The actor has been vocal about antisemitism in the UK
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
Tracy-Ann Oberman says that her activism has “given me a voice and enhanced my career”.
The 59-year-old actor, widely recognised for her roles as Chrissie Watts in EastEnders and Auntie Val in Friday Night Dinner, is a vocal advocate for the Jewish community.
She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2025 for her work in Holocaust education and combating antisemitism.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Oberman said that she had noticed a “herd mentality” within the entertainment industry.
“What I noticed is that what people would say publicly and what they would say privately are very different things.”
She recalled her great-grandmother, who spoke in “broken Yiddish”, saying: “When they’re burning down your village and you look around for the neighbours and they’re not there, you’ve got to save yourself.”
She added: “I think it’s been quite traumatic for the Jewish community in the last few years because I think we’ve suddenly realised: where are the neighbours?”
Oberman previously said that the war in Gaza has led to a frightening spike in antisemitism across the UK, and has spoken at marches organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism.
She is also a keen advocate against antisemitism in the arts, and recently staged a reimagined Shakespeare adaptation called The Merchant Of Venice 1936.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
She co-created, co-wrote and starred in the production as a gender-switched Shylock, an East End Jewish matriarch standing up to British fascists in the 1930s.
She previously told the BBC that she hired personal security guards to keep her safe, alongside theatre security, while she performed the play.
“I did have a lot to lose, but I do think that courage calls to courage everywhere, and authenticity brings its own rewards,” she told The Telegraph.