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Jonathan Sacerdoti

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Jonathan Sacerdoti
Born
London, England
Alma materBalliol College, Oxford
Occupation(s)Journalist and campaigner
AwardsHerzl Award

Jonathan Sacerdoti (born 1980) is a British broadcaster, journalist, and TV producer. He covers stories relating to the United Kingdom and Europe, as well as terrorism and extremism stories, race relations,[1] Middle East analysis[2] and the British royal family.[3] He is also a campaigner against antisemitism.

Early life and education

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Jonathan Sacerdoti, Mosab Hassan Yousef, Yoseph Haddad and Natasha Hausdorff in University of Oxford, November 28, 2024

Sacerdoti was born in Camden, Greater London, in 1980,[4] the son of Cesare Sacerdoti and his wife Judith Margulies. His father was a Holocaust survivor, and his grandfather had been an Italian Rabbi. [5]

He is a graduate of the University of Oxford,[6] having studied English Language and Literature at Balliol College, Oxford.

Career

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Broadcast

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As a reporter or expert analyst Sacerdoti has appeared on international TV channels including Sky News, BBC News, ITV news, Channel 4 News, Fox News, Al Jazeera English, NDTV and France 24. In 2013 he became UK correspondent for i24news[7] and in 2020 appeared as a regular UK correspondent on the financial news network Cheddar News.[8][9][10] In 2022 he started to cover the British royal family on Fox News [11] and also recorded the Fox documentary "Who is King Charles III?"[12] In the US he is a regular guest commentator on E! Channel’s Daily Pop as a UK expert.[13] He has also appeared regularly as a co-host and guest on the American publication Us Weekly’s podcasts.[14]

His work as a voice artist includes narrating an English language audiobook of the Quran in 2019.[15]

Journalism and writing

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He writes regularly for various publications including the Daily Express and The Spectator. He had his first byline in a national newspaper when he was 17 years old, writing for The Daily Telegraph.[16][17] He is a Special Correspondent for the Jewish Chronicle newspaper,[18] covering investigations[19] features[20] and major news stories.[21]

In 2020, Sacerdoti was part of a consortium of business and media figures [22][23] which acquired the London-based Jewish Chronicle newspaper. The newspaper was founded in 1841 and is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world.[24] It had announced its intention to seek a creditor’s voluntary liquidation, with 54 journalists and support staff told they would be made redundant, an outcome which was avoided through the consortium’s acquisition of the newspaper.[25]

TV Production

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Sacerdoti worked as a television producer on the Channel 4 breakfast news programme RI:SE[26] and on the Channel 5 news discussion programme The Wright Stuff.[27] He has also worked as a development producer on entertainment and factual programmes for various production companies, including Endemol, where his original format "My Childhood" was commissioned by the BBC and won BAFTA Scotland’s Best Factual Programme 2006. Whilst at Endemol, he worked on the development of the UK version of Deal or No Deal.[28] Between 2005 and 2006, he worked at ITV, and then at Shine TV until 2007.[29] He also set up his own communications and design practice, Sacerdoti Creative Consultancy.[30]

Voluntary work and campaigning

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He was a founding trustee of the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism and its Director of Communications until August 2016.[31][32][33][34]

Sacerdoti is a trustee of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's United Kingdom branch.[35]

He is on the council of The Montefiore Endowment, a charity which administers the endowment of the 19th-century British philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore.[36] He also represented the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation on the Board of Deputies of British Jews and has been a member of its International Division.[37]

Antiracism

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As a journalist and a campaigner Sacerdoti has made many high profile public statements about antisemitism and other racisms, as well as about the Holocaust.[38][39][40] He has spoken about the racial persecution his father experienced as a child under the Italian Racial Laws[41],and written about the members of the Florentine Catholic Church who hid and saved his father as a child during the Shoah.[42][43][44] He argues that true anti-racism requires individuals to act fairly to protect each other, using the example of the Catholic priests and nuns who saved his father’s life: "When faced with the question of what our duty is as citizens of the world, each of us can choose to make a difference, just as they did."[45]

He is critical of the use of the acronyms BAME and BIPOC because they exclude Jewish, Gypsy, Roma and Travellers of Irish Heritage groups, and because they create "linguistic opacity."[46]

He was also critical of Whoopi Goldberg’s comments on The View when she said that the Holocaust was not about race, calling her comments "absolute nonsense" and "outrageous".[47] He questioned Goldberg’s claims of being Jewish and argued against her use of a Jewish stage name, as well as her writing racist anti-black jokes for a white comedian to deliver in blackface.[48] Sacerdoti also criticised Children’s author Roald Dahl’s anti-Jewish racism, suggesting that his "antisemitic attitudes were, and probably remain, widespread among some parts of British society."[49]

He has also written extensively about antisemitism in Arabic language TV broadcasts[50][51][52] as well as about positive interactions between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East.[53][54]

Lectures

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Sacerdoti has spoken both as a keynote speaker and as a panellist at international conferences organised by Harvard University, National Chengchi University in Taiwan, the American University in Dubai and Keio University in Tokyo.[55][56] He has given lectures on the nature of terrorism in Europe.[57] He has debated at the Oxford and Cambridge Union.[58]

BBC News

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He has appeared regularly on BBC News programmes, including on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme[59] and The Moral Maze.[60][61] He was a regular panellist on BBC World’s Dateline London.[62][63][64][65][66]

Awards

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In 2001 Sacerdoti was awarded the Oxford University OxTALENT prize for IT and literature.[29]

In 2010 he was awarded the World Zionist Organization's "Herzl Award".[37]

References

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  1. ^ Puente, Maria (22 March 2021). "Harry & Meghan crisis finds monarchy at reckoning". Life. USA TODAY. p. 5b.
  2. ^ Jonathan Sacerdoti (23 January 2015), "Jonathan Sacerdoti on Sky News: the death of Saudi King Abdullah and implications for the future", Sky News, retrieved 6 April 2018 – via YouTube
  3. ^ Kaonga, Gerrard (5 July 2021). "King Charles will struggle to replace the Queen as monarch: 'Hard act to follow!'". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Jonathan Michael Sacerdoti" in England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007: Camden vol. 14 (Jan/Feb/Mar 1980), p. 2057
  5. ^ "Holocaust's 'righteous' need to be remembered, too, survivor's son says". Crux. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Ones to Watch: 40 Under 40". Jewish News. Times of Israel. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Jonathan Sacerdoti on the UK attack | i24news - See beyond". i24news. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  8. ^ Boris Johnson recovers after hospital and France continues lockdown, retrieved 30 March 2021
  9. ^ Boris Johnson leaves intensive care but remains in hospital, retrieved 30 March 2021
  10. ^ UK government announces £750 million funding for charities hit by COVID-19 crisis., retrieved 30 March 2021
  11. ^ "Prince Harry and Meghan 'treated as part of the family', not as working royals: Royal expert". Fox News. 2022.
  12. ^ Who is King Charles III? (Documentary, Biography), 18 September 2022, retrieved 14 February 2023
  13. ^ 2021 In Review: Meghan Markle & Prince Harry's Bombshell Interview | Daily Pop | E! News, retrieved 5 January 2022
  14. ^ Prince Harry Ex Attends Family Event & Prince Charles On Queen Elizabeth II Health | Royally Us, retrieved 5 January 2022
  15. ^ Sacerdoti, Jonathan (8 February 2023). "How I came to narrate an audiobook of the Quran for an 'extremist' Imam". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  16. ^ Sacerdoti, Jonathan (26 May 1997). "When the going gets tough, Sir Ron gets going". The Daily Telegraph.
  17. ^ IMDB, "Jonathan Sacerdoti Biography", IMDb
  18. ^ Twitter https://twitter.com/jakewsimons/status/1471509016752783371. Retrieved 5 January 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. ^ "Exposed: 'Sleeper cell' of evangelical Christians posing as Orthodox rabbis". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  20. ^ "The Jewish Omar Sharif". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  21. ^ "Education Minister: I want every pupil to see Auschwitz". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  22. ^ Twitter, Charlotte Tobitt (23 April 2020). "Jewish Chronicle under new ownership as consortium's 'very generous' offer accepted". Press Gazette. Retrieved 30 March 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  23. ^ "Jewish Chronicle saved by consortium after messy takeover battle". the Guardian. 23 April 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  24. ^ http://www.cambridge.org/us/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521019133 The Jewish Chronicle and Anglo-Jewry, 1841–1991
  25. ^ "Fury at emergence of rival bid for Jewish Chronicle". Financial Times. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  26. ^ IMDB, "RI:SE Full Cast & Crew", IMDB
  27. ^ IMDB, "The Wright Stuff Full Cast & Crew", IMDB
  28. ^ IMDB, "Deal or No Deal, Full Cast & Crew", IMDB
  29. ^ a b "Jonathan Sacerdoti - Creative Consultant and TV development Producer". www.yatedo.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  30. ^ "Sacerdoti Creative Consultancy". www.sacerdoti.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  31. ^ Jewish News Syndicate "UK’s Jeremy Corbyn says ‘Zionists’ don’t understand British culture", 23 August 2018.
  32. ^ Ynet News "Corbyn in 2013: ‘British Zionists don’t get British irony’", Ynet, Israel, 24 August 2018.
  33. ^ "Welcome Stephen and Binyomin, farewell Jonathan and Angela". Campaign Against Antisemitism. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  34. ^ Puente, Maria (22 March 2021). "Harry & Meghan crisis finds monarchy at reckoning". USA TODAY. p. Life 5b.
  35. ^ "Charity Details". beta.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  36. ^ "The Montefiore Endowment – Montefiore Endowment". www.montefioreendowment.org.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  37. ^ a b "MJC Calendar". www.liverpooljewish.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  38. ^ "Jonathan Sacerdoti". UK Jewish Film. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  39. ^ Sacerdoti, Jonathan (7 December 2020). "Should we judge Roald Dahl's work by his anti-Semitism? | The Spectator". www.spectator.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  40. ^ Sacerdoti, Jonathan (27 February 2021). "The trouble with 'BAME' | The Spectator". www.spectator.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  41. ^ Twitter https://twitter.com/lbc/status/1488442354155540480. Retrieved 8 February 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  42. ^ "How should we honor the 'angels' of the Holocaust when they're gone?". The Spectator World. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  43. ^ "Holocaust's 'righteous' need to be remembered, too, survivor's son says". cruxnow.com. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  44. ^ "Holocaust's 'righteous' need to be remembered, too, survivor's son says | The Long Island Catholic". licatholic.org. Archived from the original on 8 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  45. ^ "How should we honor the 'angels' of the Holocaust when they're gone?". The Spectator World. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  46. ^ "The trouble with 'BAME' | The Spectator". www.spectator.co.uk. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  47. ^ "Login • Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  48. ^ "Will the real Whoopi Goldberg please stand up?". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  49. ^ Sacerdoti, Jonathan (7 December 2020). "Should we judge Roald Dahl's work by his anti-Semitism? | The Spectator". www.spectator.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  50. ^ "BBC journalist praised the 'exquisite journalism' of Holocaust revisionist". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  51. ^ "Systematic BBC Arabic bias revealed". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  52. ^ "BBC Arabic anchor defends David Miller". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  53. ^ "Meet the Arab Zionists: A new generation of online pioneers". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  54. ^ "Pioneering Israeli journalist is first to land a job at Emirati paper". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  55. ^ http://christinapaschyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2013_HPAIR_ACONF_Handbook_Compressed-1.pdf [dead link‍]
  56. ^ "Jonathan Sacerdoti". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  57. ^ "Funzing Talks | Terrorism in Europe". uk.funzing.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  58. ^ The Cambridge Union (29 April 2013), This House Believes it is Western Hypocrisy to Condemn Iran's Nuclear Aspirations, retrieved 6 April 2018
  59. ^ Jonathan Sacerdoti on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, discussing Saturday night TV, retrieved 30 March 2021
  60. ^ "The Moral Maze: boycotts". Harry's Place. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  61. ^ ethanrmorgan (23 February 2016). "On the Proposal to Ban Boycotting by Public Bodies". University of York's English Pen Society. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  62. ^ Sela, Hadar (15 February 2021). "BBC clarifies inaccurate 'Dateline London' claim about Oslo Accords and Palestinian healthcare". CAMERA UK. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  63. ^ Jonathan Sacerdoti on BBC Dateline London, 2nd August 2014, retrieved 30 March 2021
  64. ^ Salisbury, Josh. "BBC backtracks over claim Israel is responsible for vaccinating Palestinians". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  65. ^ BBC Dateline London, with Jonathan Sacerdoti, Stephanie Baker, Janet Daley and Mustapha Karkouti, retrieved 30 March 2021
  66. ^ Dateline London 1 February 2020, the Trump peace plan and Brexit Day, retrieved 30 March 2021
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