Rabbi Jonathan Romain’s son Benedict dies after drowning on honeymoon
The 34-year-old sculptor, whose mother is Rabbi Sybil Sheridan, was holidaying with his new wife in the Philippines when tragedy struck
The sculptor son of well-known Reform Rabbi Jonathan Romain has drowned in the sea while on honeymoon in the Philippines.
Benedict Romain, 34, whose father is the rabbi at Maidenhead Synagogue, was caught in a rip tide as he celebrated his wedding to wife Stella, 30.
An active member of the RSY youth movement, Benedict was one of four brothers, and both his parents – Jonathan and mum, Rabbi Sybil Sheridan – are past chairs of the Assembly of Reform Rabbis and Cantors.
Benedict studied fine art at Cardiff and Oxford before earning a living by making art pieces for film and TV sets. One of his sculptures is a prayer book turning into a dove, which has pride of place at the entrance to his dad’s synagogue.
Having been an RSY camp madrich, Benedict later blew the shofar for High Holy Days, and acted as a cheder volunteer, where he was “adored by the children”.
Speaking to the Jewish Chronicle, Rabbi Romain said Benedict’s wife Stella had been left “totally distraught”, adding that his body was being repatriated imminently.
His role as rabbi was helping him, he said. Having officiated at hundreds of funerals and grieved with many congregants over the years, he said, “it makes me aware that my grief is not unique and that many others have suffered searing pain too, so there is nothing exceptional about what our family is facing”.
He added that “it has shown me how those who were beyond comfort at the time, eventually re-enter the stream of life and, although they never forget and the pain is always deeply etched in their memory, they can still have happy lives and consider themselves blessed”.
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