Europe’s top Chief Rabbis meet Prince Albert of Monaco
Delegation pay trip to southern France, where they discuss issues affecting Jews across Europe
A group of Europe’s top Chief Rabbis – including the UK’s Ephraim Mirvis – enjoyed a visit to the south of France to meet Prince Albert of Monaco.
The trip was led by Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt of Moscow, President of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), who praised the Prince for his kindness to the Jewish community.
The delegation discussed Monaco’s flourishing Jewish community as well as the many issues that are affecting Jews across Europe including the rise of anti-Semitic incidents, Islamic extremism and the rise of nationalism. Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt was accompanied on the visit by First Vice President Chief Rabbi Korsia of France, Associate President, Chief Rabbi Mirvis and the Rabbi of Monaco, Rabbi Torgmant.
Reflecting on the meeting, Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt said: “Prince Albert has welcomed the Jewish community to Monaco and they are flourishing under his leadership. The Prince recognised the issues that the Jewish community is facing and has ensured that Monaco is a place where Jews and Judaism can flourish.”
The meeting was part of the Conference of European Rabbis Standing Committee meeting, currently taking place in Monaco. The Rabbis are being hosted at the new Edmond Safra Synagogue in Monaco and during the visit. Following recent elections in Austria and Germany, the Standing Committee meeting will allow the rabbis to assess the possible consequences for the Jewish communities involved. Sebastian Kurtz, the new Austrian President, has written to the CER in advance of the meeting and the talks will allow the rabbis to explore the future of the Jewish community and how it will be able to respond to growing Nationalism across Europe.
Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt said, “I have long described how European Jewry is stuck between the growing religious intolerance associated with Nationalism on the one hand and Islamic Extremism on the other. For many Nationalism has been a response to the terrorism related to religious extremism. But religious communities cannot be collateral damage. We need to find a way to protect religious communities who have prospered in Europe since the second World War. The meetings here in Monaco is a chance for us to reflect and take steps to ensure that our communities are able to flourish.”
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.
