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| Ephraim Mirvis installed as UK chief rabbi | Ephraim Mirvis installed as UK chief rabbi |
| (17 days later) | |
| In a synagogue packed with more than 1,000 guests, including the Prince of Wales and Jewish and other faith leaders including the archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nicholls, and John Hall, dean of Westminster, Ephraim Mirvis was installed as the new chief rabbi of the UK and the Commonwealth. | In a synagogue packed with more than 1,000 guests, including the Prince of Wales and Jewish and other faith leaders including the archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nicholls, and John Hall, dean of Westminster, Ephraim Mirvis was installed as the new chief rabbi of the UK and the Commonwealth. |
| Prince Charles, who wore a blue velvet skull cap embroidered with Prince of Wales feathers, became the first senior royal to attend such a ceremony. Other guests included Labour leader Ed Miliband, former home secretary Michael Howard, former foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind, the scientist Lord Winston, the bishop of Lambeth, Nigel Stock, representing the archbishop of Canterbury, and Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, commissioner of the Metropolitan police. | Prince Charles, who wore a blue velvet skull cap embroidered with Prince of Wales feathers, became the first senior royal to attend such a ceremony. Other guests included Labour leader Ed Miliband, former home secretary Michael Howard, former foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind, the scientist Lord Winston, the bishop of Lambeth, Nigel Stock, representing the archbishop of Canterbury, and Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, commissioner of the Metropolitan police. |
| One of Mirvis's first acts as chief rabbi was to tweet good wishes to Tottenham Hotspur in the afternoon's match against Arsenal – "Good luck to @SpursOfficial in their match against @Arsenal" – followed half an hour later by his thanks to Prince Charles for attending. Unfortunately for the chief rabbi, Tottenham lost 1-0. | One of Mirvis's first acts as chief rabbi was to tweet good wishes to Tottenham Hotspur in the afternoon's match against Arsenal – "Good luck to @SpursOfficial in their match against @Arsenal" – followed half an hour later by his thanks to Prince Charles for attending. Unfortunately for the chief rabbi, Tottenham lost 1-0. |
| The ceremony was at St John's Wood synagogue, north London, scene of the inductions of Lord Sacks 22 years ago to the day, and of the late Lord Jakobovits, the first rabbi to sit in the Lords. In his address, Mirvis spoke of his concerns about the situation in Syria and his hopes for peace in the Middle East: "As I stand before you today hostility is rife in Syria and we are witnessing some terrible atrocities, and also at this time Israel and the Palestinians are set on holding negotiations with an eye towards establishing a true and lasting peace. | The ceremony was at St John's Wood synagogue, north London, scene of the inductions of Lord Sacks 22 years ago to the day, and of the late Lord Jakobovits, the first rabbi to sit in the Lords. In his address, Mirvis spoke of his concerns about the situation in Syria and his hopes for peace in the Middle East: "As I stand before you today hostility is rife in Syria and we are witnessing some terrible atrocities, and also at this time Israel and the Palestinians are set on holding negotiations with an eye towards establishing a true and lasting peace. |
| "In years to come I would love people to look back on this day and associate it with the time when finally we were on the path to beating swords into ploughshares in Israel and throughout the Middle East. May Almighty God bless our leaders with the wisdom to make wise and responsible decisions through these days, weeks and months of challenge." Mirvis also raised concerns about the rise of antisemitism, but said he was proud of communal attempts to combat it. "Most of all, I am proud of the fact that in our country, the fight against antisemitism is being led by successive governments and parliament and that is because it is correctly recognised that a threat against the Jews is a threat against our society." | "In years to come I would love people to look back on this day and associate it with the time when finally we were on the path to beating swords into ploughshares in Israel and throughout the Middle East. May Almighty God bless our leaders with the wisdom to make wise and responsible decisions through these days, weeks and months of challenge." Mirvis also raised concerns about the rise of antisemitism, but said he was proud of communal attempts to combat it. "Most of all, I am proud of the fact that in our country, the fight against antisemitism is being led by successive governments and parliament and that is because it is correctly recognised that a threat against the Jews is a threat against our society." |
| He congratulated Prince Charles on the birth of his grandson, George, and thanked him for attending: "It is a reflection of the passion you have to work with the faith communities in this country. It is an expression of your desire to bring unity and to promote all the good things that we stand for." | He congratulated Prince Charles on the birth of his grandson, George, and thanked him for attending: "It is a reflection of the passion you have to work with the faith communities in this country. It is an expression of your desire to bring unity and to promote all the good things that we stand for." |
| Although the chief rabbi is generally viewed as the chief representative of British Jews, officially he represents only the United Synagogue, the major wing of orthodox Judaism in the UK. | Although the chief rabbi is generally viewed as the chief representative of British Jews, officially he represents only the United Synagogue, the major wing of orthodox Judaism in the UK. |
| Mirvis, who was born in South Africa, the son and grandson of rabbis, and served for seven years as chief rabbi in Ireland, has already said he is "totally committed" to working closely with non-orthodox synagogues. | Mirvis, who was born in South Africa, the son and grandson of rabbis, and served for seven years as chief rabbi in Ireland, has already said he is "totally committed" to working closely with non-orthodox synagogues. |
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