About the London Beth Din Published on United Synagogue (https://www.theus.org.uk) About the London Beth Din Jewish life in England goes back almost 1000 years. It is believed that the first Jews were brought over from Normandy by William the Conqueror in 1066; there is reference to Jews in Oxford as early as 1075 and the Doomsday Book of 1086 records the Jew Mennasseh owning land in Oxfordshire. Several Baalei Tosafot (commentators) lived in England including R.Yaakov Mi’Orleans, (martyred in London at the coronation of Richard the Lionheart in 1189), R. YomTov Mi’Yoigny, author of Omnam Kein recited on Yom Kippur Maariv (martyred in the York massacre of 1190) and the R'i Mi’Londri, who is mentioned in the Remo in Hilchot Pesach (Siman 473 Sif 76) as recommending that the Hagadah be recited in the vernacular. In 1290, however, Jewish life in England came to abrupt end when the Edict of Expulsion was proclaimed by King Edward I, resulting in the banishment of the entire Jewish population from Britain. The Edict was issued on 18th July, which fell on Fast of Tisha B'Av. England remained "Yudenrein" free of Jews until 1656 when R. Menashe Ben Israel successfully petitioned Oliver Cromwell to allow the readmission of Jews. It is said that Menashe Ben Israel pressed Oliver Cromwell on the grounds that England -Angleterre- was one of the four "angles" of the earth referred to in the prophecies of the ingathering of the exiles, and thus resettlement would hasten the coming of the Messiah! Within only 50 years the offices of the Chief Rabbi and the London Beth Din came into being to provide a central religious authority for Jewish communities in London and throughout the United Kingdom - a role reflected in the London Beth Din's official title "D'Kehila Kedosha London Bet Din Vehamedina" - The Beth Din of London and the Country. Among the early Chief Rabbis who helped to establish the central Orthodox authority for which the UK is renowned was R. Dovid Tevele Schiff (Chief Rabbi 1765-1791), whose explanations on the Mishna, Lashon Hazahav, is printed in the Yachin Uboaz Mishnayot, and R. Nosson Adler (Chief Rabbi 1845-1890) author of the famous commentary on the Targum Nesina LaGer. HaRav Yechezkel Abramsky In 1934 the prestige of the London Beth Din as a world ranking halachic authority was greatly enhanced with the appointment of the Gaon HaRav Yechezkel Abramsky (the Chazon Yecheskel) as Rosh Beth Din. Although other renowned Talmidei Chachamim have served both during and since his time - such as Dayan Arieh Leib Grosnass (Lev Aryeh) and Dayan Rapaport (Be'er Avroham), it was Dayan Abramsky above all who established the policies and customs that are followed by the London Beth Din to this day. Av Beth Din and Rosh Beth Din In 1984, Dayan Chanoch HaCohen Ehrentreu was appointed the Rosh Beth Din. Previously he was Rosh Beth Din of Manchester, Rosh Kollel in Sunderland. Dayan Ehrentreu retired from the Beth Din in January 2007. He was succeeded by Dayan Menachem Gelley (son of R. Zacharia Gelley of Washington Heights). The other Dayanim are Dayan Ivan Binstock, Dayan Shmuel Simons and Dayan Dovid Englander. The title of Av Beth Din is formally held by the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis. Due to his extensive workload as well as convention of his office, the Chief Rabbi is not generally personally involved in day to day Beth Din work, but remains in constant contact with the Dayanim. About the London Beth Din The activities of the London Beth Din encompass all aspects of London Beth Din work including Dinei Page 1 of 2 About the London Beth Din Published on United Synagogue (https://www.theus.org.uk) Torah (court cases), Gittin (divorces), Geirut (conversions), Shechita (Jewish slaughter), Kashrut, personal status, and all the trials and tribulations of major communal life. The central authority of the London Beth Din is such that by convention neither the Kedassia, Manchester, nor Sephardi Batei Din carry out Geirut in the UK and virtually all authority in this critical area is delegated to the London Beth Din. For more information please contact: The London Beth Din 305 Ballards Lane North Finchley London N12 8GB Tel: 020 8343 6270 Fax: 020 8343 6257 Email: [email protected] [1] Source URL: https://www.theus.org.uk/article/about-london-beth-din Links [1] mailto:[email protected] Page 2 of 2.