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| Rabbi Lionel Blue dies aged 86 | Rabbi Lionel Blue dies aged 86 |
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| Rabbi Lionel Blue, a regular on BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day and the first openly gay British rabbi, has died aged 86. | |
| Rabbi Blue, from London, was known for his liberal teachings and supporting other gay members of his faith. | |
| Representatives from the liberal synagogue Beit Klal Yisrael described him as "an inspirational man" who "spoke with such wisdom and humour". | |
| Rabbi Blue was made an OBE for his services to broadcasting. | |
| Rabbi Blue was born in 1930 and struggled with his sexuality through his teens, leading to a nervous breakdown that saw him leave the army. | |
| But after reading history at Balliol College, Oxford, and Semitics at the University of London, he rediscovered his faith and was ordained in 1960. | |
| Soon after, he came out publically and throughout his life lent his support to organisations including Liberal Judaism UK and the World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Jews. | |
| Announcing his death on the synagogue's Facebook page, Beit Klal Yisrael representatives wrote: "Lionel was a wonderful and inspirational man, who spoke with such wisdom and humour and whose words reached out far beyond the Jewish community. | |
| "He was a friend and mentor to many and his courage in coming out as gay in the 1970s paved the way for many other Jews, including many Rabbis. | |
| "We will not see his like again. May his memory be for a blessing." |