OPINION: My prayer for comfort and solace for the Royal Family
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis reflects on the passing of an exemplary figurehead for our country
At this exceptionally sad time for Britain, the Commonwealth and the world, our community is filled with a profound sadness following the passing of Her Late Majesty The Queen. We pray that Almighty God will give comfort and solace to His Majesty King Charles and the entire Royal Family.
We are filled with gratitude to Her Late Majesty, who, for seventy remarkable years, was an exemplary figurehead for our country and champion of the finest values of our society.
An extraordinary role model, the Queen gave us hope during challenging times and set a wonderful example of service, duty, selflessness and of respecting all people with sensitivity and dignity.
We express our gratitude for the extraordinary manner in which the Queen touched our hearts.
Many Jewish organisations and charities recall with fondness the Queen’s genuine friendship towards Jews and Judaism.
She reached out to our community with interest and warmth, amplifying our shared ideals and values.
Through her patronage of the Council of Christians and Jews, the Queen recognised the crucial importance of dialogue and reconciliation.
Her patronage of Norwood was a powerful reflection of her appreciation of Jewish charitable endeavours, while her patronage of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust highlighted her commitment to Holocaust memorial.
I was privileged to witness first-hand her concern for the Jewish people and her empathy for our traumatic past when, in 2015, I accompanied her on a visit she and Prince Philip paid to Bergen Belsen, which was her first visit to a Concentration Camp.
Above all, we offer our heartfelt thanks for her selfless, unfailing sense of duty and the exemplary and inspirational service she gave.
The Queen taught the world that true leadership is service and true service is leadership.
In the blessing that we make upon seeing a Monarch, we declare “Blessed are You Hashem… who has given of His honour to flesh and blood.”
The King of Kings certainly gave of His honour to Her Majesty The Queen, and she in turn related to every single person with honour, warmth and dignity.
As we mourn her loss, her legacy to the world is more evident than it has ever been – that there can be no greater honour on earth than the service of others.
As the torch of that honour is now passed to His Majesty King Charles III, the Jewish communities of Great Britain and the Commonwealth can be confident that the King will not only inherit his mother’s throne but also her commitment to timeless traditional values and her passion for the service of others.
May the memory of Her Majesty The Queen be for an eternal blessing for us all. God save the King.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.