Jewish Telegraph Live Internet Chat

2nd September 2001

Linda Richmond, Birmingham:
How long would you like to remain Chief Rabbi? Have you set yourself a target date for retirement or would you like to remain in office for your lifetime?

CHIEF RABBI:
Linda, the greatest answer ever given to that question was by the late Chief Rabbi J H Hertz of blessed memory. who said "Chief Rabbis never retire and only very rarely die." Seriously, though I am not yet ready to give retirement a thought when there is so much that needs to be done. In my induction address I said that the greatest gift any leader can be given is time because there is so much to do, and because change is so slow.

Football fan, Manchester:
Have you any message or berocho for the England Football team following their success against Germany?

CHIEF RABBI: There is a great Jewish blessing: "Who performs miracles . . . in those days and in ours." I think the England team and their supporters could probably recite it now!

jsm:
would you ever consider mixing socially with goyim

Judith:
Whilst recognising that Israel needs all the support it can get at the moment. Do you think that unequivlocal support for israel in the past has been in her best interests? Would some criticism of the expansion of the settlements from the Diaspora have helped in the long run?

CHIEF RABBI:
Of course I would and indeed do. One of the great blessings of the past ten years has been the friendship Elaine and I have formed with leaders and members of all other faith communities in Britain, and those of none. The Jewish challenge since the days of Abraham and Sarah has been to be true to our faith while being a blessing to others.

Puzzled:
I have been told - by charedi friends - that the sun goes round the Earth. I'm puzzled. Are you able to explain this to me, please?

CHIEF RABBI:
Judith - I don't think the issue is critical or uncritical friendship. All friendship is critical - but also loyal. Right now Israel does not need our criticism. It needs our loyal support. That does not mean unqualified endorsement of all Israel does. It means being with the people in their grief, isolation and distress.

CHIEF RABBI:
Puzzled. So am I. The Talmud in Pesachim already rejects the idea that the sun goes round the earth. Perhaps what they mean is that what we do here on earth matters more than anything else: that the light we create by human acts of kindness is brighter even than the light of the sun.

Mike McNee, Somerset:
Have you any explanation for crop circles?

CHIEF RABBI:
Mike: None, I'm afraid. Perhaps the best approach to these phenomena is not to leap to explanations, but none the less, to be open to wonder at the things we can't yet understand - and they are many!

Michael Braham, Manchester:
Good Afternoon Chief Rabbi, Could you please explain to me whay we don't have an "eiruv" in Manchester, or any other metro city in Britain? Why does it work in America, and why are The Rabonnim so against this? Thank you

CHIEF RABBI:
Michael: you ask a good question. We're close to achieving one in London, and then perhaps there will be others. Many years ago I asked many of the great jewish sages in the United States whether they supported the idea of Eruv. They all said Yes. The answer that most moved me was that of the Bostoner Rebbe. He said that the loveliest thing about an Eruv is that it allowed husbands to push the pram and enjoy the open air with their wives. That's why I support the Eruv - as, of course, does our Beth Din, which has been its prime mover.

Sara Levy, Glasgow:
Are you fearful or concerned about the increasing power and seemingly unaccountability of large multi-national companies such as CocaCola or Nike

CHIEF RABBI:
Globalization has some wondrous potential consequences. Through the Internet we may be able to democratize the access to knowledge throughout the world. Through new technology we may be able to solve some of the problems of hunger, poverty and disease in the third world. But the market must be subject to ethical constraints - and that includes the mutli-nationals. They must act in a way that respects the dignity of their workforce and the sustainability of local economies.

Jonathan, Tel Aviv:
Throughout the past few months and particularly in recent weeks the British Conservative party has been accused of being a rascist party. Do you think that the Tories have become a party of the far right & does this concern you? Would Ken Clarke or Ian Duncan Smith be the better leader?

CHIEF RABBI:
Jonathan: I make it a principle not to get involved in party politics. The Conservative party will chose its next leader, and we will work with him, whoever he is, as we do with the other two parties. I am sure the Conservative party will never become a base for the far right or for racism. Its traditions are too honorable for that.

ANONYMOUS:
Your response does not really answer my question. The settlements have clearly soured relations with the Palestinians and are an obstacle to peace. Would it have been better for leaders such as you to warn against unwise policies rather than withhold criticism?

CHIEF RABBI:
Anonymous: Ehud Barak was prepared, at Camp David, to make unprecedented concessions for the sake of peace. No one expected them; yet there was every evidence that, had they delivered a real prospect of peace, the majority of Israelis would have supported them. That, to me, signals a people prepared to go the extra mile for peace. Sadly, there has been a tragic regression since then, and it may be a long time before there is sufficient mutual trust to revisit this issue. When that time comes, I trust the people of Israel to make the kind of courageous choices they will need to make.

Marc Levy, Brighton:
i work for a jewish firm, and i never receive my pay check on time, should i go to the beis din?

CHIEF RABBI:
Marc: probably the first thing to do is to tell your boss: This is not the Jewish way. It is against biblical law.

Keith, Leeds:
As a secular Jew I am often made to feel like a second class Jew by many of the more orthodox members of the community. Is this right & should you be doing more to prevent this in the community?

CHIEF RABBI:
Keith: I think the Jewish community should be welcoming to all those who wish to be a part of it. I have said this, in one way or another, in almost all my public speeches as I go around communities. Let me tell you a story - not about secular Jews but about Jewish atheists. A chassid once asked his Rebbe, "Rebbe, do you eblieve that God created everything for a purpose?" The Rebbe replied, "Yes, surely." The chassid then asked, "Why then did God create atheists?" The Rebbe replied, "God created atheists to remind us of the suffering and injustice in this world. Sometimes those who have faith, have too much faith. They take the things that are wrong in this world as the expressions of God's will. Atheists remind us that they are not. So they too have a part to play in the life, and community, of faith." I do hope you find a community that welcomes you - because that is where you will find the Shekhinah, the Divine presence.

Dovid, Manchester:
Where do we learn that married women are always supposed to cover their hair? I was told this was related to the sotah episode, where the woman's hair is "uncovered", but is it not possible to think that outside the Temple, women may not have covered their hair?

CHIEF RABBI:
Dovid: The Torah implies that uncovering a married woman's hair was an act of humiliation. Therefore, we can infer that keeping her hair covered was the norm.

Alan, New York:
I have been worried recently about anti-Israel reporting particularly in the Independent newspaper, whose reports often include blatant lies, and also on the BBC. Does this concern you and should you be doing more to complain about certain media organisations coverage of Israel?

CHIEF RABBI:
Alan: I too am worried about an anti-Israel bias in certain sectors of the media. This is bad news - not only for Israel and the Jewish people, but for the encouragement of moderation, balance and respect for both sides of the argument, which alone will bring about peace. I cared so much about this, that last December, I took a mission of non-Jewish journalists from the British national media, to Israel, to see for themselves, and to hear the other side of the argument. I have also supported the creation of BICOM, a permanent organization dedicated to the balanced presentation of news from Israel and the Middle East. I wish it every success: we need it, Israel needs it.

Gill Michaels, Sheffield:
Travelling abroad as a Jew, how bad is it if I am forced to eat fish or vegetarian food in a non-kosher retaurant when faced with no other option?

CHIEF RABBI:
Gill: Don't think you have to compromise on kashrut when you travel. Take food with you. You'll find food marked with a hechsher in most parts of the world. If all else fails, eat raw fruit and vegetables. It'll be good for the body as well as the soul. But blessings come to those who are willing to make sacrifices for their faith. When people see that you have principles, they may respect your integrity - and who knows, you may do the deal that you might have lost otherwise.

Steve, Aberdeen:
I live a considerable distance from the nearest shool. The only way I can attend is to use my car. Is it beter for me not to go on Shabbat at all or to break Shabbat by driving. Don't suggest that I move nearer the shool, because I cannot and I cannot stay overnight every Friday because we are a family of six

CHIEF RABBI:
Steve: Tough question, but there is only one answer. Davven at home. Don't drive. God will hear your prayers wherever you are - especially if you make a point of davvening at the same time as the congregation. Be part of the community by attending social events that take place on weekdays - and perhaps book yourself and your family into a hotel, near a shul, for the High Holy Days.

Sally, London:
I am wheelchair bound and the only way i can go to shul on shabbos is if someone wheels me. My rabbi is not happy about that to put it mildly. What do you feel?

CHIEF RABBI:
Sally: your local rabbi is your rabbi. You have to trust his word. But there are things he and the community can and should do. They should visit you on their way back from shul. They should blow shofar for you on Rosh Hashanah; and so on. I can't say more, not knowing the specific details of your case; but feel free to ask your rabbi to contact the London Beth Din.

Brian Lux:
This morning you said on Radio 2 that you liked to visit Jewish communities. When did you last visit Reform Community? Reform members of the IDF have laid down their lives in defence of all sections of Israeli Society. This included the son of Rabbi Michael Boyden, a former leader of Menorah Synagogue,to which I belong. Until you accept that all Jews are equal, I cannot accept you as my Chief Rabbi. Brian Lux.

Chaim, Salford:
do you consider the word frummer or frummy to be derogatory? I have many religous friends who use the word

CHIEF RABBI:
Brian: True friendship is about acknowledging our differences while not allowing them to stand in the way of genuine friendship. A real friend recognizes that there are certain things I cannot in conscience do; I recognize in turn that there may be things I do or believe, that I cannot insist that he share. There is much that unites us as a people - our history, our hopes, our tears, our pride, our sense of collective responsibility to our fellow Jews, our commitment to creating a more just and compassionate world. If that cannot create friendship, what can? Let us therefore meet, but let us meet in such a way as not to embarrass either of us.

CHIEF RABBI:
Chaim: I take the word "frum" to be a badge of honour. It means someone who takes faith seriously and is willing to make sacrifices for it. If it ever becomes a derogatory term, we should ask why, and engage in real self-examination. To be a religious Jew whom people admire is to be a Kiddush Hashem.

Harold, Manchester:
I enjoy reading your column in the JT, but would enjoy it even more if it was weekly. Will it ever be?

CHIEF RABBI:
Harold: Halevai I should have the time. In the meanwhile, forgive me. There's an awful lot to do and only 24 hours a day in which to do it. But thanks for the thought, and I'll keep it in mind.

Anon:
Are sex change operations acceptable under Jewish law in any circumstances? And what do you feel about transvestites, like for instance Dana International, the Israeli singer

CHIEF RABBI:
Anon: It's impossible to give a general answer. It depends on the details of the particular case. Please feel free to contact the Beth Din, who will treat any such query in absolute confidentiality.

Anonymous:
10 years in office a great success mazeltov

CHIEF RABBI:
Anonymous. Thanks. For Elaine and myself it's been a privilege to be part of one of the great Jewish communities of the world, and it gets greater year by year.

Stanley Levy, Edgware:
only 24 hours in a day, but there are 6 days in a week

CHIEF RABBI:
Stanley: you're right. But none of us can do all the good things we'd like to. Lehavdil - even for Mosheh Rabbenu there was one river he did not live long enough to cross. Our new office notepaper carries the great saying of Rabbi Tarfon: It is not for you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it. So bear with me, Stanley!

Mark Cohen, Paris:
I was born Jewish of Orthodox parents but choose not to be observant,. Does that make me any less Jewish than anyone else

CHIEF RABBI:
Mark: That's a question I long ago decided to leave to the Almighty. But one thing I ask of you: Always try to act in such a way as to make others proud to be Jews. There are many ways you can bring pride to the Jewish people.

J Bloom:
rabbi, do you feel fulfilled on life?

CHIEF RABBI:
J Bloom: That's one question I can answer with a resounding Yes. The greatest privilege is to spend your life doing things that you find meaningful. That, for me, is true every day.

Stan, Sale:
Shimon Peres has said today that the durban conference "is an outburst of hate and of anti-Semitism." Do you agree with him? What can be done to prevent such blatant UN anti-Semitism in the future. Surely Kofi Annan himself is to blame for this - since he is the Sec'y General.

CHIEF RABBI:
Stan: I think the Durban conference is a tragedy for the cause of human rights and the fight against racism. Kofi Annan himself said, some years ago, that the "Zionism is racism" proposition was a moral lowpoint for the United Nations; and Durban is that story all over again. So, no, I don't blame Kofi Annan, but it is nonetheless a tragedy and one we will have to fight to overturn in the years to come.

Vic Aziz:
Do you think the race riots like we had in Oldham will spread to the Jews in salford?

CHIEF RABBI:
Vic: I profoundly hope not. But we must fight racism together - whoever is the target and whoever are the perpetrators. Racism has never won a major victory in Britain - especially not in Manchester, which has always had a strong collective spirit despite racial and religious differences. But we can never relax our vigilance.

Charlie:
Yasser Arafat's goal is to gain Jerusalem. Wouldn't it be easier such to hand over the Arab parts to the Palestians if it were to stop the many horific deaths on both sides.

CHIEF RABBI:
Charlie: That's precisely what Ehud Barak proposed and the Palestinians rejected. Jerusalem itself is a complex question. East Jerusalem is one thing; the holy sites another; and there are yet others. The fact is that both sides must move from where we are now to a situation in which they can at least talk, and build trust, and gain one another's confidence. Then will be the time for tough decisions. But the toughest thing of all is to build a relationship of trust.

Irene, Leeds:
Have you a favourite secular TV programme

CHIEF RABBI:
To the staff and readers of the Jewish Telegraph: Thank you for a new and wonderful experience. I've never done this before, and I greatly enjoyed it. May all of you have a shanah tovah - a good, and happy, and above all peaceful New Year, and may the Almighty bless you, your families, and the Jewish people.

CHAT ROOM ADMIN:
Sadly the chat room is now closed. We wish to thank you for your participation and especially to thank the Chief Rabbi and his team for joining in. The questions and answers will shortly be made available online. For further questions please email the editor at letters@jewishtelegraph.com and your letter will be considered for publication. We are sorry that the Chief Rabbi did not have time to answer all questions. Shana Tova!