No sooner had Shabbat gone out than we heard the dreadful news that our former Chief Rabbi and global leader and teacher, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, zt''l, had passed away.
Even typing this now I still can't believe we won't be hearing his distinctive, reassuring voice in person again.
We're sending you this important You&US - with our regular email to come this Thursday - to share with you reaction from the United Synagogue and HRH Prince Charles, and to give you the link to watch the hespdeim (eulogies) from the funeral which took place on Sunday at Bushey New Cemetery.
HRH Prince Charles released a very moving statement:
"It was with the most profound personal sorrow that I heard of the death of Rabbi Lord Sacks. With his passing, the Jewish community, our nation, and the entire world have lost a leader whose wisdom, scholarship and humanity were without equal.
You can read the full statement here.
The Chief Rabbi also shared his thoughts on motza'ei Shabbat:
"Today the world has lost a Torah luminary and intellectual giant who had a transformative global impact. Rabbi Lord Sacks was an extraordinary ambassador for Judaism, helping many to understand and be proud of their heritage. He will be deeply missed, not just within the Jewish world, which benefited immeasurably from his teachings, but far more widely, by all those whose lives he enlightened with his wisdom, profundity and inspiration. Our hearts go out to Lady Elaine, Joshua, Dina, Gila and the entire family. May they be comforted by the knowledge that his remarkable legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of the countless people he inspired."
Dayan Gelley said on behalf of the London Beth Din:
"We deeply mourn the passing of former Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt''. With his passing we have lost an extraordinarily erudite and distinguished leader. As colleagues, we observed at first hand his brilliance and charisma, his stalwart determination to defend traditional Jewish values and the Kiddush Hashem he created representing the Jewish community with dignity. Above all this, Rabbi Sacks embodied the attributes of mentchlichkeit and humility that are the hallmark of great Jewish leaders. We pray that Rabbi Sacks should be a meilitz yosher (heavenly intermediary) for his wife, his family and the whole of Israel."
Click the video to watch Gila Sacks deliver a eulogy for her father, Rabbi Sacks zt''l.
Our President, Michael Goldstein, represented the United Synagogue at Rabbi Sacks' funeral. On Saturday evening, he said:
"There are no words. How can I adequately express what Rabbi Sacks means to me, my family, my community, my organisation and the Jewish people? A man who was the living embodiment of the carefully chosen word, the perfect turn of phrase. I am hurting. He was a rabbi and a leader, a father and a grandfather. He was a teacher of us all.
The world is a darker place right now. A flame of Torah has gone out. But the Torah Rabbi Sacks taught us will continue to be taught across the world for generations to come and will endure forever. To Lady Elaine, to their three children, to Rabbi Sacks' three brothers and the entire family, on behalf of everyone connected with the United Synagogue, I wish you all Chayim aruchim, long life."
Rabbi Nicky Liss, Chair of the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue, paid his tribute on behalf of the rabbinate:
"Rabbi Sacks was the ‘World’s Chief Rabbi’ and through his unparalleled speaking and writing he guided a generation of Rabbis. This is in addition to the extraordinary impact he had, and will continue to have through his teachings and students, to the rest of world Jewry and beyond. He was the moral voice of the generation, and in an era where values-based leadership is sorely lacking in the world, he was a role model to us all."
You can read the full statement here.
And finally, click here to watch videos of the hespeidim (eulogies) delivered at the levaya (funeral) of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, HaRav Ya’akov Zvi ben David Arieh z”l. Together with everyone connected with the United Synagogue, we send our deepest condolences to Lady Elaine, children Joshua, Dina and Gila, brothers Alan, Brian, Eliot and all the family.
Besorot tovot, may we only hear good news.
Steven Wilson Chief Executive, United Synagogue This email was sent with love from the United Synagogue. If you no longer wish to receive this email, please unsubscribe here |