Rabbi Van den Bergh B.Ed, M.A. - Welfare

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Rabbi van den Bergh is the Rabbi of the Wembley United Synagogue and the Senior Hospital Chaplain of the Visitation Committee, co-coordinating the provision of Jewish Chaplaincy Services for hospitals in the Greater London and South East areas. He is also a member of the Chief Rabbi's Cabinet with responsibility for welfare issues, Hon. Secretary of the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue, and the representative of the British Jewish community on a Multi-Faith working party charged with advising the Government on policy on hospital chaplaincy. He recently was awarded an MA with merit in Healthcare Chaplaincy at Leeds University, being the first non-Christian chaplain to have undertaken this course.

Rabbi van den Bergh, before coming to Wembley in 1994, was Rabbi of the Spanish & Portuguese communities in South and North Manchester for 11 years. He previously was Assistant Minister and student counselor at Sheffield, and teacher of Jewish Studies at JFS and King David High School in Manchester. Rabbi van den Bergh gained Semicha from the Shehebar Sephardic Centre in Jerusalem, being its first rabbinic graduate. It now has over 80 rabbis serving communities around the world.

Rabbi van den Bergh was editor of Hakshiva, the journal published by the Rabbinical Council of the Provinces. He has also published a guide for the care of Jewish patients in hospitals and has recently contributed to "Spirituality in Health Care Context" edited by Dr Helen Orchard. He regularly lectures on Jewish pastoral and welfare issues, and advises on Multi-Faith chaplaincy to other faith communities.

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