Israel's Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger 'offered' Sacks' job

By Joseph Millis - Thursday 15th December 2011


Israel's ASHKENAZI Chief Rabbi this week reportedly claimed he had been offered the job of British Chief Rabbi when Lord Sacks stands down in September 2013.

A source close to Rabbi Yonah Metzger, whose own contract as Israel's Chief Rabbi ends in 18 months, said that a member of the Anglo-Jewish community "with far-reaching connections to the royal court" offered him the prestigious position.

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Another source told the Jewish News that Rabbi Metzger usually gives a sermon at Finchley United Synagogue at the time of Israel's Independence Day, but this year he had been asked "not to come". The source speculated that the synagogue's Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis was "also a strong contender and didn’t want to get into politics".

United Synagogue President Stephen Pack, who is also President of the Chief Rabbinate Trust, said: "While I fully expect leading rabbinic figures around the world to be the focus of speculation in connection with the appointment of the next Chief Rabbi, I'm taken aback by the suggestion that there has been any kind of offer made to anybody in this regard. An enormous amount of effort has gone into creating a process that is designed to transparently produce the best possible range of candidates for this role. Nobody involved in this process has, or could ever, make such an offer."

Other sources dismissed the claim as "nonsense", especially since the selection process had only just started with a meeting on Sunday of the Representative Group, the largest of three selecting the new chief. The meeting discussed a job and person spec for the post.

The Representative Group of almost 200 people includes chairmen and a woman from every US affiliated shul as well as representatives of the London Board of Shechita and the Initiation Society.

Meanwhile, Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks has completed a two-day trip to Rome and the Holy See that included a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican as well as delivering a lecture at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

A key part of the trip was a reception held at the Beth El Synagogue of Rome for the Italian Jewish community, at which the Chief Rabbi was the guest of honour.

Included in the 200 guests was the Chief Rabbi of Italy, Dr Riccardo Di Segni, as well as other senior religious, lay and professional communal leaders.
During the meeting, Lord Sacks emphasised the importance of ties between the Jewish communities in the UK and in Italy and celebrated the contribution that Judaism as a religion, not just Jews as individuals, had made to Europe, European thought and culture.

Addressing the gathering the Chief Rabbi also made the connection between the coming sidra of Vayeshev and the current economic situation in Europe.
He noted that Joseph may well have been the world's first economist, having discovered the theory of trade cycles, seven years of plenty followed by seven lean years. He argued that perhaps the financial state of Europe would be better today if people had known their Bible.

As part of the audience, the Chief Rabbi presented Pope Benedict XVI with an inscribed leather bound, leader's sized copy of the Koren Sacks Siddur.
The inscription read: "In respect, admiration and brotherly love, may the friendship between us and between our two ancient faiths bring blessing to the world."

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