General news
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Holocaust Memorial Day 2016
The theme of Holocaust Memorial Day 2016, which is held each year on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, was ‘Don’t Stand By’, a sentiment that informed the Chief Rabbi’s messages to schoolchildren, the community and the nation. Commemorative Read more... -
Holocaust Memorial Day: ‘No Ifs No Buts’ transcript
Read the unedited version of the Chief Rabbi’s speech from the national Holocaust Memorial Day Event in which he laments the apathy that is often tragedy’s must reliable collaborator. Watch the BBC footage here. “If, during the concluding years of Read more... -
In the Press: Chief Rabbi backs Kaddish role for women
Reflecting on the benefits of a new United Synagogue guide that encourages women to recite the Kaddish prayer, the Chief Rabbi hopes that the new pamphlet will demystify this crucial element of the Jewish mourning process. This article first appeared Read more... -
Investing in Rebbetzens: Valerie Mirvis spearheads seminar for community’s leading ladies
In the first instalment of a landmark new series devised to empower and inspire Rebbetzens, the Chief Rabbi’s wife Valerie Mirvis presided over a thought-provoking seminar day of spiritual exploration and self-discovery. Almost 40 Rebbetzens attended ‘Torah, Thought and You’ Read more... -
20 Years of Pikuach: A celebration of the Jewish schools inspectorate
Yesterday evening saw leading lights of the Jewish educational community descend on ORT House to celebrate two decades of Pikuach, the Jewish community’s only accredited school’s inspectorate. Director of Pikuach, Jeffrey Leader, reflected on the low regard reserved for the Read more... -
The Chief Rabbi welcomes Nicolas Sarkozy to London
The Chief Rabbi welcomed the former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to the UK last night, expressing his thanks to the Republican Leader for an unerring commitment to protecting his nation’s Jews. Invited to the capital by the Conference of European Read more... -
The Chief Rabbi’s trip to India
The Chief Rabbi has just returned from an historic trip to India during which he visited ancient communities in Cochin, Mumbai, Kolkatta and Delhi, as well as social responsibility projects in some of the country’s most deprived areas. The ten-day Read more... -
A message to our Christian friends
In a show of solidarity and respect to members of the Christian faith, the Chief Rabbi has released a message to Christian friends on Christmas Eve. As well as celebrating a significant year for Jewish-Christian relations, in which Christian leaders Read more... -
In the Press: The Chief Rabbi recommends teaching Islam
The Jewish Chronicle revealed Chief Rabbi Mirvis’ decision to embrace new criteria for the teaching of other religions, with faith schools now obliged to educate students in a second faith for the revamped Religious Studies GCSE. ‘Teach Islam in our Read more... -
Chief Rabbi: Jewish schools should teach Islam
The Chief Rabbi has availed of new requirements for the Religious Studies GCSE by recommending that Jewish secondary schools teach Islam to their students as a means of providing enlightenment about a “poorly understood religion.” This follows a stipulation by Read more...
