LESLIE Lipert has been awarded the Medal of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year Honours list for services to the Jewish Community in Cornwall.

For more than 20 years, Leslie has proven to be a pillar of the Jewish community in the county, working diligently to support and cultivate the local population.

Throughout the last two decades, the 93-year-old has been involved in numerous projects seeking to preserve Jewish history in the area, protecting and restoring at-risk sites.

His work has further allowed for better communal links between the Jewish Community and the wider community in Cornwall, fostering stronger community ties through cooperation and education.

Leslie is currently the treasurer for Kehillat Kernow, a Reform Jewish congregation which was formed in 1999 by members living in Cornwall.

In 2015, the local community celebrated the successful restoration of the Penzance Jewish Cemetery, this restoration was only possible due, in part, to Leslie’s raising of roughly £25,000, including a £13,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

He has contributed further to the preservation of Jewish Heritage in the area through his fundraising for the ongoing restorations at the Ponsharden Cemeteries in Falmouth, raising over £500,000.

On hearing the news on his inclusion in the New Year’s Honours List, Leslie said: “I am absolutely delighted in being made an MBE. I could not have done the things I did over the last twenty-five years in Cornwall without the support of many people associated with “Kehillat Kernow”, (The Jewish Community of Cornwall). In particular my wife Pat, of blessed memory, who died in December 2021.”

To view all ten people from Cornwall who have received honours in HM The King’s New Year Honours List 2025, visit here.