My thought for the day broadcast on BBC WM Sunday 13th February 2011

I have now been living in Birmingham for 5 and half years and I have to say, as a London boy, I enjoy it. I like the city. In fact in many ways more than London. Like London, Birmingham is certainly what one would call a multicultural city and proud of it too.

Multiculturalism is a of course a hot topic at the moment with a number of prominent European leaders, most recently David Cameron, saying that it has been a failure. I agree. It has been. But it does not have to be,

Success or failure all depends on our definition and expectation of the matter.

Now I am no professor on the subject nor have I studied the subject in length but for my mind, as a religious leader, it has been a failure because of what it has led to.

It has led to pockets of communities living next to each other, quite rightly strengthening their own culture and identity in their own communities but too often at the expense of respect for others. I and my colleagues are frequently taunted to and from synagogue or simply in town shopping in the bullring, most often by groups of teenagers from ethnic backgrounds themselves – the irony of this is shocking, not to mention the experience itself.

Jews have been in Britain for a very long time and we have a long and proud heritage here particularly in our contribution to civic society. Ours is a lesson others can learn from. We integrated and integrate well and we feel indebted to Britain which is why we integrate.

Yes there is a need for a national identity that we can all sign up to, that we can all be proud of, yes it is lacking and yes a debate does need to be had about what it means to be British, how we can be proud of that and how people from all backgrounds can fit into that without compromising their own values.

However for it to truly work, and by work I mean lead to harmony and peace, there needs to be mutual respect. We need to respect each other’s differences.

A British identity needs to be based on shared universal values, social values such as the strength of family, respect for the law, and being a moral society whilst at the same time enabling each person, no matter what colour or creed, to retain and be proud of their own culture. The two are not contradictory.

That for me is multiculturalism – it is a life I aspire to and preach to my own community. I encourage others to follow.