Meir Soloveichik

Three U.S. rabbis are among those being considered to become Britain’s chief rabbi.

Meir Soloveichik

Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik, director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University and associate rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, is expected in London in a few days for meetings with British Jewish leaders, the Times of Israel reports.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

He is the great-nephew of the late Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveichik, the long-time leader of American Modern Orthodoxy until his death in 1993.

A senior British community leader told the website that Soloveichik had the behind-the-scenes backing of the current chief rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks. Sources close to Sacks, however, deny that the chief rabbi is backing anyone.

In addition to Soloveichik, other foreign candidates rumored under consideration include Emory law school professor Rabbi Michael Broyde; Rabbi Daniel Beller, a British rabbi who made aliyah 15 years ago; and Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt of the Riverdale Jewish Center in New York, according to the Times of Israel.

The main two candidates in England are widely assumed to be Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis of Finchley United Synagogue and a former chief rabbi of Ireland; and Rabbi Harvey Belovsk of Golders Green United Synagogue, another prestigious shul in the heart of Jewish London, the reported added.

Sacks is to step down in September 2013.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount