By: Rabbi Dr Michael Harris

Rabbi Dr Michael Harris — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 12:08:19 +0000

I could not agree more with Rabbi Rosen’s central thesis about Orthodoxy having the self-confidence to attend Limmud and engage with this wonderful organisation. That is why I have been attending and teaching at Limmud conferences regularly since 1994. However, R. Rosen’s piece is very unfair to Rabbi Sacks. Rabbi Sacks did not ban Limmud at any point in his Chief Rabbinate. He taught at Limmud before he became Chief Rabbi, and it was the London Beth Din of the day and certainly not Rabbi Sacks who told rabbis in 1995 that they ought not to attend. I and other rabbis continued to teach at Limmud in 1995 and thereafter because of strong agreement with the central thesis of Rabbi Rosen’s article. Rabbi Sacks as Chief Rabbi gave Limmud quiet but by no means secret encouragement. He did not attend Limmud as Chief Rabbi but I would argue that that was at the very least totally understandable in order to avoid sharp public conflict with the London Beth Din of the day. Although it is wonderful that he attends Limmud and is such a successful teacher there, Chief Rabbi Mirvis did not “lift the ban”. By the time Rabbi Mirvis became Chief Rabbi, it was commonplace for United Synagogue rabbis like myself and other Orthodox rabbis from both the UK and overseas to teach at Limmud. Indeed, many mainstream Orthodox communities at interview would ask prospective rabbis if they attended Limmmud and hope for a positive response.

Comments on: Rabbis who ban

By: Rabbi Dr Michael Harris