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A popular east London venue has been reported to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) amid claims it has turned down events "because they are Jewish". The Jewish Community Council (JCC) alleges The Troxy theatre in Limehouse has adopted a rigid policy since the October 7 attacks, rejecting numerous bookings for Jewish-related events. The Troxy has defended itself against the accusation and says booking decisions are "never based on faith or race", The Sunday Telegraph reports. Among the groups demanding in inquiry is children's charity, the Yachad Foundation (Kids in Pain), which supports local orphaned and disadvantaged children. It claims the venue rejected a booking featuring orthodox Jewish singer Yaakov Shwekey. The Troxy also declined to host a concert for American Jewish singer Benny Friedman, as well as an event for charity Crohn's and Colitis Relief, which mainly supports the Jewish Ashkenazi community who have a high incident rate of the diseases. The JCC has submitted evidence to the EHRC which it states shows the theatre's management "appear to have adopted a discriminatory policy refusing to host any Jewish-related events". The organisation alleges Orthodox Jewish event organisers have received hostile treatment from Troxy staff since October 7, a claim which the Troxy states is "entirely false" and "without foundation". Rabbi Schapiro, director of the JCC and founder of the Yachad foundation, accused a manager at the Troxy of telling him directly during a phone call that they “do not accept Jewish bookings”, before hanging up on him The EHRC will make an initial assessment of the claims before deciding whether or not to open a formal investigation. The Troxy states the bookings were rejected because they did not fulfil its standard risk and safety assessments. Rabbi Schapiro said: "I personally attempted to hire the Troxy for a community event and was likewise refused – again, without justification other than the Jewish identity of the organisers. “This form of blatant discrimination is unacceptable in modern Britain. Jewish lives matter, and there must be no place for anti-Semitic exclusion in public venues or the cultural sector. “Despite repeated efforts by myself and other community representatives to engage constructively with the owners and clarify that our events are local and unrelated to Israel, the response has consistently been a cold and dismissive 'Sorry, we can’t help you.'" The art deco theatre has capacity for 3,000 and has staged several Jewish events since the event of October 7, including a gay-themed 'Buttmitzvah' club night on two occasions. In October, it hosted a Gig for Gaza which raised over £125,000 in humanitarian relief. It featured Paul Weller, the Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap and Paloma Faith. The Troxy cinema was founded in 1933 by Maurice Cheepen, a Jewish immigrant from Nazi Germany. Located in Limehouse, home to one of London's oldest Jewish communities, the venue has historically been sought after for community and cultural gatherings. In the 1960s, singer Helen Shapiro - granddaughter of Russian Jewish immigrants - performed there, as did Sir Cliff Richard, while recent headliners include Patti Smith and Robbie Williams. The King also visited the theatre for a community business event in 2015. Tom Sutton-Roberts, managing director of the Troxy, said the proposed concert for Benny Friedman concert did not meet its “risk assessment requirements” as the performer did not have venue references and had “not previously delivered a publicly ticketed concert for 2,000-2,500 attendees”. He added the Crohn’s and Colitis Relief events were scheduled alongside the Yachad Foundation gala evening, which did not take place as it was “deemed high-risk”. He said: "In fact the event organisers themselves stated that ‘as the concert is a solidarity event for what’s going on in Israel, due to security and to keep the attention minimal we would only advise ticket holders [of] the venue a day or so before the event’.” "We do not operate under any discriminatory policies or viewpoints when hosting events organised by any faith group, including those within the Jewish community. We remain firmly committed to being an inclusive venue and have hosted numerous Jewish community events over the years." The JCC rejects Mr Sutton-Roberts' version of events and said the Yachad event had "nothing to do with Israel". A spokesman for the EHRC said: "We consider each complaint carefully and take action where appropriate. We have received this correspondence and are considering the concerns raised." The JCC and The Troxy have been approached for comment.
