Gateshead community leader Ezriel Salomon dies aged 76

A leading figure in the Orthodox Jewish community of Gateshead in north-east England has died of pneumonia aged 76.

Ezriel Salomon, who set up the Jewish Community Council of Gateshead and the Gateshead Interfaith Forum, was the headteacher of Gateshead Jewish Primary for 35 years and was awarded an MBE in 2010.

Salomon also founded Haskel, a charity for children with special needs, and helped establish the Labriut Healthy Living Centre. He was a well-known figure in an area where he fostered interfaith relations, and was given the Freedom of the Borough of Gateshead from the Mayor of Gateshead in 2011.

Gateshead Council leader Coun Martin Gannon said: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of a true friend of Gateshead. In a life devoted to the community, Ezriel Salomon made an immense contribution to the life of Gateshead, both as an advocate and an ambassador for the borough.

“Making him an Honorary Freeman allowed us to demonstrate our great appreciation, on behalf of the people of Gateshead, for his many endeavours and for his deep attachment to our borough.”