Collection GB 0074 ACC/2805/08 - CHIEF RABBI JONATHAN SACKS

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 ACC/2805/08

Title

CHIEF RABBI JONATHAN SACKS

Date(s)

  • 1988-1999 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

24.27 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Jonathan Sacks succeeded Lord Jakobovits as Chief Rabbi on the first of September 1991 at the age of forty-three. He was born in London and educated at Cambridge, Oxford and London. He studied at the Yeshivat Tomhei Temimim in Israel and was ordained at Jews College, London. Sacks lectured in moral philosophy at Middlesex Polytechnic, and Talmud and Jewish philosophy at Jews' College where in 1982 he was the first incumbent of the Lord Jakobovits Chair in Modern Jewish Thought. In 1983 he was appointed Director of the Rabbinic Faculty there and in 1984 became Principal of the College. At the same time Sacks held successive rabbinic appointments at Golders Green Synagogue (1978-1982) and Marble Arch Synagogue (1983-1990). He also held academic appointments at London University and the University of Manchester and was Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the University of Essex. He was a member of the Central Religious Advisory Committee to the BBC and the IBA. In 1990 he gave the Reith Lectures.

Jonathan Sacks launched several initiatives early in his Chief Rabbinate and emphasised the need to reach out to Jews who felt in some ways neglected by the Jewish community; women, the young, people in small communities and in the provinces. He proclaimed a Decade of Renewal and in 1993 founded Jewish Continuity, a community-wide organisation aiming to invest in Jewish culture and education and in particular to encourage younger Jews to take interest in or further develop the study of their heritage. A Walkabout in Hyde Park was organised for the summer of 1992 and registered charities were invited to participate from both the orthodox and other sections of the community. An application was received from the Jewish Lesbian and Gay Helpline and the group was barred from taking part.

For the first time women were allowed to be full members of synagogue management boards and members of the United Synagogue Council. The Chief Rabbi set up a commission headed by Rosalind Preston, then a vice-president of the Board of Deputies. A report was published two years later. Certain advances were made. Sacks was criticised for not addressing some of the grievances.

In 1993 the Chief Rabbi's Awards for Excellence were introduced whereby ordinary people of merit throughout the country whose work had hitherto been unrecognised by the Jewish community at large received public awards.

The Chief Rabbi is a prolific author. His many books, articles, and papers have attracted wide attention. He is a gifted speaker and broadcaster. Like his predecessor, Lord Jakobovits, he is a prominent national figure and a much-noted publicist within and beyond the Jewish community.

Archival history

GB 0074 ACC/2805/08 1988-1999 Collection 24.27 linear metres Sacks , Jonathan Henry , Baron Sacks , b 1948 , Chief Rabbi

Jonathan Sacks succeeded Lord Jakobovits as Chief Rabbi on the first of September 1991 at the age of forty-three. He was born in London and educated at Cambridge, Oxford and London. He studied at the Yeshivat Tomhei Temimim in Israel and was ordained at Jews College, London. Sacks lectured in moral philosophy at Middlesex Polytechnic, and Talmud and Jewish philosophy at Jews' College where in 1982 he was the first incumbent of the Lord Jakobovits Chair in Modern Jewish Thought. In 1983 he was appointed Director of the Rabbinic Faculty there and in 1984 became Principal of the College. At the same time Sacks held successive rabbinic appointments at Golders Green Synagogue (1978-1982) and Marble Arch Synagogue (1983-1990). He also held academic appointments at London University and the University of Manchester and was Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the University of Essex. He was a member of the Central Religious Advisory Committee to the BBC and the IBA. In 1990 he gave the Reith Lectures.

Jonathan Sacks launched several initiatives early in his Chief Rabbinate and emphasised the need to reach out to Jews who felt in some ways neglected by the Jewish community; women, the young, people in small communities and in the provinces. He proclaimed a Decade of Renewal and in 1993 founded Jewish Continuity, a community-wide organisation aiming to invest in Jewish culture and education and in particular to encourage younger Jews to take interest in or further develop the study of their heritage. A Walkabout in Hyde Park was organised for the summer of 1992 and registered charities were invited to participate from both the orthodox and other sections of the community. An application was received from the Jewish Lesbian and Gay Helpline and the group was barred from taking part.

For the first time women were allowed to be full members of synagogue management boards and members of the United Synagogue Council. The Chief Rabbi set up a commission headed by Rosalind Preston, then a vice-president of the Board of Deputies. A report was published two years later. Certain advances were made. Sacks was criticised for not addressing some of the grievances.

In 1993 the Chief Rabbi's Awards for Excellence were introduced whereby ordinary people of merit throughout the country whose work had hitherto been unrecognised by the Jewish community at large received public awards.

The Chief Rabbi is a prolific author. His many books, articles, and papers have attracted wide attention. He is a gifted speaker and broadcaster. Like his predecessor, Lord Jakobovits, he is a prominent national figure and a much-noted publicist within and beyond the Jewish community.

Deposited as part of several accessions of material from the Office of the Chief Rabbi. Records from 1991-1996 were deposited at London Metropolitan Archives in September 1997.

Records of Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, 1988-1999, including correspondence and publications predating Sacks' election as Chief Rabbi; correspondence; administrative files; papers relating to the United Synagogue; papers relating to organisations including the Jewish Memorial Council, the Jewish National Fund, the Joint Israel Appeal, the Zionist Association, the Jewish Marriage Council, and provincial organisations; correspondence relating to the patronage of the Chief Rabbi; papers relating to education including papers of the Jewish Educational Development Trust, correspondence with various schools and universities including the Jews' Free School, Immanuel College, Jews College, Anglo-Jewish Youth, and the Union of Jewish Students; correspondence with welfare organisations including Jewish Care and the Central Council for Jewish Community Services.

Papers relating to political issues including community relations, medical ethics, shechita [slaughtering practices], kosher foods, kashrut [food laws], women in the community, Soviet Jewry, circumcision, Middle East peace talks, anti-Semitism and racism, the Shoah and the Holocaust, business ethics and inner cities; papers relating to overseas congregations including Israel, United States of America, Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe and Russia; papers relating to the media including correspondence with journalists and broadcasters, copies of articles, interviews, press cuttings, addresses, speeches and lectures, broadcasts, and press statements; papers relating to interfaith organisations including the Council of Christians and Jews, and correspondence with Lambeth Palace, the Islamic community and the Vatican; papers relating to campaigns organised by the Chief Rabbi including the Community Walk for Charity, Jewish Continuity, the Initiative for Developing Education in Adults and the Chief Rabbinate Awards for Excellence; and newsletters from the office of the Chief Rabbi.

PLEASE NOTE: Records can only be accessed with the written permission of the depositor. Contact the Chief Executive, Office of Chief Rabbi, 735 High Road, North Finchley, London NW12 OUS.

Some records were not considered worthy of long-term preservation and were, on consultation with the Chief Rabbi's staff, either destroyed or returned to the Chief Rabbi's Office.

Archives have been arranged into the following series, which reflect the order of the filing scheme used by the Chief Rabbi's staff.:
ACC/2805/08/01 Chief Rabbi Elect
ACC/2805/08/02 Day files
ACC/2805/08/03 Administration
ACC/2805/08/04 United Synagogue
ACC/2805/08/05 Organisations
ACC/2805/08/06 Individuals
ACC/2805/08/07 Education
ACC/2805/08/08 Welfare
ACC/2805/08/09 Political Issues
ACC/2805/08/10 Overseas
ACC/2805/08/11 Media
ACC/2805/08/12 Interfaith
ACC/2805/08/13 Campaigns
ACC/2805/08/14 Practical Rabbinics
ACC/2805/08/15 Newsletters and miscellaneous.

Records with personal information concerning named individuals have been closed.

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

English

Fit.

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Description prepared in March 2010. Jewish Continuity Initiative for Developing Education in Adults Chief Rabbinate Awards for Excellence Council for Christians and Jews Central Council for Jewish Community Services Union of Jewish Students Jews' College , 1855-1998 Jewish Memorial Council Zionist Association Jewish Marriage Council Jewish Educational Development Trust Jews' Free School x JFS Comprehensive Sacks , Jonathan Henry , Baron Sacks , b 1948 , Chief Rabbi Religion Mass media Social welfare Religious institutions Religious organizations Ethics Jewish ethics Social science education Kashrut Religious education Shechita Interfaith organizations Cultural heritage Food customs Customs and traditions Kosher Ashkenazim Jews Political doctrines Zionism Administration of justice Courts Religious courts Beth Din Cultural identity Jewish Religious groups Religious leaders Rabbis Religious activities Religious practice Circumcision Religions Ancient religions Judaism Orthodox Judaism Racial discrimination Antisemitism Humanitarian law War crimes Genocide Holocaust Organizations Associations Charitable organisations Charities United Synagogue Office of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth London England UK Western Europe Europe South Africa Southern Africa Australia Oceania Krym Ukraine New Zealand USSR Eastern Europe Russia Israel Middle East Canada North America USA Crimea Nonprofit organizations

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Deposited as part of several accessions of material from the Office of the Chief Rabbi. Records from 1991-1996 were deposited at London Metropolitan Archives in September 1997.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, 1988-1999, including correspondence and publications predating Sacks' election as Chief Rabbi; correspondence; administrative files; papers relating to the United Synagogue; papers relating to organisations including the Jewish Memorial Council, the Jewish National Fund, the Joint Israel Appeal, the Zionist Association, the Jewish Marriage Council, and provincial organisations; correspondence relating to the patronage of the Chief Rabbi; papers relating to education including papers of the Jewish Educational Development Trust, correspondence with various schools and universities including the Jews' Free School, Immanuel College, Jews College, Anglo-Jewish Youth, and the Union of Jewish Students; correspondence with welfare organisations including Jewish Care and the Central Council for Jewish Community Services.

Papers relating to political issues including community relations, medical ethics, shechita [slaughtering practices], kosher foods, kashrut [food laws], women in the community, Soviet Jewry, circumcision, Middle East peace talks, anti-Semitism and racism, the Shoah and the Holocaust, business ethics and inner cities; papers relating to overseas congregations including Israel, United States of America, Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe and Russia; papers relating to the media including correspondence with journalists and broadcasters, copies of articles, interviews, press cuttings, addresses, speeches and lectures, broadcasts, and press statements; papers relating to interfaith organisations including the Council of Christians and Jews, and correspondence with Lambeth Palace, the Islamic community and the Vatican; papers relating to campaigns organised by the Chief Rabbi including the Community Walk for Charity, Jewish Continuity, the Initiative for Developing Education in Adults and the Chief Rabbinate Awards for Excellence; and newsletters from the office of the Chief Rabbi.

PLEASE NOTE: Records can only be accessed with the written permission of the depositor. Contact the Chief Executive, Office of Chief Rabbi, 735 High Road, North Finchley, London NW12 OUS.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Some records were not considered worthy of long-term preservation and were, on consultation with the Chief Rabbi's staff, either destroyed or returned to the Chief Rabbi's Office.

Accruals

System of arrangement

Archives have been arranged into the following series, which reflect the order of the filing scheme used by the Chief Rabbi's staff.:
ACC/2805/08/01 Chief Rabbi Elect
ACC/2805/08/02 Day files
ACC/2805/08/03 Administration
ACC/2805/08/04 United Synagogue
ACC/2805/08/05 Organisations
ACC/2805/08/06 Individuals
ACC/2805/08/07 Education
ACC/2805/08/08 Welfare
ACC/2805/08/09 Political Issues
ACC/2805/08/10 Overseas
ACC/2805/08/11 Media
ACC/2805/08/12 Interfaith
ACC/2805/08/13 Campaigns
ACC/2805/08/14 Practical Rabbinics
ACC/2805/08/15 Newsletters and miscellaneous.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Records with personal information concerning named individuals have been closed.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to these records rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area