Profile Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits, zt”l by Rabbi Shlomo Jakobovits

The headlines and captions Jakobovits was appointed Minister term itself, Jewish Medical Ethics, was of the world’s press summed it up in a (the English expression for a pulpit coined by him and is still used world- few phrases. The Jerusalem Post head- rabbi at that time) of Brondesbury wide wherever this field of knowledge line read: “A Piercing Voice is Silenced”; Synagogue in London. He subse- is taught. the London Times referred to him as “A quently served in the South-East While living in Ireland, he married Sage in the Tradition of the Prophets”; London Synagogue, and then in the Amelie Munk, daughter of Rabbi Dr. the London Jewish Chronicle was head- London Great Synagogue, popularly Elie Munk of Paris, scion of a famed ed, “A Great Spokesman for Judaism” known as Duke’s Place. Shortly after rabbinical family. There are six and The New York Times called him “A his 27th birthday, he was appointed Jakobovits children, who today are all Rabbi’s Rabbi.” Chief Rabbi of Ireland, the youngest married; of the sons and sons-in-law, All of these descriptions, and chief rabbi on record. two became rabbis and two became numerous others, refer to the same Until just before World War II, this physicians. striking individual, the late Rav position had been occupied by Rabbi Immanuel Lord Jakobovits zt”l, for- Dr. Yitzchak Herzog, who proceeded Answering the Call of the British mer Chief Rabbi of the British from there to become Chief Rabbi of Commonwealth Commonwealth. His passing, at age Eretz Yisrael. The chief rabbis of Ireland After ten years in Ireland, the family 78, occurred Motzei Shabbat, October resided in an official residence, and the moved to New York City, where Rabbi 31, 1999. He died ten hours after government has since affixed historical Jakobovits became the first rabbi of returning home from shul and six plaques on this home indicating that the Fifth Avenue Synagogue. A very hours before he was due to meet with Chief Rabbi Herzog, his son Chaim, practical and significant contribution President Chirac of France to ask for who later became President of the State to the observance of halachah, which his intercession on behalf of the 13 of Israel, and Chief Rabbi Jakobovits all he initiated during this time, was the Jews imprisoned in Iran. had resided there. introduction of the Shabbat elevator. Rabbi Jakobovits was born in 1921 The Republic of Ireland has always When he moved to Manhattan in in Koenigsberg (now Kaliningrad) been closely tied with Catholic poli- 1958, Rabbi Jakobovits noted that where his father, Dr. Julius Jakobovits, cies, and until very recently the Jewish families who found it difficult served as the rabbi. The family was Vatican was opposed to the recogni- to climb the stairs to reach upper sto- noted for its generations of rabbis and tion of Israel. Despite this Vatican ries of tall buildings or upper floors of physicians, and in 1928 Dr. Jakobovits position, the Prime Minister of synagogues on Shabbat or Yom Tov, was appointed Av Beit-Din of Berlin. Ireland announced, at the installation employed a non-Jew to press the eleva- Soon thereafter, dark clouds enveloped ceremony for Chief Rabbi Jakobovits, tor keys. Deeming that practice German Jewry, and in 1936, at the age that Ireland extended recognition to halachically unacceptable, he consult- of 15, young Yisroel (Immanuel) was the new State of Israel, in honor of ed with engineers who were experts in sent to England to study at Yeshiva the new Chief Rabbi. this technology. They implemented Eitz Chaim. He later continued his It was the Church-inspired policies certain mechanical adjustments — education at University of London of the medical profession in Ireland and the world’s first Shabbat elevator and Jews’ College. which drew Rabbi Jakobovits’ atten- was installed at the Fifth Avenue tion to the contrast between their Synagogue. The innovation immedi- The Youngest Chief Rabbi on Record medical codes, and those of halachah. ately spread world-wide, and is today a At the early age of 20, Rabbi Embarking upon an exhaustive study staple of Shabbat observance. of Jewish medical practice and author- In 1967, he was recalled to England Rabbi Shlomo Jakobovits, brother of the ing the first comprehensive text on as Chief Rabbi of the British Common- late Chief Rabbi, is a principal of the the subject, Jewish Medical Ethics, he wealth. At the outset of the Six Day Eitz Chaim Schools in Toronto, Canada. launched what became a new field of War in Israel, he gave an address at the He frequently writes on historical subjects. study throughout the world. The Royal Albert Hall before an audience of JEWISH ACTION Spring 5760/2000 12,000 people. This speech, a classic of membership in the House of Lords. attention than any other member of oratory, helped to inspire Anglo-Jewry He became a baron, known as Lord the Lords, for as a leader of the press to unprecedented levels of support for Jakobovits, and his wife became a corps put it, “He always had some- embattled Israel. baroness. thing worthwhile to say.” Rabbi Jakobovits served as British When Jews were oppressed any- Chief Rabbi for 24 years, and through where in the world, specifically in An Author and Speaker of Note his writings, his speeches and his per- Soviet Russia and in Moslem coun- Rabbi Jakobovits was equally at sonal impact, his influence reached far tries, he took an active leadership role home whether giving a shiur at a outside of his yeshivah, delivering Jewish constituency a lecture in a uni- and well beyond versity, making a the borders of the parliamentary Commonwealth. speech to British British Prime nobility, or impart- Minister Margaret ing a television Thatcher, and her message to an audi- successor John ence of millions. Major, were deeply Within the Jewish impressed by his world, he demon- personality and by strated a remarkable his teachings. He facility to commu- was staunchly nicate well with all Orthodox in his groups, whether personal observance right-wing of Judaism and also Orthodox or left- in the uncompro- wing Reform, or mising positions of those who were his public pro- unaffiliated. They nouncements. He all respected him, manifested a rare whether they talent for rendering accepted his views Torah teachings rel- or not, and upon evant and palatable his death all joined not only to his fel- in the outpouring low Jews but also of sorrow and to the non-Jews of esteem. the civilized world. He authored sev- In this respect he eral scholarly books. emulated our One work, pub- prophets of old, lished by the Jewish who addressed Agency Torah themselves not only Department, was a Photo: Ed Bernstein Photography Bernstein Ed Photo: to our own people, Hebrew treatise in but also to the Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits, 1921-1999 which he shows nations of the how there is a refer- world. in the struggle on their behalf. In this ence to Eretz Yisrael, direct or inferred, The British government took note connection, his first visit to Russia in every sedrah of the Torah. Another of his strong stand on morality and was among the very earliest by any work, If Only My People, constitutes a public ethics, and in 1981 he was Jewish rabbi. clarion call for Torah observance, espe- invested at Buckingham Palace with As a member of the British cially as applicable in the national pol- the honor of knighthood. Henceforth Parliament, he brought his influence icy of the State of Israel. In his Journal he was known as Chief Rabbi Sir to bear whenever the deliberations of a Rabbi, and in a later volume titled Immanuel Jakobovits. In 1988 he was took up items which touched upon The Timely and the Timeless, Rabbi further honored by elevation to the ethics or upon matters of Jewish inter- Jakobovits chronicles many of the British Peerage which confers life-long est. The press accorded him more most interesting experiences of his

JEWISH ACTION Spring 5760/2000 career, and recounts his fascinating persuade community leaders and con- letter of condolence to Lady contacts and correspondence with tributors that education took first pri- Jakobovits, made specific reference to leaders of Jewry and with statesmen of ority, above building of synagogues, the impact of her husband’s political Israel and other countries. He also Holocaust memorials and other wor- foresight and his initiative for peace. authored a new edition of the stan- thy causes. That view was not univer- dard siddur used in Britian, with sally accepted at the time, but he Of Wit and Wisdom explanatory notes on the Hebrew text often took positions which ran Throughout all of this difficulty, and on the structure of Jewish prayer counter to popular choice. He persist- Rav Jakobovits maintained his services. He was halfway through a ed forcefully and fearlessly, and never delightful sense of humor. For exam- similar work on Machzor Shel Yomim compromised his principles under ple, when he was pronounced a peer Nora’im when death intervened. pressure. — as members of the House of Lords Over 1,000 of his articles, mono- His position likewise ran counter to are known – Dr. Yosef Burg, z”l, sent graphs and sermons have been pub- what some call the siege mentality of him a telegram: “Usually we read lished and he solemnized approxi- today — the notion that Orthodoxy that the Lord is my shepherd; in this mately 2,500 marriages. When the should separate itself entirely from case the shepherd is my lord.” In speeches delivered at these ceremonies other Jews and other Jewish move- thanking Dr. Burg, Lord Jakobovits and other occasions are added to his ments. Indeed, The Jerusalem Post ran responded, “You are peer-less.” lectures, synagogue sermons, public a headline on him, “Builder of Despite his station in life and the shiurim and media appearances, it is Bridges, Not Walls.” fame which came with it, he was, and estimated that he delivered 7,000 The most controversial of the issues always remained, a decidedly modest addresses during his career. Each of Rabbi Jakobovits took up was the individual, not self-assertive and not his speeches was replete with original question of the peace process in the seeking publicity. He was most at thought and applicable to everyday Middle East. He held firmly to the home in his own family circle. His life. He wrote the section on contem- view that a leader must swim in the wife, who came to be known through- porary halachah for Tradition, the right direction, regardless of whether out Britain as Lady Amelie, or some- American rabbinical journal, for 14 that direction is with the tide or times Lady J, was the constant con- years. He also edited Le’ela, the schol- against it. He was a devoted and sort, and the couple worked in tan- arly journal published by the British active Zionist, and ardently believed dem as a most compatible team. Chief Rabbinate, and he regularly that, in the long run, peace and nor- Both derived immense satisfaction contributed to it. mal relations with the Arabs are cru- from seeing how every one of their After his retirement in 1991, Rav cial for the survival and well-being of children and grandchildren scrupu- Jakobovits continued his community Medinat Yisrael, and that a permanent lously followed the family tradition of activities full-time. He gave shiurim in state of war is untenable and unthink- Orthodox observance. Public life car- London regularly, except during those able. Israel, he felt, must negotiate ries its unavoidable share of frustra- seasons of each year when he taught accordingly, and must come to terms tions and failures, even for a great Jewish Medical Ethics at the with the essential needs and aspira- achiever such as Rav Jakobovits. But University of the Negev, or when he tions of the Palestinians. He espoused in looking upon his own offspring traveled on lecture tours to various this view as soon as the question and their perpetuation of his teach- countries. To the day of his death, he arose, shortly after the Six-Day War ings, he savored the constant delight headed several active committees and — at a time when such pronounce- of unmitigated success. served as head of the Council of ments generated intense criticism and In the hearts of his family, the loss European Rabbis. public outcry, both in Israel and in of this caring, quiet individual — North America. husband, father, brother, relative — Leader, Not Follower In due course, he became the object created a deeply personal ache. To a Rav Jakobovits himself deemed his of an avalanche of protests, which chaotic world, which sorely needs his single most important contribution to included personal vilification and firm, reassuring hand, the passing of Judaism to be his enhancement of threats. But he steadfastly stood his this talmid chacham, articulate states- Jewish education in both Ireland and ground. When he responded to his man and defender of ethics signals the Great Britain. He set community detractors, he refrained from personal end of a unique era of moral leader- movements in motion which substan- invective and restricted himself to dis- ship. The day Rabbi Jakobovits died, tially increased enrollment in day- cussion of only the issues, not the per- the burial notice posted on the walls school education and adult education, sonalities. Today Israel and the Jewish of Yerushalayim bore the epitaph, “He and which raised standards of learning world are steadily coming around to raised the status of Torah among Jews, where previously the levels had been his long-held views. Indeed, Prime and the status of Jews among the unsatisfactory. He made it his task to Minister Ehud Barak, in his personal nations of the world.” JA JEWISH ACTION Spring 5760/2000