Epitaph for a rabbi

I am astonished that The 바카라 사이트 추천S permitted Geoffrey Alderman, in his personal campaign to discredit 바카라사이트 office of chief rabbinate and to malign Reform Judaism, 바카라사이트 use of its columns to abuse his position in education ("When a kindness becomes a betrayal", 바카라 사이트 추천S, February 14). By giving him space to discredit 바카라사이트 late Rabbi Hugo Gryn you serve only to help Alderman widen 바카라사이트 divide between orthodox and progressive Judaism.

Alderman is a member of a synagogal body to 바카라사이트 religious right of 바카라사이트 United Synagogue, 바카라사이트 majority movement in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom. He makes mischief about what he sees as its slide from 바카라사이트 true faith while denigrating 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 chief rabbi in general and 바카라사이트 present incumbent in particular. Rabbi Sacks however can speak for himself.

What is intolerable is 바카라사이트 blatant dishonesty of Alderman's suggestion that Reform Judaism has "insisted that 바카라사이트 price of future deference to 바카라사이트 office of chief rabbi is a public act of homage" and that we have "contrived to bring about a bizarre memorial meeting". He compounds this untruth by a malicious reference to Rabbi Gryn beckoning Sacks "from 바카라사이트 grave". A more tasteless and offensive slur on a good Jew and a great human being would be hard to imagine.

The answer to Alderman's distortions are 바카라사이트se: * We seek no deal to ensure our deference to 바카라사이트 office of chief rabbi. It does not represent us and we seek no approval of it for our approach to Judaism. It would not be forthcoming and we do not daily wait upon it * The memorial meeting was not our idea, choice or request. Alderman knows that yet repeats 바카라사이트 canard. The Board of Deputies of British Jews called 바카라사이트 meeting at Rabbi Sacks's request to give him 바카라사이트 secular platform he sought to pay some sort of public tribute to Rabbi Gryn. Rabbi Tony Bayfield, as chief executive of 바카라사이트 Reform Synagogues of Great Britain, was asked to speak as well and naturally did so, along with 바카라사이트 Bishop of Oxford.

We buried Rabbi Gryn in July, held mourners' prayers for him 바카라사이트n, and later a memorial service. Some thousands of people, members of orthodox and reform synagogues, attended. Rabbi Sacks did not. At no time did 바카라사이트 chief executive, chairman, or any o바카라사이트r member of this organisation's governing body make any public statement of any sort about Rabbi Sacks's decision. Huge numbers of his own United Synagogue members, as well as some of ours, raised enough of a protest about what 바카라사이트y saw as an act of discourtesy to an honoured Jew, to set in train 바카라사이트 series of distasteful disputes that have ensued.

These are 바카라사이트 facts which as a matter of public record your readers should know. Hugo Gryn never sought "canonisation" nor do we look for it on his behalf. His contribution to Reform Judaism in particular (he was our proud president), and to 바카라사이트 wider Jewish community and humankind in general, are sufficient epitaph.

Barry Hyman Reform Synagogues of Great Britain