterbury's Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation in 2019.[32]

Personal life

Marks is married to Dan Patterson, a television producer.[33] They have three children and live in Primrose Hill, London.[34][35] She is a member of North Western Reform Synagogue.[36]

Publications

In September 2020 Marks will be publishing a book focussed on the application of qualitative research.[37]

References
  1. "Laura Marks's Blog". blogs.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  2. "PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
  3. "PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  4. "PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  5. "Laura Marks leaves AMV BBDO to create planning company". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  6. "Thousands turn out for Mitzvah Day". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  7. Getzels, Rachael. "Founder of Mitzvah Day says we need to make time for the elderly". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  8. Rothstein, Simon. "Mitzvah Day 10th anniversary: 10 good reasons to do good deeds!". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  9. "Forty thousand due to take part in global Mitzvah Day". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  10. Peled, Daniella (2017-03-07). "Britain's Jewish and Muslim Women Look for Common Ground - So Israel Is Off the Agenda". Haaretz. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  11. "Jewish and Muslim women advance bridge-building partnership". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  12. "'Our faiths are more united than divided'". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  13. "Jewish and Muslim women challenging the narrative, by Julie Siddiqi and Laura Marks - New Horizons". www.nhorizons.org. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  14. Mendel, Jack. "Mitzvah Day founder appointed Shoah charity's trustee chair". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  15. "The impact of WJL". The Jewish Leadership Council. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  16. Reporter, Jewish News. "Consultation finds 77 percent think community hasn't achieved gender equality". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  17. "JLC elects new trustees, Louise Jacobs, Laura Marks OBE and Keith Black". The Jewish Leadership Council. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  18. "LEADERSHIP". COMMONWEALTH JEWISH COUNCIL. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  19. "Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Group". London City Hall. 2019-02-05. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  20. "The Team – Nisa-Nashim". www.nisanashim.org. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  21. "BBC Radio 2 - Pause For Thought, Pause For Thought: "We were slaves, but now we are free."". BBC. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  22. Trust, Holocaust Memorial Day (2020-01-27). "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 2020-03-18.
  23. "HuffPost is now a part of Verizon Media". consent.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  24. "Laura Marks". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  25. "Remembering the Roma". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  26. "Laura Marks". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  27. Laura Marks OBE, founder and chairwoman of Mitzvah Day. "Opinion: Mitzvah Day celebrates 'shared values'". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  28. "Laura Marks". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  29. "JC Power 100 2014". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  30. Ferrer, Richard. "Laura Marks joins Jewish News board". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  31. Lamden, Tim. "Mitzvah Day founder made OBE for services to interfaith relations". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  32. "Archbishop of Canterbury presents 2019 Lambeth Awards". The Archbishop of Canterbury. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  33. Round, Simon. "Interview: Dan Patterson - Why 'Mock The Week' man is out for a Duck". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  34. "Mitzvah Day grew into a celebration of family". blogs.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  35. Burke, Dave. "Hampstead Mitzvah Day volunteer picks up Downing Street award from Theresa May". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  36. "PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines". www.pressreader.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  37. www.amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Qualitative-Research-Context-Laura-Marks/dp/1841160636. Retrieved 2020-03-19. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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