The S&P Sephardi Community is dedicated to safeguarding and preserving your privacy when visiting our site or communicating electronically with us.

This Privacy Policy, together with our terms and conditions, explains what happens to any personal data that you provide to us, or that we collect from you when you are on this site.

We do update this Policy from time to time so please do return and review this Policy regularly.

This Privacy Notice explains in detail the types of personal data we may collect about you when you interact with us. It also explains how we’ll store and handle that data, and keep it safe.

We know that there’s a lot of information here but we want you to be fully informed about your rights, and how the S&P Sephardi Community uses your data.

The law on data protection sets out a number of different reasons for which a company may collect and process your personal data, including:

Consent

In specific situations, we can collect and process your data with your consent.

For example, when you tick a box to receive the S&P News or life cycle emails.

Legal compliance

If the law requires us to, we may need to collect and process your data.

For example, we can pass on details of people involved in fraud or other criminal activity.

Legitimate interest

Sometimes we require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way which might reasonably be expected as part of running our services and which does not materially impact your rights, freedom or interests.

For example, we will use your contact information to email you about upcoming Nahalot and membership related matters.

 When do we collect your personal data?

• When you complete one of our membership application forms
• When your sign up to our Newsletter on the S&P website
• When you engage with us on social media
• When your purchase a ticket for one of our events
• When you apply for a grant through one of the welfare charities
• When you complete an application form to join the Sunday school
• When you book a wedding, reserve a burial plot or other lifecycle events
• When you apply to the Beth Din
• When you enter one of our premises which usually have CCTV systems operated for the safety of our Community.

So why do we process your personal data and how is it stored?

Transparency is extremely important to the way we operate and so we would like to let you know exactly why we process your personal data and what happens to the data you give us.

We provide many services to the Sephardi community but here we will mention 8 services which are relevant from a data protection standpoint:

1. Membership
2. Hebra
3. Welfare
4. Beth Din
5. Weddings & Bar/Bat Mitzvas
6. Events and Programmes
7. Sunday School
8. Archives & Genealogy

Below we will explain how we process and store your data within each of these 8 services.

Membership

Step 1.

You complete an application form and submit with supporting documentation

Step 2.

All that information is then inputted into ShulCloud, our cloud based membership database which is hosted in the US. They have signed up to the Privacy Shield which means they will comply with GDPR Legislation. Only a limited number of staff are given access to it

Step 3.

The original forms are then scanned and saved on our secure network

Step 4.

We will then use this information to do our upmost to provide you with a superior membership experience

WE WILL NOT SHARE YOUR DATA WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT GETTING YOUR PRIOR CONSENT.

The data you provide us will only be used in matters relating to your membership including receiving emails notifying you of forthcoming Nahalot, financial obligations, community events & fundraising. In regards to fundraising we use data to identify members who are most likely to financially support community projects.

The legal basis we rely on to contact you as a member, about any of the above matters, is what GDPR refers to as “Legitimate Interest”

In layman terms that means we believe when you sign up as a member you expect and assume we will contact you about general matters relating to your membership. We also assume you have an interest in the future of the community and are happy to receive occasional correspondences relating to fundraising and community events.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO OPT OUT OF ANY OF OUR CORRESPONDENCES PLEASE CONTACT ALAN ABRAHAMS ON THE DEDICATED GDPR HOTLINE 02074321325

Hebra

Step 1.

The Hebra department will always require a number of documents when you apply to join one of the burial schemes or reserve a plot

Step 2.

Your application form and supporting documents will then be scanned and uploaded onto our secure network and specialist software

Step 3.

All information is then stored for the duration of the life of each individual. After their passing all documents must be kept for 15 years by law and are then securely destroyed

The legal basis we rely on to process applicant’s data is “Legitimate Interest”. To be buried in a Jewish Cemetery one must prove their Jewish status and submit any documentation necessary by law. We only require personal information necessary to providing this service.

PLEASE NOTE: information is shared between the S&P head office & the burial grounds.

Welfare

Step 1.

An application for a grant is completed and submitted to the Secretary of the Welfare Charities

Step 2.

The Secretary scans the application form onto the computer and saves  it on our secure network

Step 3.

The data is then presented to the trustees of the charity to decide if funds are allocated or not

Step 4.

All the application forms and ongoing paperwork are then stored on our secure network indefinitely. We believe this information will be of interest to historians in the future. If however you would like us to securely destroy all the paperwork please contact our GDPR hotline on 020 7432 1325

The legal basis we rely on to process applicant’s data is “Legitimate Interest”. As a charity we have an obligation to allocate funds responsibly. To do this we must ask for certain information to help the trustees distribute the available funds appropriately.

The legal basis we rely on to store your data indefinitely is “Public Interest”. We believe these records could be of great value to historians in the future who are researching the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish Community.

Beth Din

The Beth Din provides 3 main services: Jewish Divorces, Conversions & adjudication in financial, civil and domestic matters

Step 1.

The Beth Din will always require a number of documents before taking on a case. This will often involve an application form, Jewish status papers and sensitive data relating to the case in hand

Step 2.

Each case is assigned a file in a secure filling cabinet and all related  documents are safely stored in that file

Step 3.

Files are never destroyed as they contain important information that  may be needed to resolve future cases or for future generations to trace their Jewish status

The legal basis we rely on to process applicant’s data is “Legitimate Interest.” To enable the Beth Din to judge a case fairly or issue certification they must obtain all relevant information. Only personal data which is completely necessary will be collected and stored.

Weddings & Bar/Bat Mitzvah’s

Step 1.

You complete a form along with Jewish status papers where applicable

Step 2.

All forms and documents are scanned and stored on our secure internal network

Step 3.

Your documents are submitted to the Beth Din for approval

Step 4.

In relation to weddings your Information is given to the officiating Rabbi and the secretary to marriage

Step 5.

After a wedding the couple receive one year’s free membership and receive a welcome pack in the post

Step 6.

When the year is up an email is sent to confirm if the couple would like to keep their membership

Step 7.

All membership forms, documentation and Jewish status papers are retained indefinitely since they can be extremely important to future generations to trace their Jewish Status

The legal basis we rely on for process applicant’s data is “Legitimate Interest.” Proving Jewish status is essential to becoming a member of our Community, getting married under our auspices and holding a Jewish celebration on our premises. Only personal data which is completely necessary is collected and stored.

Events & Programmes

Step 1.

You complete an online form to sign up to an event

Step 2.

Your information is then stored on the back end of our secure website

Step 3.

The information you provide will then only be used for that particular  event. However, if you give us explicit permission to use those details to contact you about other events we will be sure to keep you updated

The legal basis we rely on is legitimate interest. If you sign up to one of our events we assume you would like to be informed of all matters related to that event.

Sunday School

Step 1.

You complete an online application form for your child

Step 2.

The application form is securely stored in a locked filing cabinet

Step 3.

All relevant information such as medical details and allergies is communicated to the teachers

Step 4.

Once your child leaves the Sunday school we keep their information on file for 1 year and then it is securely destroyed

The legal basis we rely on to process applicant’s data is “Legitimate Interest.” The Sunday school must obtain personal information on each child in order to provide a safe and secure environment. Only personal data which is completely necessary is collected and stored.

Archives & Genealogy

Our archives contain historical records dating from the 17th century to the end of the 19th century. However, the archive department will keep any records that they believe to be of historical interest and they continue to build on their collections.

The archive room is always kept locked and is only opened when the archive team are present.

The legal basis we rely on to process this data is “Public Interest” There are many historians around the world who have a keen interest in the Spanish & Portuguese community. It’s our responsibility to safely archive all relevant records and historical data.

Use of Cookies

We may on occasion gather information regarding your computer whilst you are on our website. This enables us to improve our services and to provide statistical information regarding the use of our website to our advertisers where appropriate.

Such information will not identify you personally it is statistical data about our visitors and their use of our site. This statistical data does not identify any personal details whatsoever.
Similarly to the above, we may gather information about your general internet use by using a cookie file.  Where used, these cookies are downloaded to your computer automatically.

This cookie file is stored on the hard drive of your computer as cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive. They help us to improve our website and the service that we provide to you.

All computers have the ability to decline cookies.  This can be done by activating the setting on your browser which enables you to decline the cookies. Please note that should you choose to decline cookies, you may be unable to access particular parts of our website.

Our advertisers may also use cookies, over which we have no control.  Such cookies (if used) would be downloaded once you click on advertisements on our website.

We may collect information about your computer, including your IP address, operating system and browser type, for system administration and in order to create reports. This is statistical data about our users’ browsing actions and patterns, and does not identify any individual.

The only cookies in use on our site are for Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a web analytics tool that helps website owners understand how visitors engage with their website.

Google Analytics customers can view a variety of reports about how visitors interact with their website so that they can improve it.

Like many services, Google Analytics uses first-party cookies to track visitor interactions as in our case, where they are used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We then use the information to compile reports and to help us improve our site.
Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive. These cookies are used to store information, such as the time that the current visit occurred, whether the visitor has been to the site before and what site referred the visitor to the web page. The information collected by Google Analytics will be stored for 26 months and then deleted.

Google Analytics collects information anonymously. It reports website trends without identifying individual visitors. You can opt out of Google Analytics without affecting how you visit our site – for more information on opting out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites you use, visit this Google page.

DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS?

• If you are concerned about how your personal data is being used or any other matter relating to data protection please contact Alan Abrahams on the dedicated GDPR hotline on 02074321325
• If you would like to contact the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) directly please call their helpline on: 0303 123 1113
• If you would like to exercise your right to erasure, please contact Alan Abrahams on the dedicated GDPR hotline on 02074321325