Darren Bark resigns ‘with immediate effect’
The announcement from NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip follows reports that Darren Bark had been 'put on unexpected leave' last week.
The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has announced that Darren Bark has resigned as CEO with immediate effect.
In a statement, NSW JBD president David Ossip noted that during Bark’s tenure as CEO he, “successfully advocated for landmark legislation banning Nazi symbols in NSW, secured funding commitments for communal organisations and served as an inaugural member of the NSW Religious Communities Advisory Council.”
The statement added that Bark, “also navigated significant complexity during the COVID pandemic and facilitated shofar blowing during the high holy days whilst the community was still in lockdown.”
Ossip thanked Bark, “for his service to the Board and the NSW Jewish community and wished him well for the future.”
Bark said, “It has been a privilege representing the Jewish community and I thank everyone who I have had the pleasure of working with over the past two years. I wish the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies every success in the future.”
The announcement follows reports last week that Bark had been ‘put on unexpected leave’, with ‘major upheaval’ underway at the state roof body, but no reasons were offered for Bark’s resignation in the statement.
A communal leader, who spoke to The AJN last week on the condition of anonymity, questioned the secrecy around the issue, saying, “The community deserves to know what is going on.”
“Why aren’t things open and transparent at the board? Why don’t we know what’s actually going on?”
Bark commenced in the role in May 2021 after being headhunted for the job. He increased cooperation between faith communities in NSW and was instrumental in the formation of the Religious Communities Advisory Council during the term of the Perrottet government, which strengthened ties between faith groups and the state government.
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