Last year, Purim and March 17 coincided, leading to a spate of green and Irish-themed costumes (I wore a green tie to the Purim Seudah). Purim seems to have been a dispensation for what would otherwise certainly fall under the category of chukkat akum, the prohibition against behaving in ways associated with gentiles; celebrating a Christian holiday certainly would fall under that heading. But if a Jew is not allowed to celebrate St. Patrick’s day, it doesn’t mean that the rich Jewish heritage of Ireland should be forgotten- especially in the realm of Rabbinic leaders.
Perhaps the best known Chief Rabbi of Ireland is Rav Dr. Yitzchak Isaac HaLevi Herzog, later to serve as Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine. Born in Poland and raised in Paris, he was a talmudic genius with a brilliant Halachic mind who was revered by those he led and held in the highest regard by his colleagues. He was Rabbi in Belfast from 1916-1919, and then as Rabbi in Dublin from 1919-1922. From 1922-1936, he served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland, after which he emigrated to Palestine. Apparently, he spoke Gaelic fluently, and was a supporter of the Irish Republican cause during the Irish War of Independence; later, he supported the Irgun as well.
Two occupants of the role of Chief Rabbi of Ireland went on to become Chief Rabbis of the United Kingdom. Lord Rabbi Dr. Imanuel Jakobovitz served as Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1949-1958, after which he assumed the position of founding Senior Rabbi of the Fifth Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan, and then as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth from 1967-1991. Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, about whom we’ve spoken in this space in the past, was Chief Rabbi of Ireland from 1985-1992. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention another Rabbi who held that position- Rabbi Dr. Yaakov Pearlman, from 2001-2008. Rabbi Pearlman is a native of Manchester who studied in Beth Medrash Govoha, the Lakewood Yeshiva, and served several decades as a congregational Rabbi and teacher in Rochester, New York- where he was my Rebbe in elementary school and a formative influence on my life.
Aside from great Chief Rabbis, Ireland has produced native sons as well who were prominent Torah teachers. Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Cooperman revolutionized the field of Torah education for women as the founder of Michlalah Jerusalem College for Women. He taught thousands of students who have reached the highest levels in every field of endeavor, all in a thick Irish brogue. Another was Rabbi Cooperman’s first cousin, Rabbi Isaac Bernstein, an electrifying and unforgettable Rabbi and teacher of Torah in London, who served a four year stint as Rabbi of The Jewish Center in Manhattan from 1977-1981. Rabbi Bernstein possessed a sharp wit and a lyrical baritone, and he loved to sing. Unfortunately, Rabbi Bernstein passed away at the young age of 59, but his Torah classes can still be accessed through the OU’s All Parsha app and website each week and I highly recommend them.
All of this is remarkable considering that the Irish Jewish community has been in a decline for decades. Last week, the Dublin Orthodox community announced that it would be putting up its only synagogue building for saleand moving to smaller quarters.
Rabbi’s Recommendations
I highly recommend that you come to the annual Kosher Chili Cookoff, and vote for Shaare. It’s time for us to win…again!
Last Week’s MSOTW
Last week’s MSOTW is the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue on E. 63rd street in Manhattan. The winner is Rabbi Maury Grebenau, who not only correctly identified it, but yesterday morning sent me a hot-off-the-press selfie of himself in it, right before Shacharit! Honorable mentions go to Perrin White and Joe Ravitsky.
The synagogue is named after the legendary banker philanthropist, who died in 1999 in an arson incident in Monaco. Mr. Safra paid for the refurbishment of many shuls across Europe, and for the construction of many others. Some other synagogues named for him include:
The Edmond J. Safra Synagogue in Monaco- as you can see, it is almost identical to the one in Manhattan
Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, Deal, New Jersey
Synagogue Edmond J. Safra in Paris
Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, Aventura, Floria
The Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, Tel Aviv
The Edmond J. Safra Synagogue, Rio De Janeiro
This Week’s MSOTW
The Rabbi’s Resources will be going on hiatus until Parshat Tazria, a week after Pesach. I will leave you, therefore, with a difficult question:
Name as many shuls or institutions outside of Italy that you can think of, that have an Aron Kodesh removed from defunct Renaissance and Baroque-era Italian shuls (I know of at least four).
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ariel Rackovsky
Congregation Shaare Tefilla 6131 Churchill Way Dallas, TX 75230
